Shapers of the Great Debate on Native Americans--Land, Spirit, and Power: A Biographical Dictionary

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Contrasting the views of Native Americans and European Americans, this book provides a fresh look at the rhetoric behind the westward movement of the American frontier. From George Armstrong Custer and Andrew Jackson to Helen Hunt Jackson, the volume gives the views of well-known Anglo-Americans and contrasts them with views of such well-known Native Americans as Metacom, Sitting Bull, Tecumseh, and Black Hawk. Organized around major subthemes regarding the land, who should own it, and what ownership means, the book traces the rhetoric of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, then covers current issues in the words of Oren Lyons, Vine Deloria Jr., and Senator Slade Gorton. The core of the debate in this volume is the taking of the continental United States from native peoples by European immigrants. In chapters revolving around major subthemes, the book develops biographies of significant figures in the history of a continent changing hands. What was George Armstrong Custer's view of Native American culture How did this view contrast with that of his contemporary and antagonist at the Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull This book is the first to present and contract the views on both sides of the debate.

Reviews

.,."provides an extraordinarily rich and valuable perspective on how the personal history of individuals, their time, cultures, beliefs, and values have shaped or are shaping governmental policy....For American history teachers or teachers of American Indian history, this is a suitable book to engage students and develop their fundamental understanding of the nature and processes of history and the democratic process."-ARBA
...provides an extraordinarily rich and valuable perspective on how the personal history of individuals, their time, cultures, beliefs, and values have shaped or are shaping governmental policy....For American history teachers or teachers of American Indian history, this is a suitable book to engage students and develop their fundamental understanding of the nature and processes of history and the democratic process.-ARBA
I find this volume most useful as a reference tool. It provides insight into how individuals have shaped history and includes a useful preliminary bibliography.-The History Teacher
Johansen aims to examine the ideological aspects of property as North America changed hands by asking eight questions, such as who owns the wilderness and whether the ecological metaphors attributed to 19th-century Native American leaders are valid. For each question, he examines the lives of at least two individuals who held significant views on that question, such as Roger Williams and Metacom (King Philip) on land ownership.... Johansen has highlighted the issues and brought them into focus so that the reader can thoughtfully consider each point raised. While intended primarily for high school students and undergraduates, this book will also appeal to general readers seeking a historical perspective on current Native American affairs. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.-Library Journal
The author and series editor commendably provide a diversity of views, and the text and biographies are well presented and useful....recommended for general readers and undergraduates.-CHOICE
The format of this book is accessible on several levels....I expect it will be an invaluable resource....Highly Recommended.-The Book Report
This is an important reference work, handy for scholars looking for a quick view of individuals and events outside their areas of expertise, valuable for teachers of Native history and culture, and indispensable for libraries and other resource centers. General readers will also find it informative.-Great Plains Quarterly
..."provides an extraordinarily rich and valuable perspective on how the personal history of individuals, their time, cultures, beliefs, and values have shaped or are shaping governmental policy....For American history teachers or teachers of American Indian history, this is a suitable book to engage students and develop their fundamental understanding of the nature and processes of history and the democratic process."-ARBA
"I find this volume most useful as a reference tool. It provides insight into how individuals have shaped history and includes a useful preliminary bibliography."-The History Teacher
"The author and series editor commendably provide a diversity of views, and the text and biographies are well presented and useful....recommended for general readers and undergraduates."-CHOICE
"The format of this book is accessible on several levels....I expect it will be an invaluable resource....Highly Recommended."-The Book Report
"This is an important reference work, handy for scholars looking for a quick view of individuals and events outside their areas of expertise, valuable for teachers of Native history and culture, and indispensable for libraries and other resource centers. General readers will also find it informative."-Great Plains Quarterly
"Johansen aims to examine the ideological aspects of property as North America changed hands by asking eight questions, such as who owns the wilderness and whether the ecological metaphors attributed to 19th-century Native American leaders are valid. For each question, he examines the lives of at least two individuals who held significant views on that question, such as Roger Williams and Metacom (King Philip) on land ownership.... Johansen has highlighted the issues and brought them into focus so that the reader can thoughtfully consider each point raised. While intended primarily for high school students and undergraduates, this book will also appeal to general readers seeking a historical perspective on current Native American affairs. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries."-Library Journal

Author Bio

BRUCE E. JOHANSEN is Robert T. Reilly Professor of Communication and Native American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The author of 13 other books, he specializes in the influence of Native American political systems on U.S. political and legal institutions. His other books include Exemplar of Liberty (1991, with Donald A. Grinde, Jr.), Encyclopedia of Native American Legal Traditions (Greenwood, 1998) and The Encyclopedia of Native American Economic History (Greenwood, 1999).