Inuit ¦ Rainforest Amerindians

These titles are attractively produced. well-illustrated and have an inviting format. but bland. glossy compilations they are not; they are authentic insights, written and photographed by people who have spent some time amongst the societies under discussion.

Their credentials are readily apparent - in the depth and breadth of the information provided, in the intensity of the prose when reporting perceived injustices, and in the obvious concern for the future survival of the cultures they so eloquently describe.

The text ranges widely over the historical, geographical, political, economic and social reasons why these indigenous peoples are struggling to preserve their traditional way of life. The rainforests of the Amerindians have been devastated by loggers, miners, ranchers and other developers, whilst the Inuit have suffered from the activities of fur traders, whalers, missionaries, and oil and gas companies.

The culture of the Inuit and Amerindians encompasses a respect for the environment and the balance nature, both glaringly absent amongst those who have exploited their habitats. Forced to become more overtly political in recent years. they are at last beginning to be successful in achieving legal recognition of communal lands. but they have a long struggle ahead of them. Books such as these will help focus on their problems and hopefully further their cause.