Spider Woman walks this land : traditional cultural properties and the Navajo Nation /

Carmean (Eastern Kentucky Univ.) has written an excellent introduction to Navajo culture and the real-world problems facing cultural preservation of archaeological sites and traditional cultural properties. Using the Navajo Nation as an example, the author clearly illustrates the conflict between federal legislation and Navajo worldview. Carmean includes coverage of applicable federal laws in language easily understood by undergraduates. However, there is a lack of detailed explanation of Navajo Nation cultural preservation legislation currently in effect. Overall, the book is a good complement to Mihesuah's Repatriation Reader (May,'01) and Native Americans and Archaeologists (1997), ed. by Swidler et al., which lack the cohesiveness evident in Carmean's work. This reviewer is especially pleased at the author's attempt to explain a very complex issue. However, potential instructors should review Navajo Nation legislation concerning this topic. ^BSumming Up: Highly Recommended. General and undergraduate collections. K. F. Thompson Northland Pioneer College