This timely book surveys the artistic traditions of indigenous North America, from those of ancient cultures to the work of modern artists. The text is organized geographically, covering tribes as wide-ranging as the Navajo, Cheyenne, Chumash, Tsimshian and Inuit, and draws upon Native American history, the testimonies of oral tradition and the latest research in North American archaeology.

Native American art is often discussed simply as a cultural production, but this book focuses as much as possible on the individual artists, their roles in society, and the cultural and social contexts of the objects they created, whether 'traditional', 'tourist' or contemporary. The author also examines the tension between artistic practices that have spanned thousands of years and the startlingly fresh innovations that have resulted from historical circumstance.