The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation Review

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(More customer reviews)Ohiyesa wrote this book in 1911, and did a masterful job at conveying spiritual truths in simple language that anyone can understand.
Ohiyesa tries to impart that this form of spirituality is more about a state of mind and heart instead of performing ceremonies by rote.
There are many little gems of wisdom in this book, and it would be a great place to start if you wish to explore the American Indian (Sioux) form of spirituality.
Here are a few of those gems I mentioned above.
Page XII "My little book does not pretend to be a scientific treatise. It is as true as I can nake it to my childhood teaching and ancestral ideals"
Page XIII "We know that the God of the lettered and the unlettered, of the Greek and the barbarian is after all the same God;"
Page 4 "Our faith might not be formulated in creeds, nor forced on any who were unwilling to receive it; hence there was no preaching, proselyting, nor persecution"
Page 4 "He (the indian) would deem it sacriledge to build a house for Him (the Great Spirit) who may be met face to face in the mysterious , shadowy aisles of the primeval forest"
Page 13 "The Indian no more worships the Sun than the Christian adores the Cross"
Page 14 "We believed that the spirit pervades all creation and that every creature posesses a soul in some degree, though not necessarily a soul conscious of itself."
Page 15 "He (The indian) paid homage to the spirits in prescribed prayers and offerings)
Page 45 "In the life of the indian there was only one inevitable duty,--the duty of prayer--the daily recognition of the Unseen and Eternal. His daily devotions were more necessary to him than daily food."
Much wisdom for a book more than 90 years old!
I encourage questions and comments about my reviews; Two Bears.
Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

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Charles Alexander Eastman (1858-1939) was a mixed-blood Sioux. His maternal grandmother, daughter of Chief Cloudman of the Mdewankton Sioux, was married to a well-known western artist, Captain Seth Eastman, and in 1847 their daughter Mary Nancy Eastman became the wife of Chief Many Lightnings, a Wahpeton Sioux. Their fifth child, Charles Alexander Eastman, as a four-year old was given the name Ohiyesa (the Winner). During the Sioux Uprising of 1862 Ohiyesa became separated from his father-his mother had died soon after his birth-and fled from the reservation in Minnesota to Canada under the protection of his grandmother and uncle. There he was schooled in the Indian ways until the age of fifteen, when he was reunited with his father, who took him back to his homestead in present South Dakota. Eastman went on to become one of the best-known Indians of his time, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Dartmouth in 1887 and a medical degree from Boston University three years later. From his first appointment as a physician at Pine Ridge Agency, where he witnessed the events that culminated in the Wounded Knee massacre, he sought to bring understanding between Native and non-Native Americans. In addition to two autobiographical works, Indian Boyhood (1902) and From the Deep Woods to Civilization (1916), Charles Eastman wrote nine other books, some in collaboration with his wife, Elaine Goodale Eastman (who has told her story in Sister to the Sioux, also a Bison Book).In The Soul of the Indian, first published in 1911, the author's aim has been "to paint the religious life of the typical American Indian as it was before he knew the white man."

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Trail of Tears Review

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(More customer reviews)Jahoda's "Trail of Tears" is a good companion to Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" - in fact, Brown basically picks up where Jahoda leaves off both chronologically and geographically. Although hardly comprehensive (such an account of the Indian removals east of the Mississipi would require many volumes), Jahoda nonetheless provides a rather exhaustive review of the removal of the "five civilized tribes" as well as a number of midwestern peoples. Jahoda notes the particular senselessness of 'removing' the eastern tribes, as many had already been integrated into the lifestyle of the American settlers (some even became major plantation owners, complete with slaves) and/or became devout Christians. What comes out here is that it was not a matter of dealing with 'savages' but racism, plain and simple. Needless to say, "Trail of Tears" is not only an illuminating history but also a rather instructive text.

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Insightful, rarely told history of Indian courage in the face of White expansionism in the 19th century.Truth-telling tale of the ruthless brutality that forced the Native American population into resettlement camps and reservations, with a look at the few white Americans who fought to help them.

