Algonquin "canoe commuters" used to dock in the same place where a local railway station now links New York City and Hoboken, N.J. Brooklyn's main thoroughfares, Flatbush Avenue and Kings Highway, were major trade routes of the Canarsie people. With nuggets like these, Pritchard (No Word for Our Time), a Marist College Native American history professor and founder of the Center for Algonquin Culture, conveys the extent to which Native American civilizations have shaped the geography of modern New York. Divided into three sections covering New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, the book is a rambling tour of Indian landmarks and historical sites, with descriptions of the cultures, history, languages and lore of the Native American inhabitants. Drawing on archival material as well as interviews with present-day leaders of the Algonquin nations, Pritchard offers a wealth of information that doesn't make it into many New York City histories or guidebooks. Some readers may be frustrated by his unfocused, anecdotal approach, and not everyone will enjoy his periodic forays into quasi-inspirational-speak ("If you look around at the cement and pollution, and say, 'I wish I could help heal this land,' you are not alone"), but New York history buffs and those interested in the Native American past will welcome Pritchard's attempt to fill in the gaps. (May)
