Reviews

Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees, by Allan W. Eckert

penwiper's review against another edition

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1.0

To be fair, since this was written in the 70s nobody cared much about cultural appropriation at that time. But for me this book “Trust me, everything written here is truth!!”) is pretty cringe. I got about 70 pages before calling quits.

I felt the most egregious instance thus far is when the Chief randomly misquotes Jesus-isms at Blue Jacket and it’s made to look like Indian wisdom and how “Indians just want to live in peace with their fellow human man” right after they’ve near beaten Blue Jacket half to death in a “moving” adoption ceremony.

Supposedly this beating is okay because Blue Jacket wants to be there, and wants to be an Indian because their ways are just so peachy-keen. Oh and he learns the language super quickly and is amazing and such a great hunter.

I just. Nope.

I get the feeling the author never grew out of his Davy Crockett/Daniel Boone coonskin cap and rifle phase as a kid and listened to endless reruns of hi ho silver but wanted to write something from the Indian POV. I’m sure this was groundbreaking for the 70s.



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