From Dominance to Disappearance

Here we have, at last, the first really comprehensive survey of the history of all Indians of Texas, including tribes that spilled over into Louisiana and Oklahoma (but not New Mexico).

Of course, the Comanches, the so-called Lords of the Plains thanks to their horsemanship and tribal dominance, loom large in this account. But also covered are tribal people ranging from the coastal and cannibalistic Karankawas and natives whom we normally associate with other areas, such as Caddos, Wichitas and Cherokees. All that’s left behind today are the handful of Alabama-Coushattas in East Texas and the Tiguas near El Paso. This book is a valuable reference source, but it does not read like a popular narrative history. It will be hard going for anyone who isn’t reading it as a scholar. —Richard H. Dillon