The story of the native peoples of the Americas spans some 30,000 years. By the time Columbus arrived at the New World, these continents were populated by some 75,000,000 people, speaking 2,000 languages, in a rich diversity of cultures linked by an involved trade network. The land - all its creatures and aspects - was their religion, and man was only one among many wonderful manifestations of life. This book explores the unique history and vast heritage of the American Indian from a native American perspective. Illustrated throughout, this book tells the story of the original Americans.