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The Fetterman Massacre (formerly, 'Fort Phil Kearney: An American Saga) Review

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(More customer reviews)Before historical author Dee Brown penned his ultimate and most famous work "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee," he was out hiking in the sticks, so to say, with his carefully researched "The Fetterman Massacre."
Formerly known as "Fort Phil Kearny: An American Saga," but re-named "The Fetterman Massacre" to emphasize the most famous battle which took place at the cursed frontier fort, Brown's work is a carefully researched examination of the few fatal years of existence of a small cavalry outpost located in the foothills of the Big Horn mountains in 1865-66. When reading this work today, it is extremely difficult to imagine the terrible conditions these men lived under on a daily basis.
Sent by the U.S. government into a hostile land that belonged to the Sioux and Cheyenne Native Americans, these soldiers built a fort along the Montana Road to protect travelers and prospectors. But harsh weather conditions and the ever-present threat of furious Native American warriors offended by the placement of this fort in the heart of their ancestor's land, eventually led to the infamous massacre.
On the morning of Dec. 21, 1866, Captain William Fetterman led 80 men out of Fort Phil Kearny to rescue woodcutters under assault by Red Cloud's Oglala Sioux. Crazy Horse, among others, set a decoy trap for Fetterman and his doomed troops, and as they rode over a hill were attacked and killed to the man in a furious battle lasting about 20 minutes. This massacre eventually led to the dismantling of the fort, a Congressional investigation, and the destruction of Kearny Commander Henry Carrington's military career.
When reading Brown's novel today, one realizes that the situation Carrington was forced into was an almost impossible responsibility. Fetterman and his men were not the only casualties at this doomed outpost. In fact, after reading "The Fetterman Massacre," one realizes men died on a monthly basis, including woodcutters, settlers, prospectors and soldiers going to a nearby stream to fill water buckets.
Brown's work is fascinating, and he draws from such historical documents as Army records and first-hand interviews to paint a vivid, if not heartbreaking picture of these terrible frontier wars. When one stands today at the desolate, almost gothic location of the fort outside of Sheridan, Wyoming, one can almost hear the trumpet calls, the crack of rifles and the cries of men losing their lives. The battlefield and the fort locations are almost pristine, with only a nearby Interstate visible on the far horizon.
With Brown's painstaking documentation in hand, one can almost step back in time to this lonely place. And perhaps that is the strongest recommendation for this book. It recreates a time and era in frontier history that was brutal, if not alien. "The Fetterman Massacre" is an eye-opening work about a little-known moment in American history.

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Lakota Woman Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best books available to people interested in contemporary Native Americans. Mary Brave Bird's life story sheds light on traditions of her Lakota (Sioux) people from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations in South Dakota. She shows, in a very clear way, their tortured history with the missionaries, state bureaucracy, the courts, the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). We see to what extent the government has succeeded in destroying the old life and how small groups of the Sioux managed to preserve traditional ways and ceremonies.
The book is written in a way which preserves the unique appreciation Indians have for unadulterated truth - a style which is simple, direct and in which personal experiences are recounted in a frank, almost brutally dispassionate manner. It reveals perfectly the heartless school system ran by abusive Catholic priests and nuns trying hard to deprive young people of their traditions (don't these people have better things to do?); we see the corrupt BIA system designed to prevent cultural and economic emancipation of the Native American "traditionals" (and steal federal money) and the pointless fear that the FBI has of organized Indian movements. Above all, we see the violence that the Sioux face daily from the white South Dakotans as well as the inter-Sioux violence caused by the hopelessness of the life on the rez. I was especially amazed to see that South Dakota has preserved, at the least up to early 1980ies, the barbaric attitudes towards the Native Americans (who are, after all, the original inhabitants, and who were cheated out of their own land by the very same whites who persecute them) which have by and large disappeared from the rest of the civilized world. This includes (unpunished) assaults by drunken lumberjacks and ranchers, systematic discrimination in the courtroom, forced sterilizations at the provincial hospitals (Mary's own sister Barbara was sterilized against her own will) and a system designed to eliminate all of the Indians' most courageous and spiritually conscious young people. A system that would make Uncle Mao proud, but which made this reader very sad, ashamed and angry. I suspect many of these things are still going on in our name. I mean, why can't these people leave the Indians in peace, allow them to practice their religion and (is this too much to ask for?) respect their desire to be different?
There are also many wonderful things in this book. The descriptions of relationships between Lakota men and women, between the young and the old, between the full and half-bloods and between the host and the guest are simply priceless. Likewise Brave Bird's descriptions of peyote meetings, Sundances and Ghostdance revivals. Mary has very strong opinions about the Sioux male machismo and the reluctance exhibited by many Sioux men to providing a comfortable and loving home for their families yet she understands that this is the inevitable consequence of the systematic destruction of the old ways of tribal life. After having read the book I can see the challenges facing the indomitable Sioux nation, the challenge of preserving and honoring the old ways while educating a new elite familiar with the white system (without considering them to be sellouts); only when they gain political representation and economic self-sufficiency will Native Americans be able to keep at bay the greedy timber, mining and ranching industries whose interest is to keep the tribes divided and the people dispirited and lost in alcohol. The Lakota of today need to find a way to create loving conditions for their children. And they need to speak their truth, as often as they can, just as Mary Brave Bird has done in this amazing book.

