The 1997-98 directory provides names, addresses and telephone numbers for 64 categories of interest to American Indians, ranging from entertainment to government and natural resources to crisis intervention. The St. Cloud residents want American Indians to use the book as an empowerment tool. Beyond losing the people, John Crow fears much will be lost because so much knowledge of the culture is handed down from generation to generation. The book creators also hope people will use their product as a way for Native Americans to create and maintain ties with other Native Americans. People new to a town and looking for resources can turn to the book.
Children can find ways to learn about their ancestors.
But when the first edition was released, the enthusiasm the Crows and Sharp expected from American Indians turned to resistance and distrust from many. This is our world. Once American Indians began to see how much the book offered, their apprehension waned, but the initial reaction is hard to forget. It is not only American Indians who can benefit from the Indian Country Address Book . Non-Indians looking for information about Indian cultures often found skewed or incorrect details from a variety of sources, according to Sharp.