Stacy Kowtko is assistant professor of history at Spokane Community College. She teaches Interdisciplinary Studies classes and American History classes. Her current research involves the history and culture of tourism by Americans.

• IntroductionTimeline of Native History in Precontact North America1. The People and the Environment: Who Was Here before Columbus2. Animal and Human Interaction: Natural Cooperation in the Environment3. Agriculture: Cultivating a Living out of the Environment4. Human Habitation in the Environment: Live and Let Live5. Survival of the Most Resourceful: Hunting and Gathering6. Spiritual Environment: Religious Beliefs and Practices7. Movement in the Environment: Migration and Transportation8. The Art of Fun and Games: Native American Leisure and the Environment9. Two Halves of the Same Environment: Gender Roles in Native American SocietyEpilogueAnnotated BibliographyIndex

"Kowtko describes North America before Columbus' expedition in terms of natural history and environs, using select tribes to illustrate the people from a societal and environmental perspective that links the land and the people together. She discusses which tribes were in North America, interactions with the land, agriculture and habitation, hunting and gathering methods, spirituality, migration, leisure, and gender roles." - Reference & Research Book News