Our Hearts Fell to the Ground: Plains Indian Views of How the West Was Lost

by Colin G. Calloway

This unique anthology chronicles the Plains Indians' struggle to maintain their traditional way of life in the changing world of the nineteenth century. Its rich variety of 34 primary sources - including narratives, myths, speeches, and transcribed oral histories - gives students the rare opportunity to view the transformation of the West from Native American perspective. Calloway's comprehensive introduction offers crucial information on western expansion, territorial struggles among Indian tribes, the slaughter of the buffalo, and forced assimilation through the reservation system. More than 30 pieces of Plains Indian art are included, along with maps, headnotes, questions for consideration, a bibliography, a chronology, and an index.

A Sioux archive --
Horses, guns, and smallpox --
The life and death of Four Bears --
Counting coups and fighting for survival in Crow country --
Massacres North and South --
Talking to the Peace Commissioners: the Treaty of Medicine Lodge, 1867 --
The slaughter of the buffalo --
The battle of the Greasy Grass, 1876 --
The end of freedom --
Going home --
Attending the white man's schools --
Killing the dream

Genres: History, Nonfiction, School, American History

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1996

About the author

Colin G. Calloway is John Kimball Jr. 1943 Professor of History and Native American Studies at Dartmouth College. His previous books include A Scratch of the Pen and The Victory with No Name.

Reviews

[Carole Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed when I opened the book due to the fact that it wasn't what I expected. When I was reading it, I felt like I was reading a college textbook. I felt like after I was done reading it, I would have to type up a report or do a test. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind education books, but I guess I was expecting something else entirely! I was expecting more of a story, but it was a collection of small stories, historical facts, and etc.


It's a small book, but it took me a while to read; I had to force myself to read it at some points. Other than that, the book was great! Colin Calloway did a wonderful job collecting all this information and personal stories to create one book about how the West was lost. I especially loved all the tales from real life people who lived through it. I found it interesting to see the world from their eyes. He even referred to James Welch's novel Fools Crow! I was excited and marked the page, because I love that book! As you may recall, I read and made a review for that novel. Click HERE to see my review.


I especially loved how Colin Calloway ends the book on a sort of happy note. Instead of leaving the reader upset and angry on how America treated its Natives, he leaves you with a hopeful set of mind. Throughout the book he wasn't pointing fingers or accusing the 'Whites' for being cruel, he just gives the facts and that's that. I learned SO much about the Western Natives because of this book.


All-in-all, I did like this book. It was very informational and a nice change. Even though I was upset that it reminded me of college, I couldn't help but find it interesting. If I do have to write a paper about Western Natives, I will turn to this book for aid. If you have to write a report about the West, check this book out too. Well, out of five stars I grant this one 4 stars. I do recommend this book to those that want a change in their reading or if they have any interest in American history.

[Rena Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a must-read for every American history class. It beautifully and clearly tells the story of the great American land grab from a Native American perspective. I read a lot of books about and by Native Americans and this gave me the best chronological view of Native attitudes and history I've ever seen. It contains many primary source speeches, essays and observations with well-detailed introductory pieces to each person's remarks. Colin Calloway is a fine scholar of Native American history and does a remarkable job of telling the story with the dominant white man's rhetoric getting in the way.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First we took their land, then we took their culture. How the white man thoroughly screwed over the Native Americans in every way possible.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3 1/2
I had to read this for my US history class and it was pretty good. It’s a good collection of many native american plains peoples’ perspective on white u.s. westward expansion. It was tough to read a times, because of the atrocities that were commuted again them, and because sometimes I got tired. It was hard to read a lot all at once. I really liked the format in each chapter of an explanation of the topic, introduction to the person they’re about to source from, and then the source, repeated how every many times necessary for each chapter. I really liked reading about the culture and folk lore!

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another book that I read for my Indigenous American history class in college. This one is also very insightful with the history between Indigenous Americans and the United States. Especially through the eyes of the Indigenous Americans. It is definitely worth the read if you want a new perspective on Indigenous American history and the United States history with Indigenous American.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it quickly for school, would’ve enjoyed if more/gotten more out of if I had not. Nonetheless, it was very interesting and well put together, I especially enjoyed the several speeches and stories that were included.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a US history class. It read like a textbook which made it a little hard to get into. I liked that the broken into sections. I did learn a lot from this book.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of documents of several tribal leaders. It gives evidence of the horrific slaughter of Native Americans and Buffalo in the plains during the 19th Century. It demonstrates the U.S. governments' inception of Reservations. In this book, the governments corruption and military's massacre of innocent tribes comes to light. Not only do Native American's become subject to death by military and disease but are also forced to assimilate to the "White Man's Culture." Many things can be learned from this book and you will be shocked if you read closely on the atrocities of the US Army.

[lisa jahnel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Admitting, I am partial to books over this subject, but I love how the author handled the material. This covers the struggle of the different plains tribes as the white settlers moved into their native land. I especially enjoyed the section dealing with the Southern Cheyenne tribe and Kiowa tribe.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-edited collection, very easy to follow & digest. Contains crucial Native American Literature.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good documentary reader for the subject.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy primary sources of historical events.

[Evelyn]

Good documentation of several groups and leaders among western plains natives of their experiences with the encroaching, hostile white settlers, in the natives' own words. Good archival information.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Northern Plains Native American class