Native American Books

I found this book to be very interesting. I found references made to my 5th Great Grandfather Samuel Riley and his son Richard Riley. It was very interesting and fasinating reading history on your own ancestors and their ways of life. My cousin found this book fasinating after she read parts of mine, that she went and bought it for herself.

William McLoughlin (1922-1992) was for forty years a professor of history and religion at Brown, and this scholarly book is one of his best, carefully researched and written in a clear and logical style. Not only does McLoughlin treat the complex subject of how Cherokees and missionaries interacted, he also deals with how both dealt with the contemporary culture, especially the removal crisis that led to the "Trail of Tears." McLoughlin notes, for instance, that missionaries struggled with "rendering unto Caesar," especially when the identity of Caesar was in doubt.

McLoughlin delineates the strengths and weaknesses of the various denominational missionary efforts. The Congregationalist/Presbyterians overemphasized education and the formalities of religion to the detriment of evangelism. The Moravians were steady and apolitical, but their reliance on the lot and their determination to establish a farming community of converts retarded their work. The Methodists' emotionalism and protracted meetings attracted the Indians (who had counterparts in their own religion), but their anti-intellectualism, low standards for conversion, and "sheep stealing" were negative traits.

My only criticisms of this long book (with fairly small print) are that McLoughlin sometimes goes beyond evidence in trying to reconstruct the nature of the anti-missionary reaction among the Cherokees and that he asserts mundane reasons for decisions that the missionaries more likely made on spiritual grounds.

On September 17, 1868, Eugene Carr's Fifth United States cavalry guided by "Buffalo Bill" Cody, surprised and attacked Tall Bull's village of Cheyenne Dog Soldiers at Summit Springs, Colorado Territory. In one of the hastily abandonded lodges, a ledger book was found which had been initially captured by the Cheyenne during their retalitory raids following the Sand Creek massacre four years earlier. In the book were drawings of events of great valor done by Cheyenne warrior/artists.

The authors have reproduced the pages of the original ledgerbook in their original size and have added very detailed explainations of the drawings.

This book is very well researched and produced. David F. Halaas is the Colorado State Historian and Andrew Masich is a past president of that organization.

A GREAT BOOK ON A GREAT PART OF NA HISTORY OF A PROUD NATION

This is another invaluable source for the Chickasaw language. If you are serious about learning this language, this dictionary is a must have! I was so excited when this book came out. Up until this time, the only available source was the great work of Jessie and Vinnie May (James) Humes, Chickasaw Dictionary, published in 1973. I refer to both dictionaries in my study of the language. Both dictionaries compliment each other. Of course this analytical dictionary goes into greater detail with each word, offering how the word is used in a sentence, written both in English and in Chickasaw.

This excellent dictionary includes a pronunciation guide, grammatical overview, 12,000 Chickasaw-English entries, and an English-Chickasaw index. The tones of Chickasaw words are also represented, a welcome addition for anyone trying to learn to speak this intricate language.

Bill Gulick gives a command performance in this book of the Nez Perce Indians. He depicts the life and times of these Indians so clearly...from the time they befriended the Lewis and Clark Expedition in September of 1805 and the years to follow, including all the historical documentation leading up to the plight of Chief Joseph and hundreds of his people into exile. The story doesn't stop here either. He also documents what happened after the famous 1877 Battle of Bear's Paw in Montana and how they were all sent off to reservations in Kansas and Oklahoma, soon to be subjected to other hardships. I would highly recommend this book to those interested in this part of America's past. Mr.Gulick indeed did his homework!

An all-around fantastic book. This is the 11th book I have read on the subject of the Nez Perce people (please see my Listmania!) and this one impressed me as much as any of them, in some ways even more so.

The pre-war history is covered very thoroughly and the author manages to present it in a way that was as good as any I have read. The war and flight period as well as the post-war period are treated rather lightly, but still the reading was superb and all the major events are given adequate attention.

The final chapter, titled "The Nez Perce Today", was excellent and unique in that the author describes some of the challenges that the Nez Perce currently face and which we all, as Americans, are involved in. One of the most important of those challenges is the problem of declining salmon runs and the rapid deterioration of the Columbia River watershed.

One thing I especially appreciated about this book was the generous use of first-hand accounts to tell much of the story. The author did an excellent job of finding the best historical records and inserting appropriate accounts and quotes in just the right places.

However, more than anything else, what truly makes this book special and unique is the vast number of photographs that are included throughout. Most of them are pictures I have never seen before. The painting on the front cover is also especially appealing as it depicts several horseback-mounted Nez Perce (including leaders Joseph, Ollokot, and Looking Glass) on the shore of their beloved Lake Wallowa. Beautiful!

Mr. Jackson did excellent research for this book. I have numerous ancestors mentioned in the book and even had a picture of one that I had never seen before. Anyone interested in the history of the Western Mt, Idaho and Eastern WA area, will need to read this book. I hope that the Author publishes more material from his research.

