Description
Book SynopsisTraces journeys made during seven months of fieldwork in 1935 and 1936 by Julian Steward, a young anthropologist, and his wife, Jane. Virginia Kerns identifies the scores of Native elders whom they met throughout the Western desert, men and women previously known in print only by initials and thus largely invisible as primary sources of Steward's classic ethnography.
Trade Review"Interweaving colonist history with ecological changes and Indian efforts to survive, Kerns provides a road-trip story—an honest Bonnie and Clyde driving and driving the West—illuminating a crucial stage in an anthropological theorist's career."—A.B. Kehoe,
CHOICE"[
Journeys West is] an excellent study of the man, his strategy, the people he encountered, and his Great Basin fieldwork."—Catherine S. Fowler,
Current Anthropology"Virginia Kerns has written an intelligent, beautifully detailed book that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the Great Basin and the history of anthropological fieldwork. Her style is clear and meticulously researched, and I highly recommend this book."—Patricia Dean,
Idaho Yesterdays"This well-written, engaging narrative puts a "human face" on Steward's ice enthusiasm in pursuing a theory."—Richard O. Clemmer,
Journal of Anthropological Research "This is a book easily read. It is well written, with some lovely, even poetic passages attractive to a wide readership. . . . I heartily recommend the volume to scholars interested in Steward's research methods."—Joel C. Janetski,
Western Historical Quarterly"Students and professionals alike will benefit from reading Kerns's
Journeys West. It offers an opportunity to learn about the trials and tribulations of early scholars "in the field" while simultaneously reflecting on our own roles as anthropologists and historians."—Susan Hall, H-Net
Table of ContentsPrefaceRemembering Part I: California, 1935Chapter 1. Going ThereChapter 2. Shoshone TerritoryChapter 3. Valley of the Paiutes Part II: Nevada, 1935Chapter 4. Coyote's CountryChapter 5. The People's LandChapter 6. River from Snow Mountain Part III: Idaho and Utah, 1936Chapter 7. Basin and PlateauChapter 8. Land of the UtesChapter 9. Trails WestChapter 10. Trail's End AfterwordNotesBibliography
