THE INDIAN HERITAGE OF AMERICA

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 1968

The author's The Patriot Chiefs appeared in 1961, and this survey of representative Indian cultures points up our Indian heritage as well as the contemporary Indian needs for a ""cooperative"" independence and cultural identity. Although many differences mark the divergent Indian cultures, most Indians, absorbed into alien worlds, have been slow to assimilate. Many have refused to accept, or understand, the Western concept of private property and competition, coming from a culture where land was held in common. The U.S. Government's ""handling"" of the ""Indian problem"" (which the Indians regard as the ""white man's problem""), has ranged in the past from genocide to attempts to force assimilation. Under the Dawes General Allotment Act in 1887, Indians were ""allotted"" plots of land for farming. In 1932, 90 million of the Indians' 138 million acres remained in Indian hands through white chicanery and the Indians lack of preparation for non-tribal farming. However, recently, the need for Indians to control their own affairs, with Federal help, is being recognized. The bulk of this book is concerned with the histories of representative tribes in the Americas. Charmless prose, but packed with information, and paced by a serious concern, this is a useful study.

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1968

Categories: NONFICTION