Opinions requested on History books I've recently read

[YankeyMCC]

Hello everyone,

I'm a big reader of American History and recently I've ready several books dealing heavily with Native American history and relations during colonial times and early US history.

Specifically:
The Divided Ground : Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution

Lewis and Clark Through Indian Eyes -- by Alvin M. Jr Josephy (Editor)

Mayflower : A Story of Courage, Community, and War -- by Nathaniel Philbrick

I found them all very interesting and compelling. I'm not of Native American descent and don't know anyone personally of Native American descent so I thought I'd ask here because I like to get feedback from people who might have more intimate knowledge or raised in a tradition or culture that I've read about, at least have gotten a different side of the historical story than I got in school.

For the most part it seemed to me there was a lot of consistency on how the cultures of the 6 Nations in "Divided Ground" and the tribes and nations represented through their stories in "L&C Through Indian Eyes". Ideas like "covering of the grave", "communal ownership of the land" and some other basic core ideas.

I'm nearly done with Mayflower which covers New England history from the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth through the end of King Philip's war. I liked the book, I enjoyed Philbrick's story telling, but I do wonder a little at the accuracy of his portrayal of the New England native people. There just seems either a lack of understanding on his part or some significant differences in the culture around things like land ownership and use and the status and authority of Sachems. In his presentation it seems the New England Sachems had much more authority over things like selling land, as opposed to what was presented in "Divided Ground" where Sachems had to get permission from the women of the tribes who actually held ownership of the land. Perhaps he was just trying to simplify the complex tribal and national relationships and how power and authority was distributed. Also it seems the New England tribes, according to Philbrick, did see the sale of their land as one time purchases and full transfer of ownership (although I suspect this is a misunderstanding by Philbrick since he gives one example of Metacomet still trying to use land he 'sold' to allow his hogs to forage on) rather than the concept presented in "Divided Ground" and to some extent "L&C Through Indian Eyes" that the Native Americans at least at first considered these sales more like a "lease" where the European settlers were allowed to use the land but essentially became part of the circle of communal use were expected to share the bounty based on need.


I was wondering if anyone here has read any of these books and what their opinions are of them.

[Wetzelbill]

1. you know I haven't read any of those

so I can't give you an opinion on them. However I will recommend "Killing Custer" by James Welch. It's his only nonfiction book and gives an interesting account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Indian Wars in general.

[Broken_Hero]

8. Son of the Morning Star

is another good read, its a non-fiction by Evan S. Connell

[turtlelowe]

2. I haven't read any of the books you listed,

but I will try to check them out. In the meantime, you might also be interested in "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown. I'll warn you up front, it can be a painful read. It took me a box of Kleenex and several breaks to calm down.

[CountAllVotes]

3. a few more

Custer Died for Your Sins - Vine Deloria
God is Red - Vine Deloria
Fantasies of the Master Race - Ward Churchill

I got more too ...

on edit: Almost forgot, "The Spirit of Crazy Horse"!
:D

[Broken_Hero]

4. she has

read(me also) Custer Died for your Sins, and God is Red by Vine Deloria. We aren't big fans of Ward Churchill in the least bit...Spirit of Crazy Horse, I will have to look into that one...thanx...:)

[CountAllVotes]

5. how about "Black Elk Speaks"?

That is another great book!

There is another "Black Elk Speaks" type of book by a "Wallace Black Elk". It is a recent book (c. 1990). I'm referring to the "Black Elk Speaks" that was written by John G. Neihardt. A great read/hear it is. :)

Re: Ward Churchill - I am not a big fan of his but this one book I found to be interesting. It is an assortment of articles on a variety of things. It does give you a lot to think about.

[Broken_Hero]

6. yeah

Black Elk Speaks trascribed by John C. Neidhardt...it was ..in truth, required reading at my wife and I's university...but, I do believe she has read it multiple times, because when she went to KU, she had to read it again...

Black Elk was okay, not great, but okay...I thought Son of the Morning Star by Evan S. Connell was better...but thats just me. My wife and I watched a lot of W. Churchill's speeches on cspan, last year, or the year before, when he was talking aobut 9/11 and things like that, and Russell Means was there also, with all of his AIM buddies...I wasn't impressed with his speeches, but he did bring up a good point, that i agree with...

It was something like this

"If you have a foreign policy, which causes the death's of innocent people, why be surprised that other countries hate you, and will retaliate?"

I did agree with this aspect of his speech...but the rest, was...hyperbole

[CountAllVotes]

7. actually that book I mention

I believe it is an assortment of writings from various Indian writers if remember right. I especially liked the critique on "Dances with Wolves" that you find in there. The book isn't all Churchill - many others besides him. I'm not finding copies of it readily available for some reason.

I too am an Indian scholar. I just ordered a copy of the new Indian law book published by the ACLU. I'll let you know what I think of it when I get it.

If I think of more books (and I am sure I will), I'll let you know.

P.S. I don't care for the rest of Neihardt's books on Indians btw - only this one book, "Black Elk Speaks".

:)

[Waya]

9. Another good one is........

'Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sundance' by Leonard Peltier and Harvey Arden