Description
American Indians of the Southeast is one of the titles in Osprey Publishing's Men-at-Arms series. All titles in the series are well-researched and contain full-colour plates of the uniforms or clothing worn by military forces of the past and present. In this title, the author and illustrator focus on the Aboriginal People of the Southeast culture area. This culture area extends from the Ohio River valley to the states of Virginia and Florida. The time period covered reaches back in time to 500 BC until the early 1900s. The author provides a brief historical introduction to the tribal groups as well as the material cultures of this region. Specific sections cover Cherokee history, stick ball game, Choctaw and Lower Mississippi tribal history, the Creek War of 1812-1814, and the Seminole Wars. The most important section of the book is the 8-page colour insert showing various clothing styles of Southeast men and women over time. The first colour plate features men and a woman from the Adena and Hopewell cultures. The second plate shows Mississippian men from the 1200-1550 time periods. The third plate depicts men's and women's clothing styles and cultural artifacts from the Mississippian and 16th centuries. A visit to London by Southeast Indians in 1734 is featured in the next plate. The three men and one woman are shown with their English hosts. The next plate shows the changing clothing styles of the Southeast Cherokee and Koasiti-Creek people during the mid to late 18th century. A scene from the 1830s depicts Seminole warriors along with a Black Seminole man in the sixth plate. A 19th century scene is shown in the next plate. It features a Creek chief from 1826, Eastern Cherokee Booger dancers, a Cherokee ball player, and Stand Watie. The Western Cherokee capitol building is shown in the background. The final plate shows Creek, Cherokee and Seminole men and women along with their children from the 20th century. Their clothing is made from brightly-coloured cloth materials. Throughout the text the author includes black and white photographs of artifacts from museum collections. The final section of the book includes a detailed description of each plate noting the sources consulted. The illustrator made effective use of museum collections, contemporary paintings and drawings, and eyewitness accounts. Each book in the series is highly recommended for their authentic illustrations.