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

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1. Full Citation

Brown, D. (1970) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

2. Introduction

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee offers a poignant and critical history of the American West from the perspective of Native American tribes. Dee Brown chronicles the systematic displacement, broken treaties, and violent conflicts that shaped Indigenous experiences in the 19th century.

3. Author Background and Credentials

Dee Brown (1908–2002) was an American historian and novelist known for his work on Native American history and the American frontier.

4. Summary of Contents

Key themes include:

  1. Forced Removal and Land Loss
    • Government policies and broken treaties.
  2. Wars and Resistance
    • Battles and uprisings including Wounded Knee.
  3. Cultural Displacement
    • Impact on Indigenous ways of life.
  4. Political and Social Injustice
    • Legal and systemic marginalization.
  5. Legacy and Memory
    • Historical recognition and reconciliation efforts.

5. Critical Evaluation

a. Coherence and Argumentation

Powerful narrative highlighting Indigenous perspectives.

b. Originality and Intellectual Contribution

Groundbreaking in centering Native American voices in U.S. history.

c. Evidence, Sources, and Method

Uses primary sources including treaties, speeches, and testimonies.

d. Style and Accessibility

Accessible prose with emotional depth and clarity.

e. Limitations and Critiques

Critiqued for limited analysis of settler motivations and broader context.

6. Comparative Context

Compared with:

  • Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States – Native perspectives
  • Francis Paul Prucha’s The Great Father – Government-Native relations
  • Richard White’s “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own” – Western history

7. Thematic or Disciplinary Relevance

Relevant to:

  • Native American history
  • American West and frontier studies
  • Colonialism and displacement
  • Human rights and historical memory

8. Reflection or Practical Application

Encourages critical reassessment of American history and Indigenous experiences.

9. Conclusion

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a seminal work that reshaped historical understanding by centering Indigenous narratives.

Recommended for: Historians, students, Indigenous studies scholars, and general readers.

10. Other Works by the Same Author

  • Creek Walking Medicine (1983)
  • The Year of the Century (1990)

11. Similar Books by Other Authors

  • Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz – An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
  • Francis Paul Prucha – The Great Father
  • Richard White – “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own”

12. References (only if external works are cited)

  • Brown, D. (1970) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
  • Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014) An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
  • Prucha, F.P. (1984) The Great Father
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