Customer Reviews

The Indians of Iowa (Bur Oak Book)

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I really enjoyed this book. I liked the fact that it was short AND Comprehensive. It's a good companion and reference. Thanks to this book I have a good orientation of the many American Indian tribes that ever set foot in the Euro-American boundaries we currently call Iowa. I wished I would've had this book prior to searching out old Annals of Iowa, Palimpsests, and Iowa Journals of History and Politics for information about American Indians in Iowa. The many Iowa periodicals tend to be a bit contradictory and, of course, written from a Euro-American point of view. Foster's book clears up the confusion and whets my appetite to learn more.

I'm glad, for once, that a book about American Indians is written by an American Indian. I think this has been long overdue and I applaud Foster's contribution to the state where I live. The reference in the back gives me plenty of stuff for further reading.

I can't help but mention the sadness I feel when I learn about my white fathers who removed the American Indians from their land, and proceeded to desecrate it in the name of progress by draining the wetlands, cutting the forests, straightening the streams, and plowing the prairies. How does one reconcile the past? It's hard for me to take pride in our past when we know the truth.

Lance Foster has an unconvoluted way of writing that has the ring of truth. The book contains a lot of good regional history that may be known orally to Indians, but needed to be preserved in print, as well. Some potentially sensitive social issues were treated without talking down to anyone. Controversial topics are presented objectively and without bias. This is the kind of book that promotes understanding and will become more valuable (as a resource) as time passes.

As a member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska and a student of Iowa history I found the book well documented and written. I espessially like the chapter on the Iowas. The illistrations are done well and also by the author.

Lance Foster has put together a valuable resource on Native Americans in Iowa. This book is dense with information on the histories and cultures of the tribes of the region. These histories are enhanced with chapters titled "A Closer Look" offering detailed views into additional subjects related to each cultural group. Lance has also included some of his original artwork between chapters which enhance the text. I would recommend this book as a starting point for anyone researching The Indians of Iowa.

When it comes to a book specifically about Native American tribes that are associated with the state of Iowa the list available is very short. Lance Foster has done a nice job of compiling information for anyone wanting a bit of knowledge in this area. This book is not written as an indepth study, but as a brief overview of the tribes that have moved in and out of Iowa over the centuries.

Lance Foster, a member of the Iowa Tribe, has created a book that students and adults alike can learn from. This book is set up in five main sections. Section one is the introduction that discusses how the book came about and some general information to know. The next three sections alternate with each other throughout the book. A selection of art by the auther is followed by a "focus on a tribe" section or a "focus on an area of life" section. The sections on tribes discuss the names associated with the various groups, their language, a bit about the culture and history, and members of that tribe that were influential. The final section of the book is a guide for how and where to find more indepth information for those wanting to learn more.

For anyone interested in learning about the history of Native American culture in Iowa without having to search out obscure books written a century or more ago this is a great place to start.