Books like Indians of the Pacific Northwest — picked by fans

I’ve been a labor union attorney and lifelong historical researcher drawn to the 1900s Progressive Era because of the parallels between that time and today. To write Unseen, I read over 100 books and articles about Indian life ways, reservations, boarding schools, and federal policy. Many sources are firsthand accounts written by Indians and ethnologists whom Indians deem credible. Whenever fact or opinion conflicted, I deferred to the Indian account. Pre-Columbus, Indians totaled 5 million. By the 1900 census, fewer than 250,000 survived. My research yielded a history that was both horrific and inspiring. I concluded that there is much to learn from these First Peoples.

I’ve been a labor union attorney and lifelong historical researcher drawn to the 1900s Progressive Era because of the parallels between that time and today. To write Unseen, I read over 100 books and articles about Indian life ways, reservations, boarding schools, and federal policy. Many sources are firsthand accounts written by Indians and ethnologists whom Indians deem credible. Whenever fact or opinion conflicted, I deferred to the Indian account. Pre-Columbus, Indians totaled 5 million. By the 1900 census, fewer than 250,000 survived. My research yielded a history that was both horrific and inspiring. I concluded that there is much to learn from these First Peoples.

I’ve been a labor union attorney and lifelong historical researcher drawn to the 1900s Progressive Era because of the parallels between that time and today. To write Unseen, I read over 100 books and articles about Indian life ways, reservations, boarding schools, and federal policy. Many sources are firsthand accounts written by Indians and ethnologists whom Indians deem credible. Whenever fact or opinion conflicted, I deferred to the Indian account. Pre-Columbus, Indians totaled 5 million. By the 1900 census, fewer than 250,000 survived. My research yielded a history that was both horrific and inspiring. I concluded that there is much to learn from these First Peoples.

I’ve been a labor union attorney and lifelong historical researcher drawn to the 1900s Progressive Era because of the parallels between that time and today. To write Unseen, I read over 100 books and articles about Indian life ways, reservations, boarding schools, and federal policy. Many sources are firsthand accounts written by Indians and ethnologists whom Indians deem credible. Whenever fact or opinion conflicted, I deferred to the Indian account. Pre-Columbus, Indians totaled 5 million. By the 1900 census, fewer than 250,000 survived. My research yielded a history that was both horrific and inspiring. I concluded that there is much to learn from these First Peoples.

The natural world has been my solace and passion for my entire life. I also suffer from an insatiable curiosity as to how it came to be. While I am fascinated by natural history, my deficient math and analytical skills precluded a career in science, and so I turned to environmental history to explore how humans and nature have interacted over time.

As a transplant to the west coast of North America, I’m always on the lookout for books that capture aspects of the history of this region and help me understand my new home. For me, the books on this list have shed light on different communities, worldviews, and a complicated past. Besides, I am a pushover for epic stories that span generations and geographies and teach me new ways of thinking and looking at the world.

Steampunk has always been a fascinating genre to me, especially seeing how different creators play with historical elements. But the question that I’m always looking to answer is, “Why is this history different from our own?” What has allowed this alternate Victorian era to create fantastical technology? As I asked this question about my own steampunk books, I found great delight in how other authors have combined magic with their technology to create delightfully refreshing outcomes. I continue to search out these books as I am always surprised at their creativity and novelty.

I have always been fascinated by natural history and dreamed of becoming a paleontologist—until I took my first Japanese language class in college and got “hooked” on that. Eventually, I wound up with a doctorate in Japanese history and spent 30 years teaching at a university in Tokyo. At first, most of my research was on Japanese foreign relations. But I retained a strong interest in science and the environment. After a while, I realized that I could combine that with my love of history and that the result could be relevant to contemporary environmental problems. Serendipity at work! Currently, I’m editing a second book on Japanese environmental history, this one focusing on historical climate change.

As a gardening instructor and designer, I've been recommending these five books for years. They were the core texts of the Fundamentals of Gardening course I've been teaching at the New York Botanical Garden for over a decade. Since the publication of The New Gardener’s Handbook, which covers all these topics in a more abbreviated way, I still recommend these five books to my students if they want to dig deeper. These books are what I call “keeper texts.” I own fewer and fewer actual gardening books these days, but it's a fact that a copy of each of these excellent resources resides on my office bookshelf where I refer to them frequently. 

I’ve spent my life journey so far in the outdoors of northern Ontario, Canada. Before I became a conservation officer, I worked for twelve years in a wilderness park as a canoe ranger. I also had eighteen sled dogs and taught dogsledding and winter survival. I’ve always been drawn to reading adventure stories, so when I finally became an author (in my forties. It’s never too late), I naturally wrote the kind of books that I grew up reading. Now I love that I get to share my passions with readers.  I hope you find some books of interest on this list and join me on a journey into a new adventure.