thomasgoddard's review against another edition
4.0
I knew next to nothing about native American tribes prior to reading this book. I'm not American, so I don't think it's too much of a blind spot considering. History generally is a weak subject. I'm still a quiz champion, but there are so many patches that I decided to make a real effort this year.
So, first there was the history of religion and now this book. And I'm currently onto a biography of Churchill. That's very very very long, so I think it'll slow down my pace, but it's for a good cause. Then I've got a book on revolutions. And then... I'm open to suggestions. What historical periods do you find fascinating? Any good history books to recommend.
Having no understanding of American history, I think this book is a rather fantastic starting point. It charts the invasion of the American continent and takes us just past the early 1900s. There are constant contextual milestones, so you know what else was happening. I think my ignorance made me think it all happened hundreds of years ago, but it really didn't. There's a bit of Canadian and Mexican history too.
They tried to say it was about Christianity, civilization, manifest destiny... everything boiled down to greed. Tricked, robbed, humiliated and driven to unimaginable hardship. It's sad to think that it was largely down to two things: technological advantage and sheer numbers. It certainly wasn't down to a superior morality.
The crazy thing is that if they'd stopped and learned from the tribes, we'd not have the earth in the state that it is now.
Bottom line is that there is always a price to pay for progress and it is rarely paid by those in power.
So, first there was the history of religion and now this book. And I'm currently onto a biography of Churchill. That's very very very long, so I think it'll slow down my pace, but it's for a good cause. Then I've got a book on revolutions. And then... I'm open to suggestions. What historical periods do you find fascinating? Any good history books to recommend.
Having no understanding of American history, I think this book is a rather fantastic starting point. It charts the invasion of the American continent and takes us just past the early 1900s. There are constant contextual milestones, so you know what else was happening. I think my ignorance made me think it all happened hundreds of years ago, but it really didn't. There's a bit of Canadian and Mexican history too.
They tried to say it was about Christianity, civilization, manifest destiny... everything boiled down to greed. Tricked, robbed, humiliated and driven to unimaginable hardship. It's sad to think that it was largely down to two things: technological advantage and sheer numbers. It certainly wasn't down to a superior morality.
The crazy thing is that if they'd stopped and learned from the tribes, we'd not have the earth in the state that it is now.
Bottom line is that there is always a price to pay for progress and it is rarely paid by those in power.
camillewithasea's review
5.0
Incredible book, eye opening, but too brutal for me to be able to finish, at least right now.
roguesquid0's review against another edition
5.0
The America we know is built on mass murder, lies, and hatred. Give voices to those that matter. Read this book.
bargainbinkazbrekker's review
4.25
“ I did not know that how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying healed and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when i saw them with eyes still young. And I can see something see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people’s dream died there.” — Black Elk
My biggest issue with reading history books is that a lot of them present the facts and events in a very matter of fact way, like it is what it is and what happened happened. There’s never room really for nuance or emotion. Which I think is a detriment. History is nuanced and history is emotional. History is learning how people suffered, died, killed, created, learned, built, inspired, etc. History is human and humans are emotional complex creatures. And some historical events deserve to have their emotions felt. The systemic genocide of the Indigenous peoples of America is one that i feel people need and have to understand and feel the emotion— the pain— that these groups have suffered. The betrayal, lost hope, grief, suffering, anger, and loss they felt. People need to understand that these unique groups were forced to unite under the same circumstances if they were being forced from their homes, their cultures were being stripped from them, and their people murdered.
Bury my Heart at wounded knee showcases the demise of many a different tribe. It shows the unfortunate cycle that they all ended up in and how the white man did everything they could to rid the land of its natives.
it’s heartbreaking, it’s brutal, and it’s infuriatingly repetitive.
wastedwings's review
4.0
This book should be required reading for high school students in their US History classes. I listened to a painstaking 14 hour history lesson of perpetual genocide and rape. The "founding" of the US, laws and government (white supremacy under capitalism) has never been addressed and stopped. Repeated patterns can be seen of abuse leading up until modern day.
The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 is because I really did not like the narrator of the audiobook. The content itself is very well documented and organized.
It's crucial every generation of white Americans actually learn how our society was created instead of glossing over the subject. If we don't know the truth, we can't change the future to be better; do better.
“And so, in the summer of 1885, Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, traveling throughout the United States and into Canada. He drew tremendous crowds. Boos and catcalls sometimes sounded for the "Killer of Custer," but after each show these same people pressed coins upon him for copies of his signed photograph. Sitting Bull gave most of the money away to the band of ragged, hungry boys who seemed to surround him wherever he went. He once told Annie Oaklye, another one of the Wild West Show's stars, that he could not understand how white men could be so unmindful of their own poor. "The white man knows how to make everything,” he said, “but he does not know how to distribute it."”
