In the late nineteenth century the U.S. government attempted to reshape Lakota (Sioux) society to accord with American ideals. Catherine Price charts the political strategies employed by Oglala councilors as they struggled to preserve their autonomy.
This book was a hard read, only because of my unfamiliarity with the subject. I feel the author did an amazing job researching and giving the perspective from the Indian vs the White Man. She also did the best job that could be done helping the reader remember what certain words meant by redefining them as she used them throughout the book (e.g. akicita, itancan, tiyospaye, wakiconza, blotahunka) And I appreciate the continued use of these words because I appreciate other languages and love to learn whatever I can. The political customs of the Oglala people is very complex and, partially due to our government not caring enough to understand, was never respected by those in charge in Washington when dealing with these affairs. If you have any interest in this area of US history, I highly recommend this book. Just allow enough time to read and reread and process!