Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee has a dull name for an amazing book. This is the second book I have read. This book was read again to refresh memories, but I found it impossible to put down once I had started reading. My first reading of this book was as a freshman high-school student. I did so only because it had been assigned. It is only now, six years later that I see how tragic this story really is. It was especially after I had learned about Native American society in Native American class. This book provides a detailed history of the Indian Wars in the American West, which began around 1860 when the Navajos were relocated and ended 1890 with Wounded Knee Creek’s surrender by the last Sioux.
Dee Brown’s book is largely based on records of treaty meetings and words from Indian leaders, such as Geronimo or Crazy Horse. This book does not just tell the story of Indians, as many people may think. Dee Brown’s meticulous research and attention to detail set this book aside from the average history book. The book is only 30 pages long, covering the period from 1860-1890. However, it covers the time when the West, and Indians’ cultures and civilizations, were won.
It is written by the Indians, and you really feel sorry for them. Sisseton’s Paul Mazakootemane stated that “No one fighting with the whites becomes rich. No one stays in one place for more than two days. But they are always on the run and hungry.” This is not a fiction. Your feelings will have no effect in changing what has happened. An anonymous Indian’s quote is what makes me feel ashamed of being associated with it. When I finished the book, this quote really stood out. Tragic stories like this can only be a positive if we learn from them. The hindsight always has a 20/20 view.
