Indian Oratory: Famous Speeches by Noted Indian Chieftains (Civilization of the American Indian (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: An Historical Treasure
Review: This is one of my most treasured books, and a real find. I've shared it with Indian friends who had never known of some of these speeches. It's a book to pass on and buy again and again.

The book neatly arranges brief notes on historical settings with photographs and famous speeches of Seattle,Red Jacket,Chief Joseph,Cochise,and many others. The emphasis is on the oratory.

The Chiefs' eloquent voices could all too easily have been lost in the torrent of 19th and 20th Century North American time and events, since they had no written language. We are fortunate that these were recorded and put into book form.

The Chieftans' mastery of the spoken word allows them to express themselves in surprising ways. Much character is revealed in a few sentences.