From the book, I found out that the Metis of the Pacific Northwest formed many communities in that area. My great-grandparents were born in Walla Walla, WA. and we were told that they were French- Canadian and "Black Irish". I read that in Walla Walla, is where they founded communities and that they hid there ancestry and called themselves French-Canadian. So, on reading this, I found out that the missing part to my full heritage was actually a mixture of French and Native American Indian. I owe a great gratitude to Mr. Jackson. Thank-you!!! Sean

This is a fun read filled with good quality photographs. Though I wish it were longer and more specific about the children's schooling and future plans.

This is a great book to explore and examine the wonderful native Alaska culture! A must for Alaskan teachers!

I feel this book is a very good representation of the Tlinget lifestyle. Both my daughters have gone to the Islands in Southeastern Alaska to teach Bible School to the Tlinget Children and do work projects. Both my daughters enjoyed learning about the Tlinget culture and this book will teach children who are unable to visit Southeast Alaska about this special culture. The pictures in this book from Kake were taken when my one daughter was there and she is the person doing the face painting on page 12. My daughter fell in love with the children of Kake who were starving for attention. I thought sure when she arrived home she would have Nicki in your suitcase. He is the little boy in the purple shirt on the cover of the book.

The author does an excellent job presenting how Tlingit are attempting to celebrate, embrace and reestablish their cultural ways in this honor book for the 2000 Carter G. Woodson Elementary Division Award, National Council for Social Studies. The author describes how the Russians and then the United States attempted to erradicate the culture of the established Tlingit and how children are encouraged to go to week-long camps to learn about Tlingit art, storytelling, language, and customs. It would be important for children to understand why an author would write "some Tlingit must have a hard time looking at the American flag." Discussion will abound in relation to this book. Photos are interesting and provide helpful information. Maps are included. Good for classroom, school, and public libraries.

A Child's Happy Heart is a cheerful picturebook about keeping track of what's really important in life: the gentle powers of wisdom and love that can make one truly happy. Following adventures of Khobi, a young native boy from the Arctic, and his best friend Hero, a white dog with a thick coat, A Child's Happy Heart shows Khobi and Hero discovering the strange new city with stoplights, friends... and bullies. Khobi and Hero have come to share the secret of a happy heart. When Khobi's new friends tell him about learns of the bullies who always seem to be angry even though they own so many things, Khobi explains that the bullies have angry hearts. "They don't understand. Things can't make you happy. There are many ways to be rich. My riches come from a happy heart." The joys of helping one another, learning to treat others as one would like to be treated, and discovering happiness through love and friendship are a central theme in this upbeat picturebook, with a message that desperately needs to be shared in today's overly materialistic society.

This story is full of wonderful messages for children and adults. The author's love of children comes alive in the written story and the illustrations tie it all together. We anxiously await more books in this series, as promised in this book. Thanks, Sue, for such a down-to-earth story.

well:i happen to be going thruogh the internet looking some things up.ran across this.if i had a chance to buy it right now i would,i think it sounds,like a wonderful book to own and read at your own pace.i am writting a story on the settlers known as pioneers,or pilgrims.and i hope to publish it someday.i have been a writter for 39 years this year sept 22sd.my birthday.i love to read all the montana history on all this kind of stuff,to me its so interesting i can close my eyes picture everything.i say buy this book everyone.i am a cowboy poet,and a roundup rodeo Queen from gardiner,were always through there going to my uncle bills,out at roy.the bill davis ranch.saddle-up.

I had reviewed this book for another medium, and articles in July 12, 1998 Minneapolis Star Tribune demanded that I use this medium to point out the importance of seeing the realities of Native Americans on White Earth reservation at this period of time.

One article touted Minneapolis mayor, Hubert Humphrey, making reference to his earlier days as a graduate student in the state of Louisiana, and his horror at seeing how badly people treated minorities.

Another article related the commotion caused at THIS time concerning the clash of White Earth organized native police forces, created with government funds, and police of the state of Minnesota over potential problems of jurisdiction.

One wonders what conditions existed at White Earth reservation about the same time that Humphrey pointed out his disgust with treatment of minorities in the state of Louisiana? Well, the book on hand would give a graphic picture of those realities. Highly recommend! ed for any person of any state who has the urge to cast stones at other places where people hate this and that.

And highly recommended during a campaign year when the race for Minnesota governor includes one Mondale, Humphrey and Freeman, vying for the democratic slot.

Good reading for impressinable youngsters. Issues dealing with integrity, clashing cultures and a man who chooses not to take the easy way out. Inspiring.

The Choctaw Code is one of my all time favorites and was an especially liked read aloud chapter book for my fifth grade students in Atoka, Oklahoma. Readers relate to the growing beautiful friendship between Jim and the boy and the values being taught by example of the Choctaw people's way of dealing with justice and life. The story paints a picture of unselfish communication between two people of two very different cultures. I am pleased that it is back in print.