National Geographic Timeline of American History: Native America covers the fascinating timeline of Native Americans in both North America and South America, tracing their history from their original habitation of the continents to modern times, with a focus on Native American and European first contact and its aftermath. The book will look at the different ecological zones Indians lived in and how that affected their culture and historical change. It will examine the movement of peoples, wars with Europeans, Cimmeron communities, and the American Indian Movement. A look at modern days includes the formation of Indian casinos, pow-wows, and an examination of unresolved legal issues. One key nodal point for the book is the Trail of Tears and how the Cherokee effort to assimilate was not supported by Washington and Andrew Jackson. The What If? section considers how history might have unfolded differently if President Martin Van Buren had succeeded in protecting the Indians.