Warriors

The Native Americans had lived in the continent for thousands of years before [the arrival of Europeans], occupying regions from arctic to tropical and fro mountain pastures to deserts and, by necessity, had adopted different habits and lifestyles. This diversity was reflected in attitudes to warfare and the ideal of the warrior ... The Hopi practiced only defensive warfare; the Apache considered the taking of a life to be of little consequence; the Kwakiutl had war seasons; the Tlingit presented a ferocious appearance, through the wearing of body armor, to intimidate their enemies ... The established and varying practices of indigenous warfare were deeply affected by the arrival of the Europeans and the Americans, with their own attitudes toward war. This led to bitter fighting between the various elements, on a scale not previously witnessed on the continent; it also led to disease, ruination, and a death toll far higher than any caused by war ... [this book] contains outstanding and early artifacts, photographs, paintings and drawings from notable museums ...