Strangers in a Stolen Land: Indians of San Diego County from Prehistory to the New Deal (Adventures in the Natural History and Cultural Heritage of the Californias)

Strangers in a Stolen Land is a remarkable document of a heartbreaking cultural collision, and the resulting decimation of the indigenous culture of prehistoric California. Focusing on the Native American peoples of San Diego County, Richard Carrico offers an exhaustively researched and emotionally powerful account of the often cruel, always sad conflicts between the First Nation and everyone that followed. The book covers the time frame from first contact, 1769, to 1938. My favorite parts were the first two chapters because my interest goes to the native culture before contact. What was life really like for these remarkable people who lived here for thousands of years before the coming of the Others. I wish the whole book was about that. But Carrico takes you through the breakdown decade by decade. The only reason I couldn't go with a five star review has nothing to do with Carrico. The fault lies with his editor and publisher. The book is poorly designed. The margins are the narrowest margins I have ever seen with the print running right up to the edge of the page -- it's hard to make margin notes which I always do when reading non-fiction. And it's clear that this is the second printing of an older manuscript because somehow oddly hyphenated words pop up right in the middle of a line on nearly every page. On page 66, "com-munity." On page 74, "pres-ent" and "auto-matically." It doesn't stop you in your tracks, but it is exceedingly odd. It just bugs me when editors and publishers let this stuff go to print. It's all through the book. Nevertheless, this is essential reading for anyone even remotely interested in Native American history and anthropology. The book is packed with gripping insight and astute analysis of the various sometimes conflicting portraits of historical accounts. As a long-time San Diegan, I found this book deeply moving with a palpable sense of place and a beautiful and dignified pathos.

I commend Richard Carrico on a well written and referenced book on the history of the Kumeyaay people of San Diego, this book used with other historical books present a good historical perspective on the Kumeyaay people.Andrew Y OroscoLineal of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians.

Mr. Carrico's second edition of Strangers in a Stolen Land is a great improvement over the first edition. The detail about the earlier years is excellent. Although he claims to have attempted to write this history from the Indian point of view, the treatment is fairly even handed.

This book is written by someone who knows and loves the history of San Diego County's peaceful Native Americans. I keep it handy for reference. Good read!

Love it!

Very good book! It was written by one of my professor.

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Rich Carrico has made many contributions to the knowledge of my generation as well as teaching the students of San Diego State University. If there is such a thing as an expert on Kumeyaay history from the academic world, Rich would certainly qualify. The content of the book is specific and heart wrenching. In my ethnographic work, far more limited than Professor Carrico's, I can say this book portrays accurately what it was like for the Native Americans of San Diego. I fully support friend, Peter Boland's complaints about the format of the book. Carrico's book deserves to be studied and absorbed and it is very difficult with the small margins, etc. While Peter is on target, it is more important to read this book than not to read it at all. I would encourage everyone to buy a copy in order to understand the relative Eden these people created prior to contact and the resulting catastrophe that followed Spanish and American contact. Richard, Peter and I are all on the same team and trying to accomplish the same thing - to document how remarkable these spiritually and environmentally informed these people were. Despite the cultural and actual genocide, they ultimately survived and today are models of forgiveness and tolerance. This book, to me, is the most informative journey of that path and I highly recommend it.