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The Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash Review

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(More customer reviews)Unfortunately, this is the only book that deals with completely with the death of Anna Mae Aquash. Very informative and very disturbing at times, it will leave you demanding justice and wanting to know more. By itself, this book is slighlty incomplete. However, along with the absolutely necessary "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" and along with the Anna Mae Aquash sites at Dickshovel.com, you will begin to truly appreciate the direness of the situation, even 25 years after Anna Mae's death. Peace be with you.

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Crow Dog: Four Generations of Sioux Medicine Men Review

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(More customer reviews)In the beginning paragraph it says, "We are still making history." as Crow Dog explains his family roots. That sentence sums up the book for me. It is history. The history that is learned and not lost by Crow Dog. The ceremonies and native ways that he is trying to maintain and to pass on are intricately described. I don't think I have read a book that is so visually written. I could picture the things he described. I savored this book for a few months, letting each chapter sink in. Although the book is written in a simple manner there is nothing simple about the information shared. A great read!

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Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance Review

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(More customer reviews)"Prison Writings", by Leonard Peltier, is quite an eye-opener. This political prisoner maintains his innocence and demonstrates it through his heart and compassion. At times, each chapter appears to be a stream of consciousness dependent on his mood (he wrote it in prison where he still remains), but he always evaluated his mood and came back full circle and has come to terms that he may never leave but that his hope in humanity might help lift him and thousands of others wrongfully imprisoned.
His words have compelled me to do further research and there are many related books, articles and even a documentary film by Robert Redford titled "Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story". I encourage everyone to read it and watch the film available through rental or purchase.
Whether you believe in his innocence or not is not the point. The point is that our current system remains flawed despite the cold hearts that are too scared to take a serious look into their conscience.
Leonard Peltier has definitely changed my once hardened heart. I am still a cynic and angry often, but thinking about his struggles through unfair justice keeps me focused. It is an easy read if you don't mind the harsh realities of our justice system, or lack thereof!
"Mitakuye Oyasin!" Learn this meaning from his book - it will serve you well in your life.

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Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation Review

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(More customer reviews)John Ehle, a native son of North Carolina, has dedicated most of his life toward using his pen to bring to life the rich history of his birthstate. With Trail of Tears, he has succeeded again where so many others, in this day and age of political correctness and historical revisionism, have failed. Ehle's work is factually rich, it is obvious Mr. Ehle spent many hours in archives thoroughly researching the book's subject matter. The book's narrative structure is compelling, focusing on the role of several prominent families within the Cherokee Nation to animate the hierarchical structure of Cherokee society and the stratification of power therein.
Some readers will be shocked to discover how pervasive European culture was within significant elements of the Cherokee nation in North Carolina. The curiosity of most readers will be piqued again and again with the factually accurate exposure to the structure of the Cherokee's -- Christian churches, post office, town hall -- how they made a concerted effort to adapt to the European white world in an effort to integrate, and therefore survive, amidst a sea of change occurring during the 19th century.
Mr. Ehle's work has been criticized for its depiction of wealthy, landed Cherokee's as slave owners. This evidence flies in the face of the more contemporary interpretation of the brotherhood of the oppressed alleged to exist between persecuted American Indians and the African slave population. This notion is patently false. At the time, the Cherokees were neither persecuted nor advocates of slave rights. They were, as Mr. Ehle points out, consistently adapting the institutions of the white European settlers, good or bad, and slavery was one of those institutions the Cherokees adopted.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy here is that Mr. Ehle did not tell the story of other regional Indian nations, such as the Muskhogean tribes of the Chicksaw and Choctaw peoples, both of which suffered exponentially more at the hands of the American government and white European settlers than did the Cherokee. Unfortunately, as with most events in history, much of what we don't want to see is swept under the carpet of painful ingorance.
Despite this shortcoming, and one cannot fault Mr. Ehle for not expanding the scope of his work, I strongly recommend this book and understand why it continues to be found on the syllabi of all serious academic courses on American Indian history.

