This volume seeks to provide a neutral, comprehensive reference for students and researchers to clarify terminology and historical facts regarding American Indian cultures. The author, John Leeds Stoutenburgh, compiled this work following five years of intensive research, travel, and interviews across the United States. The text aims to synthesize disparate historical accounts, correcting common misconceptions and biases found in earlier literature to offer a balanced perspective on Indigenous history and lore.

Readers often view this work as a historical reference point for understanding how Indigenous topics were categorized in the mid-20th century. Experts note that while the book provides a broad overview, it should be supplemented with contemporary scholarship to account for more recent historical findings and cultural perspectives.