Yurok Geography is one of three reprints of books about Yurok life written in the early to mid 20th century and reprinted by the Trinidad Museum. The author, Dr. Thomas Waterman, a noted anthropologist and colleague of A.L. Kroeber, published it in 1920 after extensive interviews and field work.

       Replete with thoroughly notated maps and photographs, this book sheds light on many aspects of Yurok culture and their inseparable physical and spiritual connection with the land. The book begins with a discussion of the Yurok language then goes on to beliefs about the mythical creation and appropriate interactions with physical features such as rivers, trails or prominent rocks.  The author also explains the spiritual basis for place names and gives an extensive catalogue of these with the location of houses, settlements and natural features, all accompanied by a great many maps.  Woven into this is a discussion of the meaning and proper use of personal and location names as well as the cultural rules of property rights, marriage and inheritance. We also learn how some of these things as well as ceremonial practices differ from those of neighboring tribes.

       For anyone wishing to delve further into the traditional Yurok world, the book's most interesting feature may be the many maps of the sections into which the author has divided Yurok territory.  Based on extensive interviews and exploration conducted by Waterman and colleagues, many features and dwellings are marked and accompanied with detailed notes. Likewise, the abundant landscape photographs are well described.

       All together, whether for a geographer, an ethnologist or simply a curious Humboldter, this book is a fascinating entry into a past world that has evolved into the one we all share today.