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The fascinating portrayal of the Cherokee nation, filled with Native American legend, lore, and religion -- a gripping American drama of power, politics, betrayal, and ambition.B & W photographs

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In the Spirit of Crazy Horse Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a marvelously well researched book. In respsonse to some of the bad reviews I have read I have to say that yes, Matthiessen does not try to hide the fact that he sides with the Indians. Yes the book is biased in the favor of the Indians. So what. When you examine the FBI and the US Government's history of maltreatment of all minorities, especially native peoples, why should an author feel obligated to paint the establishment in a flattering light. He is simply exposing the ugly truth of the dark underbelly of our "democracy".
This is hard for some people to handle, thus the poor reviews. Ask yourself this, in the midst of phenomenal violence why does the FBI never investigate dozens of unsolved murders, instead devoting lots of man-hours to tracking down Jimmy Eagle for the theft of a pair of cowboy boots???You be the judge.
This is an amazing read. Thankfully, the FBI, Special Agent David Price and Governor William Janklow all lost in thier legal attempts to keep this information from us. So celebrate freedom of press and curl up with this book!!!Freedom for Leonard

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A look at the events surrounding the incarceration of native American activist Leonard Peltier elucidates the traditional Indian concept of the sacred inviolability of the earth and presents new evidence supporting Peltier's claims of innocence, arguing for a new trial. Reprint.

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Kidnapped and Sold By Indians -- True Story of a 7-Year-Old Settler Child (Annotated and Illustrated) (First_Hand Account Of Being Kidnapped By Indians) Review

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(More customer reviews)This account can be quickly read and had interesting insights into the life and travelings of Native Americans of the time. A white boy stolen from his family and assimilated into another life is compelling. When he learns that he might have been abducted and was not truly Native American he feels the need to look for his white family. Given the approval of the chief he leaves behind a wife and 2 children in search of his people promising to return.
Knowing that Native American children were routinely and legally kidnapped from their families to be forcibly assimilated into white culture was in my mind all through the book.
He was traded from tribe to tribe and traveled the entire length of the continent and into the Arctic with them as he crossed tribal territories. He describes different traditions from tribe to tribe.
His story is told dispassionately in that clear but stilted turn of the century English and it reads like he is simply sitting there with you reciting the events.
Enjoyed the read.

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' This newly revised edition includes annotations and content about another child kidnapped by Indians who went on to give birth to the last Comanche chief. ' It also includes 12 dynamic historical photographs from the National Archives depicting the numerous tribes Mathew Brayton lived among and fought with. This first-hand narrative of the life of Matthew Brayton, a seven-and-a-half year old white child of a settler who was kidnapped and sold many times by Native Americans in the beginning of the 19th century, probably doesn't share all the gory details of his abuse when initially captured, but you can read between the lines. Still, this first-hand account does shed much light on what it was really like to come under the charge of many different Indian tribes.Although Brayton's treatment was not entirely negative or positive, his frank and blunt story does much to dispel the romantic stories that have been perpetuated about young settlers' children who became Indian chattel. It does much to tell true history and dispel any deliberate or accidental revisions. In many cases the Indians treated Brayton well, but there can be no doubt that they stole from him and his family a life that would end up confused and stuck between two worlds. Although Brayton did finally unite with many of his natural family, he never stopped identifying with Native Americans, and he was forced to leave an Indian wife and child behind. In fact, when the War of Rebellion or Civil War broke out, Brayton enlisted and served in an American Indian brigade. Chet DembeckPublisher of One

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Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee": A Study Guide from Gale's "Nonfiction Classics for Students" (Volume 05, Chapter 4) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a very detailed version of how the Indians were treated back in the days. Dee Brown hits a lot of touchy spots that really have you thinking on what the truth really is about how the Indians were practically made extinct. Love the book. It is a must read.

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The Divided Man Review

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(More customer reviews)Wow...if you like reading about Native Americans and their great Spirits and dealing with wwIII nuclear aftermath and survival with a little bit of romance this is the book for you. I felt like I was watching a movie unfold in front me as it is well written. It goes to the past and yet also is in the year 2012 when things drastically change for the main charactor...hard to put down and definatly not a short story.

