This book provides a biographical account of 15 legendary chiefs, including their struggles. The Indians lived in their own land, where they hunted buffalo and gathered food, according to their own traditions and customs. The soldiers then arrived to eject them from their territory. The government breached its promises, and the Indians were relocated to a reservation. One may argue that this is where the racial gap first emerged. Whites contrasted with brown and black. Here are the biographies of some well-known leaders, including Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Red Cloud, as well as less well-known figures like Two Strike, Dull Knife, Hole-in-the-Day, Tamahay, and Gall. This book is a real eye-opener, with lovely black-and-white portraits as its highlights. Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa), who was raised as a Santee Sioux in the 1860s and 1870s, published eleven books in an effort to dispel misconceptions that white people held about Indians and to foster understanding between the two races. He provides brief biographies of 15 notable Indian leaders in the current edition, most of whom were Sioux, and some of them, like Red Cloud and Rain-in-the-Face, were the author's colleagues and acquaintances.
Charles Alexander Eastman was an American physician, author, and social reformer who lived from February 19, 1858, until January 8, 1939. He was "one of the most prolific authors and speakers on Sioux ethnohistory and American Indian politics" in the early 20th century and the first Native American to receive a Western medical certification. Eastman's heritage included Santee Dakota, English, and French. His older sibling John went on to become a pastor. A Presbyterian missionary named John (Mapiyawaku Kida) Eastman worked in the Santee Dakota settlement in Flandreau, South Dakota. He became more involved in politics and Native American rights concerns after serving as a doctor on South Dakotan reservations. He established 32 YMCA chapters for Native Americans as part of his efforts to better the lives of children. He is recognized as the first Native American author to portray Native Americans in American history. The Boy Scouts of America was also founded with his assistance. At his Minnesota birth, Eastman was given the name Hakadah, which in Dakotan translates to "pitiful last." Because his mother passed very soon after his birth, Eastman was given that name.
