Saving the Reservation: Joe Garry and the Battle to Be Indian [Hardcover]

John Fahey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Joseph R. Garry (1910-1975), a Coeur d'Alene Indian, served six terms as president of the National Congress of American Indians in the 1950s. He led the battles to compel the federal government to honour treaties and landownership and dominated an era in government-Indian relations little attended by historians. Firmly believing that forced assimilation of Indians and termination of federal trusteeship over Native Americans and their reservations would doom Indian cultures, Garry had his greatest success as a leader in uniting American Indian tribes to fend off Congress' plan to abandon Indian citizens. Born into a chief's family and raised on the Coeur d'Alene reservation in northern Idaho, Garry rose to chairmanship of his tribal council, president of the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians, and leadership of NCAI. He was the first Native American elected to the Idaho House and Senate.Handsome, personable, and articulate, Garry traveled constantly to urge Indian tribes to hold onto their land, develop economic resources, and educate their young. In a turbulent decade, Garry elevated Indians to political and social participation in American life, and set in motion forces that underlie Indian relations today. 'No one will forget Joe Garry after reading this, nor will anyone traveling across any reservation forget the legacy of a handful of paper warriors like Garry, Helen Peterson, Archie Phinney, and D'Arcy McNickle, who saved Indian lands and pressed for self-determination, armed with briefcases, petitions, and typewriters at a time when Washington, D.C. launched open war on Indian culture itself, hoping to terminate its trust and treaty responsibilities in the interest of economy and assimilation' - William R. Swagerty, University of Idaho.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Fahey is professor emeritus of radio-television and history at Eastern Washington University, Cheney and Spokane. He is the author of numerous books, including The Inland Empire: Unfolding Years, 1879-1929 and Shaping Spokane: Jay P. Graves and His Times.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295981539
• ISBN-13: 978-0295981536
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,628,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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