I Have Spoken: American History Through The Voices Of The Indians

by Virginia I. Armstrong

I Have Spoken is a collection of American Indian oratory from the 17th to the 20th century, concentrating on speeches focusing around Indian-white relationships, especially treaty-making negotiations. A few letters and other writings are also included. Here, in their own words, is the Indian’s story told with integrity, with drama, with caustic wit, with statesmanship, with poetic impact; a story of proffered friendship, of broken promises, of hope, of disillusionment, of pride, of a whole land and life gone sour.

Genres: Nonfiction

229 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction is required reading for any citizen of the world. The layout of the rest of the book is a bit disorienting (entirely chronological, with a bit of a cluttered layout), but the quotations themselves are varied and often compelling. There are unfortunately few examples of women's voices, though I believe that is the result of the misogyny of the transcribers of history and not the intention of the editors of this book.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are tons of books on Indian folklore, so it's refreshing to find something that draws from different kinds of primary sources. The editor, Virginia Armstrong, combed through hundreds of government documents and recorded anything interesting or significant said by Native Americans. The result is a very good compilation of Indian speeches. Although the book is relatively weak on the 20th century, the dignity, bravery, intelligence, strength, loyalty, and perseverence of the speakers more than makes up for this fault. A great resource for college students, and an important read for anyone who wants a full understanding of American history.

[Cheryl]

From the UR Diversity Book Reading Group

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a valuable collection of speeches by Native Americans from the late 17th to mid 20th centuries, useful for pointing to original sources.