ONE NATION, MANY TRIBES

Krull (Lives of the Writers, 1994, etc.) tells the story of Thirza Defoe and Shawnee Ford, two Indians (a term she says is ``increasingly preferred over'' Native American) who attend the Milwaukee Indian Community School. Funded by a high-stakes bingo hall run by Potawatomi Indians, the school has students from many different tribes. In addition to other subjects, they learn about Indian culture and gain a sense of pride in their heritage. The school stresses the importance of preserving Indian culture and downplays differences among tribes. This is a competent portrait of an unusual community, engagingly depicted through the experiences of two of its children. Hautzig's full-color photos are technically superb in further chronicling the life of contemporary Indians. (Further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)