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Reviews:From the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards:“The strongest element of this work is the writing itself. The diction, rhythm, and syntax work effectively to evoke a sense of the time, setting, and tone of the piece as a whole. It reads smoothly, clearly, and evocatively for readers, giving us the ability to inhabit the narrative fully. It's clear that the author is in control of the intentions for this story, and so we, as readers, can trust that we are in good hands as we read." It's not the end of the world. It's the beginning.On December 29, 1890 the U.S. Calvary put a brutal end to the Ghost Dance in the Wounded Knee Massacre . Before the soldiers finished their slaughter one small boy danced a prayer to save his people and in his dying vision, reached out to the one who could lead them into a new life. It is summer 2012 and that prayer is about to be answered. Luke Kimball is The Divided Man, a global security expert who isolates himself from emotional involvement because people who get close to him end up dead. On the eve of the war that destroys the world the Ghost Dance prayer finds him, spinning the Hoop of his life in directions he could not have imagined. Claimed by the prayer, Luke is connected to past and future, chosen to be a savior of legend, a unifying force of past and future, of man and god.Luke must awaken the Sacred Tree of Life and balance the harmony between human and spirit existence or lives of all will cease to exist. Opposing him is the Manitou, an elk-headed god who has stolen Luke's soul and requires death for its return.Luke's quest takes him across a land sundered by war and on the verge of miraculous change, far into the realms of once-mythical gods and deep within him to face the demons that have haunted his life. His journey is inward as well. Luke is guided into the Spirit World and across time by Native American deities who help him discover his destiny as not only as a human savior, but as a god.

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American Indian Removal and the Trail to Wounded Knee (Defining Moments) Review

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(More customer reviews)Defining Moments: American Indian Removal and the Trail to Wounded Knee is the latest installment in the "Defining Moments" series of invaluable resources chronicling important events in America's history. Like all volumes in the series, American Indian Removal and the Trail to Wounded Knee is divided into three sections: the Narrative Overview section, summarizing the events of the governmental policy that ultimately led to an infamous massacre; the Biographies section which concentrates information about key historical figures (along with a list of resources for further information on various individuals); and the Primary Sources section offering a wide assortment of original references and documents - letters, memoirs, official records, and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this detailed, practical, user-friendly historical compendium, highly recommended for public and college library reference shelves.


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One of the introductory volumes in a series designed to provide authoritative, useful resources on American History, Defining Moments: American Indian Removal and the Trail to Wounded Knee provides readers with a detailed overview of the 1890 massacre of more than 250 Native American men, women, and children by the United States Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The authors analyze the conditions that led to this horrific event and its effect on the country's political, cultural, and social landscape, then and now. The research presented here is arranged in three distinct sections: narrative overview; biographies, which includes background on principal figures involved in the massacre; and primary sources. This unique and comprehensive volume also includes a glossary of important people, places, and terms, as well as a chronology of events, a subject index, and an annotated list of sources for further study. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Eyewitness at Wounded Knee (Great Plains Photography) Review

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(More customer reviews)Was so inspired by the photographs in this book, I took it with me on one of my visits to Wounded Knee, to compare and photograph pictures from on or near the same place the photographer(s) did at that time, at the massacre site as well as the town itself.There are many pictures that I had not seen anywhere else in this book, and anyone interested in this place in history has got to have it. Textually very good as well.

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On a wintry day in December 1890, near a creek named Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army opened fire on an encampment of Sioux Indians. This assault claimed more than 250 lives, including those of many Indian women and children. The tragedy at Wounded Knee has often been written about, but the existing photographs have received little attention until now.Eyewitness at Wounded Knee brings together and assesses for the first time some 150 photographs that were made before and immediately after the massacre. Present at the scene were two itinerant photographers, George Trager and Clarence Grant Morelodge, whose work has never before been published. Accompanying commentaries focus on both the Indian and the military sides of the story. Richard E. Jensen analyzes the political and economic quagmire in which the Sioux found themselves after 1877. R. Eli Paul considers the army's role at Wounded Knee. John E. Carter discusses the photographers and also the reporters and relic hunters who were looking to profit from the misfortune of others.
For this Bison Books edition each image has been digitally enhanced and restored, making the photographs as compelling as the event itself. Heather Cox Richardson tells the story behind the endeavor to present a meaningful account of this significant historical event.

