The Catawba Nation - (University of Georgia Monographs) by Charles M Hudson (Paperback)

About the Book

In this reconstruction of the history of the Catawba Indians, Charles M. Hudson first considers the "external history" of the Catawba peoples, based on reports by such outsiders as explorers, missionaries, and government officials.

Book Synopsis

In this reconstruction of the history of the Catawba Indians, Charles M. Hudson first considers the "external history" of the Catawba peoples, based on reports by such outsiders as explorers, missionaries, and government officials. In these chapters, the author examines the social and cultural classification of the Catawbas at the time of early contact with the white men, their later position in a plural southern society and gradual assimilation into the larger national society, and finally the termination of their status as Indians with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This external history is then contrasted with the folk history of the Catawbas, the past as they believe it to have been. Hudson looks at the way this legendary history parallels documentary history, and shows how the Catawbas have used their folk remembrances to resist or adapt to the growing pressures of the outside world.

Review Quotes

All in all, it is the best single volume available on the Catawbas.

--Ethnology

This monograph is a welcome contribution to our knowledge of one of the more poorly documented societies in the Southeast. It is both a scholarly and a very readable study.

--Ethnohistory

About the Author

CHARLES M. HUDSON (1932-2013) was the Franklin Professor of Anthropology and History at the University of Georgia and was one of the foremost authorities on the history and culture of the Indians of the U.S. Southeast. His books include Black Drink and The Forgotten Centuries (both Georgia).