Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (Arena Books) (Paperback)

~ Dee Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

First published in 1970, this extraordinary book changed the way people thought about the original inhabitants of America. Beginning with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ending 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, it tells how the American Indians lost their land and lives to a dynamically expanding white society. During these three decades, America's population doubled from 31 million to 62 million. Again and again, promises made to the Indians fell victim to the ruthlessness and greed of settlers pushing westward to make new lives. The Indians were herded off their ancestral lands into ever-shrinking reservations, and were starved and killed if they resisted. It is a truism that "history is written by the victors"; for the first time, this book described the opening of the West from the Indians' viewpoint. Accustomed to stereotypes of Indians as red savages, many white people were shocked to read the reasoned eloquence of Indian leaders and learn of the bravery with which they and their peoples endured suffering. With meticulous research and in measured language overlaying brutal narrative, Dee Brown focused attention on a national disgrace.

About the Author

Dee Brown was born on February 28, 1908, in Alberta, Louisiana and died in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (January 3, 1998)
• ISBN-10: 0099526409
• ISBN-13: 978-0099526407
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #145,419 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Other Books, September 3, 2007

By	Blue Tyson "- http://freesf.blogspot.com" - See all my reviews

The historical account of what happened to the native Americans during the white settlement of the United States of America. This ranges from resettlement to out and out slaughter, rape and massacre. It also goes into detail about the propaganda, legal systems and economic problems of the time, as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive history of the American Indians, February 23, 2007

By	Jennifer M (Duluth, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Brown's chronicle of the systemic slaughter and betrayal of American Indians at the hands of the US government is the highly readable and heartbreaking history your social studies teacher never told you about. Dee Brown single-handedly turned back the American myth of the noble settlers fighting the savage Indians and his unimpeachable documentation to original sources has made this the definitive classic of Native American history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview, January 17, 2007

By	lms12202 - See all my reviews

Many people don't remember how important this book was in the Indian movement of the early '70s. It is an excellent overview of many of the major atrocities inflicted by white people and the government on Indians, beginning with Columbus (murdered or let die an entire nation) to Wounded Knee (another, another, another round 'em up and kill them action by the army). As Vine Deloria points out, the government had a perfect record in dealing with Indians: 600+ treaties made; 600+ treaties broken. An excellent starter book for anyone interested in learning about why Indians dislike state and federal governments.