Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

by Dee Brown

This is not a cheerful book,

They may be surprised to hear words of gentle reasonableness coming from the mouths of Indians stereotyped in the American myth as ruthless savages.

“The Indians are not to blame for the fighting,” he added. “The white men are foxes and peace cannot be brought about with them; the only thing the Indians can do is fight.”

We loved the whites until we found out they lied to us, and robbed us of what we had. We have raised the battle ax until death.’

Are not women and children more timid than men? The Cheyenne warriors are not afraid, but have you never heard of Sand Creek? Your soldiers look just like those who butchered the women and children there.

“Let us own the country together—the Cheyennes should still hunt there.” But the white men of the council did not believe in sharing

The Sioux wore their eagle-feather bonnets; the Cheyennes wore their crow-feather bonnets.

To Sheridan, any Indian who resisted when fired upon was a “savage.”

“The only good Indians I ever saw were dead.”