Native Nations

Award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal presents a compelling and comprehensive history in Native Nations, offering a rich exploration of Indigenous power and sovereignty in North America from the rise of ancient cities to contemporary struggles. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, DuVal explores the resilience, adaptation, and influence of Indigenous societies over the course of a millennium.

Native Nations delves into the lives and complexities of Indigenous American civilizations long before European colonisation. These societies built diverse, sophisticated communities and adapted to a changing world in ways that reverberated globally. DuVal recounts how, even after Europeans arrived, Indigenous civilizations did not collapse but rather adapted, innovated, and maintained their strength and agency.

A thousand years ago, North American cities were as large and complex as any urban centres in the world. Following a period of climate change and societal shifts, smaller, more mobile nations emerged, distancing themselves from urbanisation. These new societies developed complex economies, egalitarian governments, and diplomatic frameworks that thrived across the continent. By the time Europeans arrived in the sixteenth century, they encountered powerful societies that had evolved in ways vastly different from their own, often underestimating the strength and ingenuity of these Indigenous peoples.

Throughout Native Nations, DuVal illustrates how, for centuries, Indigenous peoples wielded significant power, often using European colonists to their advantage. For example, the Mohawks closely regulated trade with the Dutch, impacting global markets, while the Quapaws adeptly manipulated French colonists to further their own interests. Despite shifting power dynamics following the American Revolution, Indigenous nations continued to exert considerable control over land and resources.

DuVal highlights the efforts of key figures such as Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, who forged new alliances and pushed for a unified Native identity to counter U.S. expansion. The Cherokees created sophisticated institutions to assert their sovereignty globally, and the Kiowas used their influence to regulate settler movement across their territories.

This engrossing narrative positions the power and sovereignty of Native peoples at the forefront of American history. DuVal masterfully shows how Indigenous nations not only adapted to changing circumstances but flourished, maintaining a robust presence that continues into the present day. Native Nations is an essential addition to the burgeoning field of North American history, centring Indigenous perspectives and demonstrating that their influence remains a fundamental aspect of the continent's past, present, and future.

Longlisted for the Cundill History Prize, Native Nations is hailed as "an essential American history" by The Wall Street Journal and praised as "a feat of both scholarship and storytelling" by Claudio Saunt, author of Unworthy Republic. This book redefines understanding of power and sovereignty, showcasing the enduring legacy of Indigenous nations in North America.