Indian Chiefs - Russell Freedman
Indian Chiefs by Russell Freedman is all about key players in the struggle for Native American independence, and how they fared against the colonist aggressors. Some did well, and of course some did less efficiently.
The general story is that the colonists moved in, often offering concessions, then regretfully explaining that the situation had changed. No matter what the local Indians did, somehow there were always new circumstances or conditions or natural events. The boundary lines would have to change. The defining terms would have to be tweaked.
There are numerous well known names brought up here. Kicking Bird, made popular by Kevin Costner's Dancing with Wolves tale, shows up here. So does Cynthia Ann, a Comanche woman who was "rescued" a la Searchers from the world she had known. She finally passed away after being "reunited" with those who had been looking for her.
There is discussion about the natives who tried to simply stick with what had worked for them for generations. Unfortunately, the world had changed around them. The buffalo were no longer roaming the plains. Instead, hunters had literally wiped out millions of animals and destroyed the food supply.
Many indians strove to be peaceful and to get along. That didn't work well either. Their peaceful acceptance led to them being sequestered on smaller and smaller outposts.
The photos presented are quite poignant. Seen through the lens of time, these indians were strong, intelligent, wise men who were striving to do their best for the community who depended on them. They were simply outnumbered.
Well worth reading for any person seeking to understand the true American experience.
If I have a complaint here, it's that it seems to focus on the chiefs as being standalone powers in their communities. In actuality they were a part of a cohesive structure which helped allow all voices to be present. In modern "white" worlds it's common for a boss to out-shout other members. In many Indian tribes it was more likely that a chief would draw a consensus from all adults present. So I'm not quite fond of the sense that a chief "stood alone" and didn't have that community around him. Still, I understand that the book by necessity simplified a complex topic.
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