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Trail to Wounded Knee: The Last Stand of the Plains Indians 1860-1890 (National Geographic) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first looked at this book I thought it would be either a white man's history of the American west or an apologists view of our failed Indian policies of the 19th century. But as I delved into it deeper, I was impressed with Herman Viola's knowledge and writing style. He is director of a Smithsonian division and uses his skills to write a history that is neither pro-imperialism nor apologetic. The Indian wars were a disgrace to American "foreign" policy but those of us living in the 21st century need an accurate account of them to allow us to come to terms with our own history.
Since National Geographic published the book there are plenty of maps and photographs to add life to the book. This is not a dry old history book but is meant to be read and used as reference for further research into the subject. It is a good companion to the Dee Brown classic "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee" though I doubt the author really tried to dispell any points Dee Brown may have made. The Trail to Wounded Knee is an important book that provides insight into our past. For this reason anyone interested in Indian policy or 19th century American history should seriously consider reading this book.

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A meticulously researched, richly illustrated study chronicles the decimation of the Plains Indians and their culture over the course of a single generation, spanning three decades of warfare from 1860 to 1890, leading to the final massacre at Wounded Knee.

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The Wild Frontier: Atrocities During the American-Indian War from Jamestown Colony to Wounded Knee Review

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(More customer reviews)
The other reviewers did a good job synopsizing the content of this very good book. I don't want to repeat them so I will note a few things that stood out for me in an effort to not be repetitive
First of all, I found "Wild Frontiers" to be a very interesting compendium of the subject matter which is documented cases of murder in the 300 years of conflict between the Native American and the encroaching stream of immigrants seeking greener pastures.
These new arrivals had goods the Native Americans were interested in after being stuck in 5000 B.C. for 6000 years. The immigrants were able to capitalize on competitions and animosities that had existed for eons between tribes. The Native Americans never seemed to unify to a point where they could effectively stop the onslaught of expansionism. So they killed, often brutally. The settlers did too but the Native Americans culture seemed to hold torture in high regard. Lots of examples are held within. No disrespect meant for the Native Americans, the torture was simply part of the culture, good or bad. Yes I know the Settlers broke every treaty ever made, and I further know it is not fair to judge the past by the mores of today. But slowly burning someone to death over the course of 4 days or cutting someones lower intestine out and tying it to a tree while you beat them so they are made to walk around the tree while they slowly unravel their large and small intestine must have hurt. It's hard not to wince a little.
I decided to read this book after reading Eckert's most excellent "Frontiersmen". It reaffirmed some of the brutality laid out in that amazing story of the Kentucky and Ohio Frontier.
I think scholars would have a hard time debunking any of the reports from this well researched book
I gave this book 4 stars because at times the writing was choppy especially when attempting to segway (sp) into a new story.
Very informative and mostly well written book that I read quickly. I recommend this book to all interested.


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Wounded Knee 1973: A Personal Account (Modern Scandinavian Literature in Transl) Review

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(More customer reviews)Stanley Lyman, longtime BIA employee, offers us his posthumous journal which covers the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973. Whether one agress or disagrees with Lyman, this book is definately an important addition to the overall literature surrounding this event. This was written in 1973, Lyman died in 1979, and the book was first published in 1993.
We have copious works on the AIM point of view, the Lakota point of view, biographies on Banks, Means, and Crow Dog, but this is the first account that I have read which gives a detailed look at the BIA side along with looks at the U.S. Marshall's and the Oglala tribal government under Dick Wilson.
Lyman states over and over that whites can not understand the Lakota, or their ways, or the things they do. He comes across as a man who means well and wants to do what is best for the tribe, but his lack of understanding is blatantly obvious. He comments that Leonard Crow Dog (Brule Lakota medicine man) has no place or purpose in visiting Pine Ridge because Crow Dog is from Rosebud (that is Lyman's arguement. he should have just said he didn't want Crow Dog to be there as AIM's medicine man). I wonder if the Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, and the other Oglalas turned away Sitting Bull based on the fact that he was a Hunkpapa medicine man and not Oglala.
There was obviously great tension on the reservation during this whole affair, but Lyman plays it cool and comes across as a man who is unafraid to stand up for his thoughts. He has very interesting views of both Dick Wilson's group and the AIM group. He felt victorious seeing Russell Means handcuffed and taken away and he felt disparaged to learn that Means was out on bail 2 days later. We get to see hints of conversations with government officials and Dick Wilson. He speaks often of people (mostly full-bloods) whose friendships he has lost over time - we were once friends, now we are not. It is sometimes hard to understand why he remained at Pine Ridge as long as he did.
If you are overtly interested in Wounded Knee II, I would say that this is a book that should be added to your library. As with any touchy subject, you may not agree with a thing Lyman says, but it is nice to see what was going on on that side of the bunkers. Give it a read and see what you think.

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