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Publisher: University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, 2007, $24.95.
ISBN: 978 0 8263 3951 5
Many recent encyclopedias cover Native American history, but relatively few focus on one tribe. Although known for his novels about Cherokee history, author Robert J. Conley (United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees) has also published several non-fiction titles such as The Cherokee Nation ([1] Conley, 2005a) and Cherokee Medicine Man ([2] Conley, 2005b). Conley's Cherokee Encyclopedia "is intended to be a quick reference for many of the places, things and people who are connected with [the three existing Cherokee nations]" (Preface, p. x).
The Encyclopedia lacks some standard academic features such as lists of further readings. Its real contribution stems from Conley's massive and circumstantial knowledge about both Cherokee history and present-day issues, reflecting his membership in the community and decades of research. The Encyclopedia identifies not only the famous, like Sequoyah, Wes Studi and Will Rogers, but also other political figures, actors, artists, writers, and a...