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African Americans and Native Americans in the Cherokee and Creek Nations, 1830s - 1920s: Collision and Collusion
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July 11, 2018
As is the case with most PhD dissertations published as full length books this one is based on a careful study of a large number and wide variety of sources. There are times, in fact, that the lengthy quotations of interviews of Native Americans or African Americans are a bit much for my tastes. The same can be said for the two chapters reviewing the census data from 1900 and 1910. Ie, at times in striving to be thorough the author provided TMI. While this kind of detailed analysis impresses a dissertation committee with the author's analytical skills, it can become tedious for the non-specialist reader like myself.
At other times, however, I wish May had provided even more info than she did. For example, her depiction of the history of African American slavery in the Cherokee Nation lacked some of the nuances and subtlety which Tiya Miles provided in her books on this topic. In Miles' books it was like viewing a rich tapestry. In this book, it was a rather dry factual accounting of the historical record.
Knowing hardly anything at all about the Creek tribes I did learn some good info from May's portrayal of these people. The difference in the relationship which the Creeks had with their African American former slaves, many of whom became tribal members and emigrees who moved to Oklahoma during and after Reconstruction, compared to the Cherokee was fascinating. The former were much more accepting of these non NA people than the Cherokee were. In fact, so much so that the African Americans became collaborators, which May called 'collusion,' in the efforts made by the Creeks to resist the formation of a largely White oriented state of Oklahoma in the early 20th century. I wish she had been a little more forthcoming about the reasons for this than she was.
I also learned that the process by which Oklahoma became a state in the Union in 1907 was anything but smooth. It was but one more sad example of the myriad of ways in which White European America forced its will on both the Native Americans and the African Americans already living there with little, if any, regard for the heritage and rights of the latter. With some reflection I should not have been surprised. That kind of thing has been happening in the USA ever since the Europeans came to colonize the so called New World. As is the case with almost all of the history of the NA people this is not even noted, let alone seriously taught, in most American history classes.
May clearly demonstrated her academic credentials with this book. However, it was a bit too dry and compulsive in some ways and lacking in other ways for it to earn more than a 3 star rating from me. As noted above I would recommend Miles' books on the Cherokee if someone wants a more nuanced and thorough discussion of this tribe and its relations with African Americans. I did come away with some titles about the Creek tribes. I plan to peruse those in the coming months.
At other times, however, I wish May had provided even more info than she did. For example, her depiction of the history of African American slavery in the Cherokee Nation lacked some of the nuances and subtlety which Tiya Miles provided in her books on this topic. In Miles' books it was like viewing a rich tapestry. In this book, it was a rather dry factual accounting of the historical record.
Knowing hardly anything at all about the Creek tribes I did learn some good info from May's portrayal of these people. The difference in the relationship which the Creeks had with their African American former slaves, many of whom became tribal members and emigrees who moved to Oklahoma during and after Reconstruction, compared to the Cherokee was fascinating. The former were much more accepting of these non NA people than the Cherokee were. In fact, so much so that the African Americans became collaborators, which May called 'collusion,' in the efforts made by the Creeks to resist the formation of a largely White oriented state of Oklahoma in the early 20th century. I wish she had been a little more forthcoming about the reasons for this than she was.
I also learned that the process by which Oklahoma became a state in the Union in 1907 was anything but smooth. It was but one more sad example of the myriad of ways in which White European America forced its will on both the Native Americans and the African Americans already living there with little, if any, regard for the heritage and rights of the latter. With some reflection I should not have been surprised. That kind of thing has been happening in the USA ever since the Europeans came to colonize the so called New World. As is the case with almost all of the history of the NA people this is not even noted, let alone seriously taught, in most American history classes.
May clearly demonstrated her academic credentials with this book. However, it was a bit too dry and compulsive in some ways and lacking in other ways for it to earn more than a 3 star rating from me. As noted above I would recommend Miles' books on the Cherokee if someone wants a more nuanced and thorough discussion of this tribe and its relations with African Americans. I did come away with some titles about the Creek tribes. I plan to peruse those in the coming months.
Displaying 1 of 1 review