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A review by hooliaquoolia
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer
5.0
What an incredible book. The history of Native America, as Treuer writes, is often clouded by the fact that when non-Indian people write that history, it portrays American Indians as a) monolithic and b) the faceless objects of countless mass tragedies whose stories begin with their victimization and end with their supposed disappearance into the mists of history. Treuer demonstrates that Indians are where they are not because they were passive victims of government policy, but because they fought time and time again against government encroachment on their rights, lives, lands, and cultures. They exist, as Treuer writes, because they are the descendants of those who fought and survived, and they continue to fight for their lives and futures against government imposition.
Treuer includes thorough histories of the many regions of Native America, beginning with a general background in pre-history, first European contact, relations up to and through the Revolutionary War, then through the 19th century and westward expansion, and finally through the 20th century as Indians navigated abusive boarding schools, government abuse and graft, and finally began reclaiming sovereignty over reservations and tribal lands. The history of the American Indian Movement of the 60s and 70s was in particular fascinating. His background in anthropology is clear and put to excellent use in his analysis of history, politics, and the legal battles waged by and against various tribes. His argument that Indian issues are fundamentally American issues, and indeed, the basic issues facing any society wishing to live as a multi-cultural civilization, is incredibly important to the current discourse around race, government abuse of power, and the future of communities on the micro and macro level.
Maybe you've heard this about a lot of books--but this is a must-read for anyone who wants the full picture of America, not just Native America, today.
Treuer includes thorough histories of the many regions of Native America, beginning with a general background in pre-history, first European contact, relations up to and through the Revolutionary War, then through the 19th century and westward expansion, and finally through the 20th century as Indians navigated abusive boarding schools, government abuse and graft, and finally began reclaiming sovereignty over reservations and tribal lands. The history of the American Indian Movement of the 60s and 70s was in particular fascinating. His background in anthropology is clear and put to excellent use in his analysis of history, politics, and the legal battles waged by and against various tribes. His argument that Indian issues are fundamentally American issues, and indeed, the basic issues facing any society wishing to live as a multi-cultural civilization, is incredibly important to the current discourse around race, government abuse of power, and the future of communities on the micro and macro level.
Maybe you've heard this about a lot of books--but this is a must-read for anyone who wants the full picture of America, not just Native America, today.