Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1970.In the Introduction, the author tells how he put together a book of the oral history of the American Indians, based on the government records of council meetings with white officials. In these meetings, all Indians were allowed to speak. They chose their own interpreters, and they told their oral history in their own words. Chapter 1 begins with Columbus, who first called the people "Indios" (p. 1). Thus, they came to be known as Indians, even though they do not live in India. Chapter 2 talks about the many treaties that the Navaho made with the Americans. The treaties were always broken and the Navaho always suffered. Chapter Three is called "Little Crow's War." It tells the story of the Santee Sioux, who lost their homeland forever after the American Civil War. Chapter 4 talks about the spread of American warfare against the Indians, this time to the Cheyenne. The massacre at Sand Creek almost destroyed the people. At the end of this chapter there is a song that the Indians used to sing. Chapter 5 tell the story of Powder River, where the US cavalry invaded and drove the Plains Indians onto reservations. Chief Red Cloud promised to punish the white men if they invaded his country again, but he knew that he did not have enough guns to fight against the US cavalry. Chapter 6 is titled "Red Cloud's War." American officials tried to make a treaty with all the tribes in the area, but the warrior chiefs could not come to the meeting. They were busy fighting against the invasion of General Connor. Governor Newton Edmunds of the Territory of Dakota tried his best, but this war was already happening. Finally, after much bloodshed, a treaty was signed. But many of the Indians were already dead. Besides, they already knew that the white man did not keep his treaties. Chapter 6 ends with a song called the Sun Dance Chant. Chapter 7 i...
