Discovering Mission San José


Book Description

Learn about the rich history of Mission San José: how it started, the people who ran it, the indigenous population, and its legacy today.




Lands of Promise and Despair


Book Description

This copious collection of reminiscences, reports, letters, and documents allows readers to experience the vast and varied landscape of early California from the viewpoint of its inhabitants. What emerges is not the Spanish California depicted by casual visitors—a culture obsessed with finery, horses, and fandangos—but an ever-shifting world of aspiration and tragedy, pride and loss. Conflicts between missionaries and soldiers, Indians and settlers, friends and neighbors spill from these pages, bringing the ferment of daily life into sharp focus.




Native America


Book Description

This history of Native Americans, from the period of first contactto the present day, offers an important variation to existingstudies by placing the lives and experiences of Native Americancommunities at the center of the narrative. Presents an innovative approach to Native American history byplacing individual native communities and their experiences at thecenter of the study Following a first chapter that deals with creation myths, theremainder of the narrative is structured chronologically, coveringover 600 years from the point of first contact to the presentday Illustrates the great diversity in American Indian culture andemphasizes the importance of Native Americans in the history ofNorth America Provides an excellent survey for courses in Native Americanhistory Includes maps, photographs, a timeline, questions fordiscussion, and “A Closer Focus” textboxes that providebiographies of individuals and that elaborate on the text, exposing students to issues of race, class, and gender




Mission San Jose


Book Description

Discusses the founding, building, operation, closing, and restoration of the San Jose Mission and its role in California history.




A Cross of Thorns


Book Description

A Cross of Thorns reexamines a chapter of California history that has been largely forgotten -- the enslavement of California's Indian population by Spanish missionaries from 1769 to 1821. California's Spanish missions are one of the state's major tourist attractions, where visitors are told that peaceful cultural exchange occurred between Franciscan friars and California Indians.




Under Many Flags


Book Description

Under Many Flags" is an anthology that serves as a remarkable compendium of narratives, each thriving on the richness of diverse experiences and literary articulations. This collection traverses a wide array of themes, including identity, heritage, and the complexities of belonging in a constantly changing world. Through a myriad of literary styles, from poignant short stories to evocative essays, the anthology offers a panoramic view of the human condition. The varied literary styles, carefully curated, showcase the diversity and significance of the works included, navigating the reader through historical depths and contemporary dilemmas alike, making this collection invaluable for those seeking to understand the nuances of cultural intersections. The contributing authors, Elsie Singmaster and Katharine Scherer Cronk, bring their unique backgrounds and rich literary experiences to the anthology, infusing it with a depth that spans geological and temporal boundaries. Their collective contributions reflect not only on their personal journeys and insights but also echo broader historical, cultural, and literary movements. This confluence of perspectives enriches the reader's understanding of the collections overarching themes, illuminating both the diversity of human experience and the common threads that bind these varied narratives together. "Under Many Flags" is more than just an anthology; it is an invitation to explore a multiplicity of perspectives, styles, and themes. For educators, students, and lovers of literature alike, this collection offers a unique opportunity to delve into a rich tapestry of human experiences, thoughts, and emotions. It encourages a deep engagement with the text, fostering a dialogue between the different authors works and the readers own understanding of the world. This anthology promises to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to broaden their literary horizons and appreciate the beauty of diversity encapsulated under many flags.







We Are the Land


Book Description

“A Native American rejoinder to Richard White and Jesse Amble White’s California Exposures.”—Kirkus Reviews Rewriting the history of California as Indigenous. Before there was such a thing as “California,” there were the People and the Land. Manifest Destiny, the Gold Rush, and settler colonial society drew maps, displaced Indigenous People, and reshaped the land, but they did not make California. Rather, the lives and legacies of the people native to the land shaped the creation of California. We Are the Land is the first and most comprehensive text of its kind, centering the long history of California around the lives and legacies of the Indigenous people who shaped it. Beginning with the ethnogenesis of California Indians, We Are the Land recounts the centrality of the Native presence from before European colonization through statehood—paying particularly close attention to the persistence and activism of California Indians in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The book deftly contextualizes the first encounters with Europeans, Spanish missions, Mexican secularization, the devastation of the Gold Rush and statehood, genocide, efforts to reclaim land, and the organization and activism for sovereignty that built today’s casino economy. A text designed to fill the glaring need for an accessible overview of California Indian history, We Are the Land will be a core resource in a variety of classroom settings, as well as for casual readers and policymakers interested in a history that centers the native experience.




A Time of Little Choice


Book Description