The Indians of Puget Sound: The Notebooks of Myron Eells

Myron Eells spent more than 30 years (18741907) as a missionary on the Skokomish Reservation in western Washington State, where he recorded details of Indian life. He served during a period of transition, when both federal and religious authorities sought to ""civilize'' the Indians as rapidly and thoroughly as possible, and Eells observed the cultural changes firsthand. Though he published some articles during his life, the manuscript of his study was neglected; it is published here for the first time. Anthropology professor Castile has edited the work to present an orderly narrative. Eells worked mainly with the Twana and Klallon tribes of the Coast Salish; he had a particular interest in their material culture, but he also describes potlatches, burial customs and religion (including the rise of the Shaker Church). In his afterword, anthropologist Elmendorf appraises Eells's work as an ethnographer. Readers interested in history and anthropology will find this an excellent resource. Illustrations. (May 15)