In The Hands Of The Great Spirit
Mar 31, 2010 History
This is kind of a niche subject for most British readers, but the recent British Musuem exhibition on Warriors of the Plains made me curious enough to get hold of this book. It’s a comprehensive history of American Indians from neolithic times until the present day. As you can imagine, it’s probably quite abridged – that’s a lot of time to fit into one paperback. It is fairly fast-paced and it’s easy to miss a personal name or a short mention of a certain tribe or culture that becomes important 100 pages down the line or so. However, the pace does keep it entertaining, and not only does it teach you the basics of American Indian history, but it includes some folklore and mythology as well, and some lovely illustrations. Bonus! It also gives the reader a different perspective on early American history – the European colonies and wars, the Declaration of Independence and how these events affected Indians/Native Americans. It’s sympathetic without being saccharine, or falling into the patronising trap of the “noble savage” stereotype. If you have even a passing interest in history or seeing things from a new cultural perspective, give this a try.
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