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KyLady
Posted December 5, 2009
I think I need to read Dee Brown's book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, every year or two in order to remind myself of the cruelty of those who came before us. Are we still a cruel nation? I am certain that those dealing with Native Americans in the 19th century felt there were not; but this book, most of it told from the perspective of Native Americans, screams that many were indeed cruel. Many American leaders, military, and citizens had no respect for the rights of Native American and they took not only their lands, but their very souls as they marched across the American continent. Though many of the pictures and art work do not always portray these native people naturally, they do add to a better understanding of the story that Mr. Brown wanted us to discover - "often another person's perspective is different from my own." Peace can only be achieved universally if we begin to understand that we are all different and should be treated with respect as to our own beliefs and life styles.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 27, 2007
I have yet to read 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee', but just recently saw a cable-made movie of the same title. If the movie is played out as accurately as the book, ALL American Indians, including the Inuit, and Eskimo of Alaska were given a raw deal. And all this started in 1608 when the Pilgrims arrived at Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts 'Ironically, Massachusetts is the only State that is still known by its original American Indian name'. Who the heck were we, in 1492, 1608, and 1620, and during various years after the Civil War, to basically demand that the American Indian be either surrender to the United States or starve and most likely die from it so we get thier land? If I understand all of my American history, had we not come to the Americas, right now I would be home in London, England. Or possibly Barcelona, Spain watching soccer. At that particular era in our minds, the United States Government was at it greediest. Didn't ALL of what we know as the United States (not including Hawaii) 'belong' to the American Indian?
6 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 15, 2007
this book should be mandatory reading for all americans. the sand creek horor has been buried for years, now we can read the truth. well documented. i loan this book, give it away, anything to have it read.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 19, 2007
I've read the book three times over the years since it was first published. It documents very clearly the practice of genocide by our forefathers and our government driven by greed. A very proud nation was, for all practical purposes, wiped of the face of the earth. I was recently pleasantly surprised to fine a local high school using this book for a history class. It should be mandatory reading in every school in the United States.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2005
I read this book several years ago and lost the copy in one of my moves to another home. I purchased another copy and read it again and now that I am older I understand more of how the white man and his greed is like being tied to a rock at the bottom of a waterfall that never stops pounding at you. To this day it still hasn't stopped. This book gives a very detailed, accurate account of what Native American Indians had to put up with then and now, and what sacrifices they made when the arrogant white man started his lying, thieving, and robbing, not only their lands, but their life and livelihood as well. It's no different today, and it's still going on, but thank God Dee Brown wrote an accurate account of what really happened, instead of the fabricated lies that have been perpetuated by the whites for years and years.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 27, 2005
I thought this book was very interesting. It seems to be an accurate description of the history of the Native Americans. And the battles that were fought between them and the 'white men'. I greatly enjoyed this book. The only thing that I thought monotonous about it was that it became quite boring after awhile.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 13, 2013
Disturbing but good
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.qwillspen
Posted January 1, 2012
This book is presentation quality with deep information and leads to analysis of the entire topic of native Americans in the USA. I gaave this to my son, who was amazed. His children put down their presents to read pages and pictures. We discused it all day. Thank you for a really wonderful book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2012
This is just one of those IMHOpinion comments, the Euro-american
population will NEVER truely understand. Reading factual history may
educate the open minded on the "American Genocide". The Nde
did not learn from books, nor did my relatives, such as the Lakota, the
Navaho, the Paiute, etc ..all learned from our parents and or our
grandfathers, as they learned from theirs. I am glad that non-Natives
wish to learn the truth, and not remain blind to the truth. The one
sided supposed "history" taught in schools is close to
fiction, and if the truth is being brought into the education system I
say "it's about time". People should be appalled at the
atrocities committed, my own people, The Nde' were hunted and killed
right down to every man, woman, and even infants YET we remain.....hozho
nas lii (walk in beauty and peace ).
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.When I first read BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE by Dee Brown in high school, then again in college, I felt like a lance punctured my Soul. This was before I saw my adoption file and learned that 25% of my blood flowing throughout my body is Shawnee. I must have known, because this book not only saddened me; my heart burned with a white coal anger that increased when I visited Wounded Knee and the reservation that Chivington created in the Badlands. Two-thirds of American Indians were killed by that murderous skunk and other military personnel between 1860 and 1890, one full generation.
