Written by Frank F. Latta and originally published in 1949, the Handbook of the Yokuts Indians is considered by many historians and cultural anthropologists to be the single most important work on the lives and culture of the more than 60 tribes that made up the Yokuts.

The book is the definitive reference on Yokuts Indians, said Chris Brewer, local historian, Exeter Sun columnist and publisher of the Handbook. It lives up to the name Handbook, and is the only major reference source on Yokuts.

The original 1949 publication was enlarged and edited by Latta and his daughter, Monna Latta Olson. It was released in an enlarged second edition in 1977. The edition was soon sold out, and collectors and researchers found themselves paying up to 10 times the original cover price. Brewer felt it was time to republish the book as the price for the old edition was way too inflated.

The inflated cost of the second edition, as well as its scarcity are what prompted Brewer to gain the rights from the Latta Family Trust to re-release the Handbook.

The release of the 50-Year Anniversary Edition is priced at a more reasonable $75.

The book’s latest incarnation was published for collectors, and serious researchers, as well as for those interested in Native American culture and local history. People who are interested in local history or the history of the San Joaquin Valley will want this book, especially those who missed it last time. It is also felt to be a superb text book for anthropology, history, and archaeology students.

Drawn from first hand interviews, the book contains literally hundreds of photographs of the Yokuts people demonstrating their traditions and artifacts.

There are dozens of photographs in the book, many of rare Yokuts ceremonies and basket makers.

This release is an early commemorative edition to mark the book’s 50th anniversary next year. Little has been changed from the 1977 second edition. It is the 50th Anniversary Edition, with 1,000 copies, 100 of which are signed by Latta’s daughter, who did all the editing and the proofing of the second edition. It has undergone cosmetic changes with a redesigned the cover, added dust wrapper, and minor updated book information. The book’s quality has been upgraded with heavier paper and cover boards. The signed, numbered editions of the Handbook are available at $125 each from the publisher.

Exeter residents in particular will notice the 50th anniversary edition has a very familiar look. It’s dust jacket features a four-color reproduction of the original watercolor used for the Yokuts Harvest mural in Exeter, by artist Ben Barker of Susanville, now deceased. The new release also features a better overall appearance than the earlier editions.