The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 84, July 1980 - April, 1981 Page: 110

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

discusses population movements and intertribal rivalries as indigenous
phenomena, long antedating Spanish intrusion, and warns against per-
ceiving Indians as mere pawns. Less successful is George Harwood
Phillips's labored application of sociological theory to reach the ob-
vious conclusion that many Indians chose to leave the California mis-
sions when the Mexican government ceased to support the system.
Problematic California defies Weber's announced focus on the
Spanish period. C. Alan Hutchinson tests the Turner thesis against
Mexican California, finding little relevance. Manuel Patricio Servin's
shrill polemic on the "Spanish Myth" demands more credit in Cali-
fornia history for "Mexicans" and less for "Spaniards," insisting upon
rather odd definitions of terms. Weber does well to cite Ralph Vigil's
rebuttal: perhaps both should have been included if the issue merits
space.
The editor cautions that Joseph F. Parks's article on Spanish Indian
policy is outdated. Largely Sonoran in focus, it does not consider the
substantial successes of Spain's Indian policy in more easterly Border-
lands, and thus reaches distorted conclusions. That epitomizes the
limitation of such a collection: "state of the art" information is not
necessarily available in essay format. However, Weber compensates
with extensive suggestions for further reading and research. Overall,
the volume achieves extraordinary freshness and balance. It will be
valuable to any student of the Borderlands, whether novice or old war
horse.
A ustin, Texas ELIZABETH A. H. JOHN
The Apaches: Eagles of the Southwest. By Donald E. Worcester. (Nor-
man: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979. Pp. xviii+389. Preface,
illustrations, maps, bibliography, index. $15.95.)
This detailed historical study of the Apaches of Arizona, New Mexi-
co, and northern Mexico, is Volume 149 of The Civilization of the
American Indian Series. According to the author, the Apaches consti-
tuted the last migratory wave from Asia before the Eskimos reached
the North America continent.
Worcester ably traces the history of these "Eagles of the Southwest"
from the sixteenth century when the Spaniards advanced onto their
land through the Mexican and Anglo-American periods. The story
ends with an account of Apache life today on reservations in Arizona
and New Mexico.

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