Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (by Dee Brown)
This was an impulsive read for me. The Libby App offered unlimited copies of the audiobook version of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown in honor of Indigenous People’s Day. I had definitely heard of this book before and quickly decided that now is the perfect time to learn about the true history of the American West.
The accounts of how unfair, cruel, and vicious the white men treated the American Indians was nothing but tragic. I’m old enough to not be surprised by the detailed stories of how all Indian tribes were mistreated; however, the brutality this culture experienced is nauseating to hear in this book. Time after time, the American Indians were kind, and willing to work with the white men. They are such a generous tribe who wanted to live simply in peace and connection with all cultures. It was heartbreaking to listen to accounts of repeatedly making treaties with the white men to only be lied to and taken advantage. They suffered unbelievable consequences for their trust.
Listening to the descriptions of each of the bloodiest massacres, I kept wondering, why? I just don’t understand the justification for the abhorrent behaviors of the white men. I finally concluded that the root of the evil was, and still is, ego and greed. At least for me, that seemed to be the common thread in the stories that were relayed in this book. This is no excuse for their behavior.
While this is a difficult read, I am glad I took the time to become better educated about this portion of US history. I appreciated that at the beginning of each chapter, Dee Brown included a brief account of events current at the time, whether it was a famous book being published, movie release, or a political change. The audiobook narration by Grover Gardner was enjoyable, for such difficult stories to tell.
Pictured is a handmade and hand painted piece of pottery by a Native American, from the Hopi tribe. My husband and I purchased this amazing piece of art at the Ninibah jewelry store located in Tlaquepaque shopping center during a previous trip to Sedona, Arizona. Native Americans used this seed bowl to store seeds. When planting their crops, the tiny opening in the top of the bowl was perfect for only releasing a few seeds at a time.
I blogged about our most recent trip to Sedona, and you can see pictures and read about our adventures here.
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