To Be an Indian: An Oral History

In this remarkable collection of 52 oral histories, first published in 1971, members of Dakota, Lakota, Winnebago, Crow, and other communities tell of their personal experiences: reservation life, the Great Depression of the 1930s, self-government, traditions, and life in the 1960s. Together these voices present a rich and complicated view of what it is to be an American Indian.

 

“To Be an Indian’spower flows from the actual recorded voices. The book is an outstanding adjunct to classes taught about oral history.” — Leonard Bruguier, director, Institute of American Indian Studies, University of South Dakota

 

“What is striking about the interviews is the clear and crisp point of view that each presents, underscoring the obvious fact that to be an Indian is to be an individual. . . . Highly recommended.” — South Dakota History

 

 “The reader will discover a wealth of information that will show the diversity of thought, the values and many of the problems and changes present in the Indian communities.” — Nebraska History

 

 “An interesting and very readable historical document of Native American cultural pluralism.” — European Review of Native American Studies