Customer Reviews

A Century of Dishonor: The Classic Expose of the Plight of the Native Americans

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This is the book that originally started changing the opinion of the American public regarding government policy toward the native tribes. Helen Hunt Jackson wrote this book in the 19th century, not the 20th, and it took many years before she saw the tide of public opinion start to change, but it was well worth it: when you're right, you don't back down even if you're a lone voice in a wilderness.

I highly recommend this book, and am glad I could obtain such a historic text for my own.

This book is, I think, the first to explore the frequent gap between American ideals and practice, something that began with a slave owner writing, "All men are created equal." It has inspired many people to study the history of the U.S. from a Native American perspective. There are, however, some drawbacks. Some treatments are very detailed e.g. the removal of the Poncas from Nebraska to Indian Territory (Oklahoma), while others are sketchy, e.g. the Trail of Tears of the Cherokees. It is also written in the florid style of the late 19th century. All in all, it is still a very important book and worth reading.

This is a classic to read even after a century has passed. Among the 500 Nations, this book covers the Delawares, the Cheyennes, The Nez Perces, The Sioux, The Poncas, The Winneragoes, The Cherokees and their history with the whites and US government. This is important chapter in American history with President Obama apologized in 2010

It is heart warming that the government brings the sad chapter to a close and we expect American people of white, black, brown, yellow and red work together to build a strong America!