The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present

Treuer (literature, Univ. of Southern California), a Leech Lake Reservation Ojibwe scholar, has distinguished himself as an accomplished writer of both fiction (Prudence) and nonfiction (Rez Life). Here he takes on a bold task: a history of Native America from the Paleolithic to the Standing Rock Reservation protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2017. Peoples from all regions of North America are included. Unlike other works that depict the "vanishing Indian" narrative, Treuer's does not end at the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. Rather, he uses Wounded Knee as a springboard to discuss the Native American experience as it has adapted and persisted since. The struggles of Native peoples, including the United States cavalry's attacks, the destruction of the bison herds, and forced integration through boarding schools, are held in balance with the success stories, such as the Pueblo Revolt, the rise of the American Indian Movement, and the development of the tribal gaming industry.