Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
source
Name	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Author	Dee Brown
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Native American history, American West
Genre	Nonfiction, history
Publisher	Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Pub date	1970
Media type	Print
Pages	487
Isbn	9780030863328

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a 1970 historical book by Dee Brown that chronicles the systematic displacement and destruction of Native American nations in the late 19th-century United States. Presenting a narrative centered on primary accounts, testimonies, and tribal perspectives, the work reframes events such as the Sand Creek Massacre, the Fetterman Fight, and the Wounded Knee Massacre within a critical account of westward expansion, federal Indian policy, and settler violence. The book popularized Native American histories for a wide readership and influenced public debates about Indian Removal, Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, and related controversies.

Background and publication

Brown, a librarian and novelist from Arkansas, compiled material from archives including the National Archives and Records Administration, the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, and tribal oral histories recorded by Eli S. Ricker and others. He wrote during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and the American Indian Movement, when public interest in minority histories and anti-colonial critiques increased. Published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1970, the book achieved bestseller status and was part of a broader reassessment of 19th-century events involving figures like Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Joseph, and Geronimo. Brown's editorial choices reflected contemporary historiographical shifts influenced by scholars such as Francis Paul Prucha and Richard White.

Summary and contents

Organized chronologically and regionally, the book traces the experiences of multiple tribes—the Lakota Sioux, Nez Perce, Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Shoshone' among others—through conflicts including the Red Cloud's War, the Great Sioux War of 1876–77, and the Modoc War. Chapters synthesize eyewitness accounts from military officers like George Armstrong Custer and Nelson A. Miles alongside tribal leaders and civilians such as Black Elk and Red Cloud. Brown foregrounds legal instruments and events—Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Treaty of Medicine Lodge, and the Dawes Act—to show how policy interacted with events like the Sand Creek Massacre and relocations to reservations. The narrative culminates with the 1890 events at Pine Ridge Reservation and the confrontation commonly associated with the Wounded Knee episode, situating it within the closing of the American frontier declared by the U.S. Census of 1890.

Historical context and accuracy

Brown relied heavily on primary sources and secondary accounts available in the mid-20th century, including military reports, congressional records, and newspaper coverage from outlets such as the New York Times and regional papers like the St. Paul Pioneer Press. His methods favored narrative synthesis over exhaustive citation, prompting later historians to reassess some specifics. Scholars including Elliott West, Donald L. Fixico, and Peter Iverson have critiqued and supplemented Brown's work by consulting tribal oral traditions, archaeological evidence, and newly available federal documents. Debates focus on interpretation of agency—how leaders like Red Cloud and Chief Joseph navigated diplomacy and resistance—and on contested casualty figures and motives in incidents like the Sand Creek Massacre and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Nonetheless, Brown's portrayal of systemic dispossession aligns with archival evidence of forced removals, treaty breaches, and assimilation policies exemplified by the Board of Indian Commissioners and Indian Appropriations Act.

Reception and impact

Upon release, the book received acclaim from popular and academic audiences, earning praise from historians and activists for amplifying Indigenous perspectives during the era of the American Indian Movement and the Red Power movement. Critics in academic journals pointed to Brown's rhetorical framing and occasional factual errors, while defenders argued the book filled a gap in public knowledge. The work influenced public institutions, contributing to renewed scrutiny of federal Indian policy and reparative efforts that involved entities such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and cultural organizations including the National Congress of American Indians. It also affected museum exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution and curricula in university departments like Native American Studies and History.

Adaptations and cultural legacy

The book inspired adaptations and references across media: a 2007 HBO television film portrayed events and characters from the narrative and involved actors associated with projects about the American West and Indigenous histories. The title and themes appear in scholarly monographs, museum programming, and tribal commemorations at sites like Wounded Knee, South Dakota and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Its influence extends to musicians, playwrights, and filmmakers who addressed figures such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and events like the Sand Creek Massacre. The work remains widely read, taught in courses on American history, Indigenous studies, and popularized discussions about treaty rights, historical memory, and federal policy reform. Contemporary scholars continue to build on and correct Brown's synthesis through collaborative projects with tribal historians and archives including tribal colleges and institutions like the National Museum of the American Indian.

Category:1970 books Category:American history books Category:Books about Native American history