Changing Military Patterns of the Great Plains Indians (17th Century Through Early 19th Century) [Paperback]

Frank Raymond Secoy (Author), John C. Ewers (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1992 | Series: 17th Century Through Early 19th Century

Frank Raymond Secoy wrote this classic work while at Columbia University in the early 1950s. In his introduction, John C. Ewers considers the influence of Secoy's book on scholars since its original publication in 1953. Ethnologist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, Ewers is the author of "The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture" (1955), "Blackfeet: Their Art and Culture" (1987), and other works.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work gives an excellent picture not only of the changing military patterns ... from the early part of the seventeenth century through the early part of the nineteenth century, but it also gives a vivid picture of the impact of the Spanish, French, and English cul-tures upon the lives and customs of the Indians who inhabited the Great Plains."--Chronicles of Oklahoma. " As a historical study covering not only tribal changes, conflicts and movements, but also the effect of horse and gun on the balance of power and on the fur trade, this is both interesting and stimulating reading."--New Mexico Historical Review. "Carefully documented and well-written... an excellent and interesting work."--Southwestern Historical Quar-terly.

About the Author

Frank Raymond Secoy wrote this classic work while at Columbia University in the early 1950s. In his introduction, John C. Ewers considers the influence of Secoy's book on scholars since its original publication in 1953. Ethnologist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, Ewers is the author of The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture (1955), Blackfeet: Their Art and Culture (1987), and other works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (October 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803292090
• ISBN-13: 978-0803292093
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,608,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indian Wars Before the Whites Arrived, October 7, 2007

By 

John M. Lane "statesman and philosopher" (Hardin, Montana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Changing Military Patterns of the Great Plains Indians (17th Century Through Early 19th Century) (Paperback)

In his excellent introduction to CHANGING MILITARY PATTERNS OF THE GREAT PLAINS INDIANS, John C. Ewers credits Dr. Secoy's book with the revelation that "the Indian Wars" had been going on for quite a while before the US Army got involved. This is a point most people tend to miss including me.

I was vaguely aware that "intertribal warfare" had gone on, but tended to consider it a side-show to what Robert M. Utley described as "Frontiersmen in Blue." Secoy's book set me straight and introduced me to a dramatic and under-appreciated chapter in the history of the American West.

CHANGING MILITARY PATTERNS OF THE GREAT PLAINS INDIANS was first published in 1953. It's been around a while, but hasn't been read as widely as it deserves to be. A more recent book by Anthony McGinnis entitled COUNTING COUP AND CUTTING HORSES came out in 1990 and makes a good companion to Secoy's earlier work.

Secoy writes like a professor. His style is a bit plodding compared to McGinnis', but I did not find it as dense as some scholarly works tend to be.

Secoy's book is well footnoted and includes a good bibliography and such interesting appendices as "The Use of the Flintlock Muzzle-Loader on Horseback," which add greatly to book's appeal for those interested in weapons and tactics. I was unable to verify many of Secoy's footnotes and would agree with a previous reviewer's comment that he uses a lot of obscure sources. That doesn't necessarily weaken his research. Ewers is one of the leading authorities on Plains Indians and he praises Secoy's research in the book's introduction.

I grew up on the Great Plains among many of the same tribes that Secoy discusses and his comments and research coincided with my own experiences and observations. I did review MEMOIRS OF A WHITE CROW INDIAN but did not see the same problems referred to in the previous review.

I would agree, however, that Secoy's word choices sometimes suggest comparisons with conventional cavalry battles during the Civil War instead of the "sparring" Thomas Leforge observed. Secoy's book isn't perfect and it won't be the last word on the subject, but it is a valuable addition to your library if your interested in intertribal warfare and the Plains Indians. I liked it and gave it five stars.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Questionable research and conclusions, September 2, 2006

By 

naiche (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Changing Military Patterns of the Great Plains Indians (17th Century Through Early 19th Century) (Paperback)

This book, first published in 1953, tries to impress with terminology such as the Post-gun -- pre-horse military technique pattern and the Post-horse -- pre-gun military technique pattern, and too frequently the author's writing style clouds what he is trying to say (at least this was the case for my simple mind). At 103 pages it is my opinion that he tackles a topic that needs more data to support the conclusions set forth. And there are times that the author selectively uses source material to make his point. One glaring example is on pp. 76-77. Here the author talks about a "large-scale, formal [intertribal] cavalry battle" that "might last for hours, or for most of the day." His example comes from the recollections of Thomas H. Leforge as told to Thomas B. Marquis (Memoirs of a White Crow Indian). Leforge related an 1873 battle between the Crows and the Lakota. In such an encounter there was lots of long-range firing, daring rides across the enemy lines, taunts back and forth, and perhaps several one-on-one combats that might result in nothing more than each warrior trying to count coup (not to belittle such an event which took quite a bit of bravery). But as for Secoy's large-scale cavalry battle (reminiscent of the Civil War), it just didn't occur (especially as it relates to the example he cited). There is some interesting information that can be gleaned from reading the monograph, such as on p. 83 where he convincingly shows how and why the Apaches went from allies of the Spanish to their long-time enemies. Overall, he quoted so many hard to find titles that it is difficult to know how accurately he used them in his writing (which must be questioned in light of the misuse of Leforge's recollections that I presented above); and his constant use of hard to grasp terminologies (instead of easy to understand straightforward explanations) really deters from the book's usefulness. The book is rather inexpensive, short, and he does present some interesting ideas, so I'd recommend it if intertribal warfare and the introduction and spread of guns and horses is of interest to you.