Customer Reviews

Monacans and Miners: Native American and Coal Mining Communities in Appalachia

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Well written and researched book. Reading this book not only helps one understand the history of Monacan Indian nation but provides another window into understanding American history - especially from another perspective. Seeing references to some of my ancestors only heightened the joy of the read. This book is a great read for anyone desiring to broaden their own understanding of the period, the era and the people of colonial America.

Professor Samuel Cook has produced a significant and respectful study of the Monacan Indians of piedmont Virginia in comparison to people of European descent who settled in Wyoming County, West Virginia. His book examines how each community evolved in response to political and economic forces like the dominance of outside capitalist ventures on West Virginia coal mining and in this case, on Wyoming County residents' lives and welfare.

There are important human stories in how the Monacans and the Wyoming County residents responded to these factors, and each case study gains from Professor Cook's comparisons. For students of American Indian history and Virginia history, this book excels in describing early European interactions and the onset of colonial oppression for Native peoples of the piedmont; typically, historical accounts and textbooks center on English-Native interactions in Jamestown and the coastal plain.

He also brings that history forward. In modern times, there is even less knowledge and understanding of race relations in 20th-century Virginia before the Civil Rights era, particularly the harsh treatment Virginia Indian people received as a result of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. This punitive law and others essentially stripped away their rights as citizens and as Indians. Professor Cook describes the deep injustices Monacan Indians and all Virginia Indians experienced as a target of racial oppression. Through his writing and the words of the people he interviews, we learn that this terrible era forged new bonds of community and agency within the Monacan Indian community. They have become strong advocates for Native agency and education and for the cultural preservation of their history. I recommend this book highly for its information and insights.