Brown wanted to tell the story from the Indian point of view, from the West looking eastward, because America¿s indigenous peoples had been pushed from their lands by our European ancestors through deception, broken promises, and whole scale massacre. It was time to tell the story ¿how the West was won¿ from the defeated gentle, proud people who cared for mother Earth by taking only her resources they needed for food, clothing, and shelter. They were the first true conservators of the land we call the lower 48. They were a great spiritual people too with each tribe having a different language, but virtually the same hieroglyphics and Elders that kept their histories reciting tribal events in lyrical oral histories. And Dee Brown used these oral histories, Council proceedings, U.S. Government documents (including treaties,) and eye-witness accounts to give us a richly textured panoramic history in thumbnail accounts beginning with Columbus to finally the massacre at Wounded Knee.
The sub-title ¿An Indian History of the American West¿ is misleading, because to present 30 years in a 512 paged book is not a definitive history. Brown gives us snippets that flow as the Indian Tribes do, first out of New England, through the Midwest, across the Mississippi and finally through the Plains States. These snippets remind me of rich, textured pieces of fabric that when sown together they make a beautiful quilt of memories that inspires studious reflection, and perhaps discussion. He tries to answer why our European ancestors wanted to completely dominate the New World and ALL of its inhabitants. The tribes weren¿t even safe from military action during the Civil War, Gold was found in the Western Territories, and the Tribes were in the Way. Leaders like Andrew Jackson and the Blue coated Military men didn¿t help either. They hated the Indians. And their promised land past the Great Mississippi failed to appear due to the invention of the ¿Manifest Destiny.¿
Back Elk says it best, ¿I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all long the crooked gulch as plain as I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people¿s dream died there. It was a beautiful dream¿the nation¿s hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead.¿
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A must read for everyone who is interested native Americans!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Greywolf_Borealis
Posted May 9, 2010
I Also Recommend:
The epitome of Native American histories written by a white man. A far cry from the biased and racist histories of American Indians taught in our schools for generations.
I recommend this book to everyone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A heartbreaking and informative look at Native American life. Its the other side of the story and for me, filled in blanks left by high school history.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 5, 2005
¿The only good Indian is a dead Indian.¿ Dee Brown, using this quote, shocks readers near the beginning of his book. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a realistic and poignant account of an important event in the history of the United States. Shown in graphic detail, the trials of Native Americans may leave many people feeling ashamed of their ancestors. This book, although somewhat biased is, in my opinion, a necessity for anyone interested in U.S. history. Brown¿s controversial work made a statement during a time when many people weren¿t thrilled to hear the other side of the story. Most were happy being oblivious to the fact that their countrymen had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. This book helps people recognize, understand, and accept the other side of this story.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 30, 2004
Have read the book three times. Each chapter is like a short story, yet it all ties together. Great depth and feeling. A must for history buffs.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 30, 2004
...Wounded Knee was an excellent read. I first read about it when I was assigned to do a project for my US History class. I really felt sorrow and sadness in my heart for the people in the book. All in all, I still loved the story!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 14, 2003
Cold-blooded truth of America's real history. A masterpiece of american literature...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 27, 2003
If you profess to have any empathy towards Native Americans, this is required reading. From the opening pages that detail the rape of the country by Christopher Colunbus to the takeover by the explorers, it will shock you and hopefully make you think. I highley recommend this to anyone who would like to find out where their ancestors come from, for I feel that we all come from eventually the same place, and that we all are God's children in the end.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 8, 2003
I am glad that other people will finally know the genocide of my people I am glad that I actually got the chance to read the book. It was recommended by my ap us history teacher because we need to write a book review for class .Although I am only 16 years old I was given a spoken version of the book and I am happy that the things that were told to me were very similar to that of the book
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 14, 2002
I'm not much of a reader, but this book was unbelievable! I couldn't put it down. The accounts of history with all of the different tribes across the country were very detailed and exciting. It's history with a catch of story telling. It will captivate you!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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