A classic of ethnobotany, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region has been enlarged for this Bison Book edition with thirty drawings, by Bellamy Parks Jansen, of plants discussed by Gilmore. The taxonomic glossary has been updated as well. Readers will find here, conveniently described, the uses that Plains Indians made of the wild plants they collected and of those plants they cultivated for food, clothing, medicine, and ornamentation. This fascinating book, originally published in 1919, reveals cultures that evolved in close harmony with their environment.
Melvin R. Gilmore (1868-1940) ended his distinguished career as curator of ethnology at the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Michigan after serving at the state historical societies of Nebraska and North Dakota and at the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.