The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America [Hardcover]

Although no attempt is made to preface the arrival of Columbus with some account of the previous life of North American native peoples, the text recounts their legends and mythology as they are encountered. Only a smattering of paleoanthropology is offered, and the "consensus" version of Native American origins is dismissed out of hand. Wilson's regional approach is a refreshing departure from the usual chronological format. However, since the focus is on the 48 contiguous States, region and chronology aren't all that distinct.

The issues are land and culture, with a seasoning of racism. The native American "used" the land while the Europeans "owned" it. Native American culture was disparate, often locked into local conditions. Europeans imported a hierarchical society and imposed it wherever they went. Since they went all across the continent, continual clashes were inevitable - and the Europeans won nearly all of them. By the end of the 19th Century, the "Indian", if not extinct, had lost the continent and nearly all culture. According to Wilson, that was precisely what the invaders intended. Where slaughter failed, assimilation could still force disappearance of the "native" from society.

Attempts to rectify, or at least ameliorate what had occurred over the years, were doomed to failure. The variety of cultures among the Indian nations made consistent policy by the federal government impossible. State government attempts, feeble at best, were worse. The closest to a rational policy for dealing with the remaining Indians in the 20th Century were due to one man - John Collier. Starting in the 1920s, Collier struggled to restore some form of the original culture of Native Americans. His programme, now referred to as the "Native New Deal," was based on his own search for a solution to world problems of the era. Years of effort were rewarded by his appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The onset of the Great Depression gave Collier ample opportunity to propagandize his cause as an alternative to the failure of the dominant culture. His efforts to achieve a form of "home rule" for the Indian population is reflected in many programmes still under consideration today. He has left a long, and generally unrecognized, legacy.

Those bemoaning the "lack of balance" in this book overlook the fact that Europeans were the invaders and despoilers. The spectrum of philosophies regarding the "Noble Savage" uniformly fail to address precisely what Wilson does here. An alien culture displaced another, native one, using whatever means necessary. It's a sad, but true, chronicle. Wilson's depiction of it makes dreary reading, but that's due to events, not his style. A fine introduction to the past relationship of conquerors and conquered, this book concludes with a realistic account of the present situation. With increasing demand for resources by the planet's most avaricious society, sustaining or restoring Indian culture is a remote ambition. The clash of cultures remains an issue, which this book clearly outlines. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This book is an exceptional introduction to the history usually suppressed or misrepresented in schools and colleges. It is accessible to high school and college level readers, but can even add to the store of knowledge of experts in American Indian history. It has become the core text in many of my classes.

Taking Wilson's book on my trip was a smart choice because not only did I experience the sites and people he describes, but his book enabled me to also see into the past, as it were, of these Native People. Wilson's research combines oral history (which will break your heart), political history and analysis, archeology, and ethnography. Several qualities make Wilson's book different from others. First, his research is current and fairly presented. For example, he provides an overview of various theories used to explain the disappearance of the great Puebloan societies so readers can appreciate the variety of ideas and political interests of the theorists. In addition, his synthesis of Native American histories in the forms of stories (and explanation of rituals) with that of modern analyses makes this book even more valuable.

It is clear that Mr. Wilson's heart and conscience is with the Native Americans, and that, above all else, is what makes this book powerful. If it lacks anything, in my opinion, it is the addition of visual aids. A few maps and photographs would have made this text even more powerful. But if you want to read about the tragedy of evil White politics, the demise of many beautiful societies and their relationships before contact,this book holds nothing back. It is a passionate, digestable, and truthful history of the horrors inflicted (past and present)on original people. END