The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 is because I really did not like the narrator of the audiobook. The content itself is very well documented and organized.
It's crucial every generation of white Americans actually learn how our society was created instead of glossing over the subject. If we don't know the truth, we can't change the future to be better; do better.
“And so, in the summer of 1885, Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, traveling throughout the United States and into Canada. He drew tremendous crowds. Boos and catcalls sometimes sounded for the "Killer of Custer," but after each show these same people pressed coins upon him for copies of his signed photograph. Sitting Bull gave most of the money away to the band of ragged, hungry boys who seemed to surround him wherever he went. He once told Annie Oaklye, another one of the Wild West Show's stars, that he could not understand how white men could be so unmindful of their own poor. "The white man knows how to make everything,” he said, “but he does not know how to distribute it."”
sambora's review against another edition
4.0
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is devastating.
This book took me a few weeks to get through, mainly due to it's content being extraordinarily painful to read and learn about, and reading too much at once was just too much for me to stomach.
That being said, I believe it to be an incredibly important piece of literature, even for those that are not American, such as myself.
This book contains the comprehensive history of the ultimately inevitable downfall of the Native American people, otherwise referred to as Plains Indians, between the years of 1860 - 1890.
It tells of the hypocrisy and deceit of the newly founded American government, the greed of the newly arrived whites in the rush for land and gold, and the willingness to destroy an entire culture and peoples for material gain.
This book also describes to us the resilience of the various tribes. Their reluctance to give away everything they have and everything they know, their entire way of life. The wars they wage and the measures they have to take to simply attempt to remain free on the land they had been living peacefully on for generations.
It is STAGGERING how often these people were lied to, manipulated and promised things that were never to be true... Only to pay for their trust in white people with their own blood and the blood of their women and children.
Each chapter of the book follows a different tribe (we DO, however, revisit a few of the more pivotal ones toward the end) and we meet the key figures and tribe leaders that had an impact on the happenings at the time.
Unlike the few other history books I have read, it is extremely well formatted, refering back when we needed a reminder of something that had happened a few chapters ago. With important quotes attached to each chapter, as well as good quality photographs throughout, giving us the chance to put faces to the names of some of the people mentioned.
This all helped make it more accessible and readable on paper, despite the horrid truths being told.
I do not wish to go into much detail about the specific historical happenings contained within these pages, because, as previously stated, I think more people ought to read it themselves.
I do not read a great deal of non-fiction, but I am glad I stepped out of my genre to read this and I shall remember and think about this book for years to come.
__________________________________________
Thank you for reading my review!
Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more reviews!
This book took me a few weeks to get through, mainly due to it's content being extraordinarily painful to read and learn about, and reading too much at once was just too much for me to stomach.
That being said, I believe it to be an incredibly important piece of literature, even for those that are not American, such as myself.
This book contains the comprehensive history of the ultimately inevitable downfall of the Native American people, otherwise referred to as Plains Indians, between the years of 1860 - 1890.
It tells of the hypocrisy and deceit of the newly founded American government, the greed of the newly arrived whites in the rush for land and gold, and the willingness to destroy an entire culture and peoples for material gain.
This book also describes to us the resilience of the various tribes. Their reluctance to give away everything they have and everything they know, their entire way of life. The wars they wage and the measures they have to take to simply attempt to remain free on the land they had been living peacefully on for generations.
It is STAGGERING how often these people were lied to, manipulated and promised things that were never to be true... Only to pay for their trust in white people with their own blood and the blood of their women and children.
Each chapter of the book follows a different tribe (we DO, however, revisit a few of the more pivotal ones toward the end) and we meet the key figures and tribe leaders that had an impact on the happenings at the time.
Unlike the few other history books I have read, it is extremely well formatted, refering back when we needed a reminder of something that had happened a few chapters ago. With important quotes attached to each chapter, as well as good quality photographs throughout, giving us the chance to put faces to the names of some of the people mentioned.
This all helped make it more accessible and readable on paper, despite the horrid truths being told.
I do not wish to go into much detail about the specific historical happenings contained within these pages, because, as previously stated, I think more people ought to read it themselves.
I do not read a great deal of non-fiction, but I am glad I stepped out of my genre to read this and I shall remember and think about this book for years to come.
__________________________________________
Thank you for reading my review!
Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more reviews!
aayla_xiaan's review
5.0
This book should be studied at school. It describes perfectly enough the Indian genocide to recognize it and mourn the people who suffered during the far west times.
I bought this in the USA and it hit me differently.
I bought this in the USA and it hit me differently.