Synopses & Reviews
The Pacific Northwest was one of the most populated and prosperous regions for Native Americans before the coming of the white man. By the mid-1800s, measles and smallpox decimated the Indian population, and the remaining tribes were forced to give up their ancestral lands. Vine Deloria Jr., named one of the most influential religious thinkers in the world, tells the story of these tribes' fight for survival, one that continues today.
Billy Frank Jr. was the first recipient of Indian Country Today's American Indian Visionary Award.
Steve Pavlik is a professor of Native American studies at Northwest Indian College.
Synopsis
The definitive and moving account of the Pacific Northwest tribes and their struggle to maintain their culture and traditional homelands.
Synopsis
Prior to the onslaught of the Europeans, the Puget Sound area was one of the most heavily populated regions north of Mexico City. The Native Americans who lived there enjoyed a bounty of seafood, waterfowl, and berries, which they expertly collected and preserved. Detailing the associated culture, technologies, and techniques, Vine Deloria Jr. explains in depth this veritable paradise and its ultimate demise.
Raising the possibility that the utopian lifestyle enjoyed by the Indians of the Pacific Northwest might have continued in perpetuity had Europeans not sought a Northwest Passage. Deloria describes in devastating detail the ramifications of the Europeans' migration into the territory. With more than two thousand American settlers in the Pacific Northwest by 1852, and with many more to come, the outbreak of disease and the encroachment of land speculators, railroad capitalists, and logging and mining interests forced the Native Americans to give up their ancestral lands and move to reservations.
Deloria speaks with a measure of sadness, outrage, and hope, writing a moving account of the Pacific Northwest Indians' struggle that began with the arrival of the white settlers and continues today.
About the Author
Vine Deloria Jr. was named by
Time magazine as one of the greatest religious thinkers of the twentieth century and was a leading scholar who authored many acclaimed books.
Billy Frank is one of the most respected and recognized Native American leaders and was the first recipient of Indian Country Todays American Indian Visionary Award.
Steve Pavlik is a professor of Native American studies at Northwest Indian College.