Bury My Heart... turns 40
One of the finest books I have ever read (and an early impetus towards my finally challenging conventional wisdom and recognizing the plight of the powerless), Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, celebrated its fortieth anniversary this year. At The Huffington Post, Tim Giago writes a nice appreciation on the book, including this vivid and moving quote:Perhaps prematurely, Black Elk said, "I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...the nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer and the sacred tree is dead."(Via MobyLives.)
December 16, 2009 in Books, History | Permalink
Comments
Thank you for pointing out this book. I'm now planning to read it in the near future.
You might be interested to know that an Illinoisan, the recently deceased Harlington Wood, Jr., was the government's main negotiator in the 1971 stand-off at Wounded Knee. That event was considered to be the inspiration for the event in 1890.
Posted by: Marie at Dec 17, 2009 11:38:02 PM
There was supposed to be a link there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlington_Wood,_Jr.#Wounded_Knee
And, oops, it's late. Meant to say the 1971 event was inspired by the 1890 event. Couldn't be the other way around. Sorry.
Posted by: Marie at Dec 17, 2009 11:40:47 PM
