book review Fact, legend paint portrait of Indians
Aozotorp
book review
Fact, legend paint portrait of Indians
By Dorman T. Shindler
Special to The Denver Post
Sunday, March 30, 2003 - Thanks to Hollywood, most people picture American
Indians as either blood-thirsty, scalp-taking savages or benign, noble,
new-age-type beings. The truth lies somewhere between these polar opposites.
And though author Jake Page doesn't conceal the fact that his sentiments lie
with the Indians, "In the Hands of the Great Spirit" is a mostly even-handed,
solid addition to the large, often formidable library of books (such as "500
Nations") that attempt to depict the history of the Native American Indian
accurately.
A former editor of "Natural History" magazine and author and co-author of
several books about Indians ("Hopi," "Navajo," "The First Americans"), Page
goes straight to the horse's mouth in his early chapters, using the oral
history of various tribes to fill in gaps left by modern historians and
archaeologists.
As Page points out, the ancestors of the American Indian were a varied bunch,
some with links to the Ainu, a tribe originating in Japan. Page is also ready
to point out that the earliest Indian tribes (no different from those of 18th,
19th, and 21st centuries) did not live in harmony with each other and sometimes
were as hard on the land as the Europeans who would eventually conquer them:
first with smallpox, then with guns and technology. (Lest readers remain under
the mistaken impression that Indians were backward-thinking, Page offers up
lots of interesting tidbits, such as Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, which was
built to make efficient use of solar energy and shade, in summer and winter,
which duly impresses modern-day scientists).
Like the late, popular historian Stephen Ambrose, Page attempts to relate the
history of these varied peoples in a single-volume. And while the success of
doing just that might be argued, the manner in which Page (who is also a
novelist) pulls facts and legend, mysticism and science together in one
readable narrative is admirable.
From the first established Indian societies to the invasion of their lands by
the Spanish, French and English, Page covers it all. Pocahontas, Geronimo and
Crazy Horse get as much time as Pope (who helped organize a Pueblo revolt
against the Spanish), the codetalkers of World War II, and Joseph Medicine
Crow, a crow warrior who (serving in the military) completed his four coups,
managing to steal 50 German horses after a harrowing fight that included
dynamiting some artillery and capturing an enemy soldier.
Page never glosses over the fact that American Indians (after a time of peace
in the 1830s and 1840s, when smallpox caused so many deaths, and forced various
tribes to band together) often fought among themselves, with intertribal war
between the Sioux, Cheyenne and the Pawnee, resulting in many deaths and loss
of land for the latter. But he (rightfully) points out that the lies, chicanery
and genocidal bent of the Caucasian race are what eventually conquered the
American Indian.
Page's detailed history continues right up to modern times, delving into the
Red Power movement, the push for casino ownership by tribes such as the Pequot,
and Kennewick Man, which questions the idea that Indians were the original
natives of our continent.
Although there are overtones of doom - Page points out that obesity and
diabetes are more prevalent among Indians than the rest of America, and that by
2050, as few as 30 American Indian languages will be remembered and spoken -
the author leaves readers with the belief (and the hope) that this uniquely
American society and culture will somehow endure.
Although it most certainly isn't the final word, "In the Hands of the Great
Spirit" is a terrific primer for readers who want to bring themselves up to
speed as new scientific discoveries force a revision, and a new understanding,
of the history of American Indians.
Dorman T. Shindler, a freelancer from Missouri, is a regular contributor to
Pages, Publishers Weekly, BookStreet and several other publications.
ggull
in Santa Fe and the Southwest, not directly centered on NDN issue but in
which they often figure (one of the main characters is Hopi).
"Aozotorp" <aozo...@aol.com> wrote in extract,
> And though author Jake Page doesn't conceal the fact that his sentiments
lie
> with the Indians, "In the Hands of the Great Spirit" is a mostly
even-handed,
>