FREE ESSAY ON BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE

This book brings to light, and places front and center, possibly the most significant
event in American history. That is, the genocide and displacement of the native
inhabitants of what was, or would become, the United States of America, thus enabling the
formation of the worlds most powerful republic. It is difficult to imagine how most
readers, particularly those who are American citizens, would not have their personal
perspective or opinion altered, in some small measure at least, by the historical events
described within, especially that of the Nez Perces fight for their home. Of the
chapters, the most moving and the most effectively presented chapter was The Flight of
the Nez Perces. 
Brown focuses on the thirty-year period between 1860 and 1890 in which the American West
was opened to all comers. Holding themselves with dignity were the Nez Perces in their
fight for survival and their reluctance to let go of their beloved homeland. Brown relies
on oral accounts, many of which were written down during treaty council meetings and
other official meetings with representatives of the United States government to tell his
stories, and this leaves no doubt as to which party was in the wrong in The Flight of The
Nez Perces. His style lays the facts down in front of a reader, allowing no room for
opinions to affect the content. Style is considered by most the imprint of a writers
personality, yet Brown does not let his thoughts affect his writing, which is perhaps the
most disturbing of all, just the truth. The Nez Perces country was wrenched from their
grasp in the blink of an eye, for the reason of land for white settlers. Despite being
helpful and kind, the Nez Perces were still driven from their land. 
The Nez Perces "welcomed the white Americans, supplied them with food, and look after the
explorers' (Lewis and Clark's) horses for several months," (316) when the Nez Perces
could easily have "seized their wealth of horses," (316) and driven them from their land.
The white Americans and the Nez Perces lived in happiness, and the Nez Perces boasted
that "no Nez Perces had ever killed a white man." (317). This "friendship" (317)
continued for 70 years, but "white men's greed for land and gold," (317) ended this. In
1863, a treaty was shown to the Nez Perces, it "took away the Wallowa Valley and
three-fourths of the remainder of their land, leaving them only a small reservation."
(317). The Wallowa Valley Nez Perces, did not sign the treaty, and protested this,
winning their land back from an "executive order withdrawing Wallowa Valley from
settlement by white men," issued by the president, Ulysses Grant. Soon though, gold was
found in mountains around and white settlers flocked to the valley and "stole the
Indians' horses, and stockmen stole their cattle, branding them so the Indians' could not
claim them back," (318). In the words of Yellow Wolf of the Nez Perces, "the whites told
only one side. Told it to please themselves. Told much that is not true." (316) and the
white politicians went back to Washington, where they "charged the Indians with being a
threat to the peace and with stealing the settlers' livestock." (318). They did exactly
what Yellow Wolf said, they told "lies about the Nez Perces," (318) to "please
themselves." (316). 
Broken promises ran throughout the Nez Perces struggle, and two years after promising the
Wallowa Valley to the Nez Perces forever, President Grant "reopened the valley to white
settlement," (320) and the Nez Perces were "given a reasonable time to move to the Lapwai
reservation," (320). Blatant betrayal led the Nez Perces to acts of desperation and the
band fled towards Canada and freedom with two large forces following them close behind. 
Bibliography
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown