Coyote Warrior: One Man, Three Tribes, And The Trial That Forged A Nation

by Paul VanDevelder

From White Shield to Washington DC, new Indian wars are being fought by Ivy League–trained lawyers called Coyote Warriors—among them a Mandan/Hidatsa named Raymond Cross. Coyote Warrior tells the epic story of the three tribes that saved Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery from starvation, those tribes' century-long battle to forge a new nation, and the extraordinary journey of one man to redeem a father’s dream and the dignity of his people.
Cross graduated from law school and, following his father’s death, returned home to resurrect his father’s fight against the federal government. His mission would lead him to Congress, which his father had battled forty years earlier, and into the hallowed chambers of the U.S. Supreme Court. There the great-great-grandson of Chief Cherry Necklace would lay at the feet of the nation’s highest court the case for the sanctity of the United States Constitution, treaty rights, and the legal survival of Indian Country.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Native American, Indigenous, Law

321 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2004

Reviews

[Robin Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part history, part legal thriller, part examination of the importance of fish, this is a very important book.

The US government attempted to make over 800 treaties with indigenous nations. Congress passed on 430 of these. The US Senate ratified 370 of them - and each of these treaties has been violated by the US multiple times.

This book specifically addresses promises made, and broken, with the Three Affiliated Tribes: the Mandan, the Hidatsa, and the Arikara tribes. These are the peoples who saved the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark, et. al.) from starvation and freezing. The US Army Corps of Engineers seized their lands after WWII, dislodged thousands of people and scattered them throughout the lower 48 states, built the Garrison Dam in an attempt to improve farming conditions for (white) farmers and generate electricity.

The Garrison Dam was an environmental disaster, resulting in the near-extinction of dozens of species, including fish. Treaties ratified by Congress had promised protection of the fish that helped sustain these communities and had codified tribal access to those fish.

Chairman Martin Cross began the battle to save the lands promised to the tribal nations. He died fighting the federal government. His son, Raymond Cross, continued his father's quest for the sovereignty of Indian Law, a promise made, and broken, repeatedly. Raymond Cross is one of the Coyote Warriers who seek justice under the US Constitution.

This book reads like a novel. It's fascinating to learn of yet more history which is not passed on to generations of students.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about the damming of the Missouri River in Central North Dakota to form Lake Sakakawea and the impact this had on the Three Affiliated Tribes (the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples) who had lived in the bottomlands of the Missouri for centuries peacefully and successfully. The book is a mix of the legal fights by two members of the Cross family over 40 years and how the Cross family and others in Elbowood, ND experienced the loss of their homes. The author brings out well the tireless work of Martin Cross, the Tribal Chair, to prevent the flooding of the their homeland, and later his son, Raymond Cross, to make sure tribal members were justly compensated for their losses. A powerful book that brings out a sad part of North Dakota history and a precursor to actions taken later on the Standing Rock Reservation.

[Scott Humphries · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent recounting of the fate of certain North Dakota Indian tribes leading up to and after the intentional flooding of their homes and land in connection with the building of the Garrison Dam. The author includes a heavy dose of the legal wrangling that took place for decades afterwards, to the point that a nonlawyer might find it uninteresting. It is, however, a critical part of the story.

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any book you read about native Americans is going to be sad and this was no exception. These three tribes had their land flooded after a dam was built. This book chronicles their fight for remuneration, which lasted decades. This was also an interesting insight into how these tribes lived before the white man, during the time before the dam, and also after the dam.

[Max Hockley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my good friend gave it to me and it is about his great, great grandfather and his great uncle's heroic work on behalf of their tribe (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara). Very moving book that literally brought me to tears at certain points.

[Jori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating journey through Indian law told through the story of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes (and specifically the Cross family). Their fight against the Garrison Dam and subsequent struggle to survive after the Dam (and other federal policies) drowned their hometowns and lands and dispersed tribal members across the continent mirror the experiences of many tribes. Inspiring story about how lawyers can really do good and turn back generations of broken promises. Interesting, complex, and human; never sappy. Highly recommended for anyone.

[Luciano Villegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting account of Raymond Cross, The Three Affiliated Tribes, and their 50 plus year battle with Congress.

Destruction, betrail, despair and so much more came about from the construction of the Garrison Dam. This book does a great job of putting into context what was lost in terms of physical property/land, generational damage, and the toll on Indian tribes financially.

No whole happy ending but thanks to Raymond Cross and friends on Captial Hill, the fight for Indian Nations now has legal precedence.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of people caught up in a long and tangled trial, and thus is really two stories. Despite the importance of the broader narrative, neither the story of the people or the trial is very compelling. The trial is complicated and tedious, and the people are over-idealized and sentimentalized. This book, like the modern challenges of America's First People, is a story that needs to be told. But it needs to be told better than this.

[Stew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important look at the Pick-Sloan plan and Garrison Dam's destruction of Native American lands in North Dakota. Should be read along with Dammed Indians, which has a more clearer account of how the plan went through Congress.

[Kelly J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative; well written.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for all Americans.

[Kevin Bokay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good history of the three tribes. Oregon author. Researched a chunk of the book in OSU Libraries.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone in North Dakota should read this one