My People, the Sioux

Rating:
Summary: Indian Freedom Into White Man's Utilitarianism
Review: .
I found this book being both an honest account and a more accurate description of the Indian-American experience, as it comes from a man who was both Indian and personally lived through the trials and hardships through the Sioux tribe.

What is so interesting about the story is the naïve attribute of Luther Standing Bear and his honest, open and yet hold fast integrity. His trusting nature was so evident through out the story and yet he did not lack any intelligence and understanding. Of course those Indians with such nature were taken advantage of, and yet Luther Standing Bear remains always optimistic. There were many hardships, as in the loss of his free world and native life to a utilitarian white man's world of hustle and capitalism.

First there was much land taken and much sold with fraudulent treaties with government subsidiaries supplied, but it was the White's destruction of natural resources, the loss of the Buffalo and available food that caused the Indian's independence to wain and turn to the White man's society. This in turn set them up for what came next:

"Then like a thunderbolt from a clear sky came on order from the Interior Department that all rations and annuity goods which had been issued to all able-bodied Indians were to be cut off unless the Indians were willing to work for them."

This both took many Indians away from their homes to labor and in Luther Standing Bear's case, three jobs he took to support himself. The John Stuart Mill version of democracy, it's utilitarian enforcement of productivity is now forced on the Indian culture, a people whose land and free paced life was removed from them.

Luther relates how many whites took advantage of the non-English speaking Indians signing fraudulent land selling agreements, including a few unscrupulous Indians as Spotted Tail, who did the selling. There was also mentioned his experience of observing those Indians who were promised to be brought to Washington to speak to the government, but were being unknowingly used as city stop side shows, with tickets sales to the white men's advantage.

There were also the innocent killing of many Indians, the force of White man's culture, including the clothes, the cutting of hair, the religious teachings, the restriction against using his native tongue, and yet in Luther Standing Bear considered it bravery and wisdom to adopt the white man's ways and learn as much as he can to prove to the world that the Indians were both capable and good at living and producing just as the white men. His attendance at the Carlyle School, his relations and actions towards those in charge were so admirable.

The was also the death of two of his children, the event of a terrible train crash, events that would leave a horrendous impact on any person, and this man, Luther Standing Bear, maintains a strength of internal character that is most impeccable of a high and honorable nature. Not many persons would have remained so, and there is no complaining from him here, no venting, only stating his objective observances of both positive and negative occurrences and his subjective opinions written in such fair assessments.

Luther also relates how his people missed a few chances to better their predicament with the government as in Buffalo Bill's attempt to speak to the president in behalf of them and another occurrence where an agent influenced many to protect his own monetary interests.

Between Luther and his father, they understood the white man's invasion of the Indian world was "thick" and it was in wisdom to adopt their ways in order to survive. The major drawback from all this was the adoption also meant assimilation, as the dress, the religion and the language of the Indian was discouraged by the white man to be beneath his culture as inferior.

And yet all of the above was not meant as partisan to negativity, but rather, Luther was always optimistic, anxious to please his instructors and employers, admirable in is his constant desire to please the people he worked with, Captain Pratt in the Carlyle School, his employer at the Department Store, Buffalo Bill and many others. And for this he was very well liked, including by myself.