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Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Analysis
Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a fully documented account of
the annihilation of the American Indian in the late 1800s ending at the
Battle of Wounded Knee. Brown brings to light a story of torture and
atrocity not well known in American history. The fashion in which the
American Indian was exterminated is best summed up in the words of Standing
Bear of the Poncas, "When people want to slaughter cattle they drive them
along until they get them to a corral, and then they slaughter them. So it
was with us_. "
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a work of non-fiction, attempts to tell the
story of the American West from the perspective of the indigenous
population, The American Indian. That in itself makes Bury My Heart at
Wounded Knee an important work of literature as it is one of the few books
supporting the Indian cause. This is done through the use of council
records, autobiographies, and first-hand accounts.
Each of the book's nineteen chapters deals with a certain tribe, battle, or
historical event. Brown goes into deep and explicit detail throughout, as
evidenced by the book's nearly 500 pages. However, while some may complain
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is boring or text-book-like, I believe the
opposite is actually true. Generally, very little is known about this
terrible genocide and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a wonderful and
interesting learning tool. Brown has written many books about the life of
the American Indian, including Creek Mary's Blood and Killdeer Mountain,
but Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is clearly his greatest work.
Brown made sure to include songs, quotes, and portraits sprinkled
throughout the book. These are very important as they break the monotony of
page after page of text. The portraits are well selected and placed, as are
the quotes, and help present a wider picture of the point in history.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee helps to open a door into our past. It forces
us to look at the dark side of our American history and the lengths white
men went to fulfill our Christian manifest destiny. With the exception of a
few soldiers and civilians, the white man is portrayed as an indiscriminate
murderer and sadist. They killed Native Americans regardless of age or sex
often scalping and mutilating the bodies, and even going as far as cutting
their genitalia from their bodies. These bizarre and shocking revelations
give the reader a horrifying view of the birth of our great nation.
As with any book of this nature, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has a few
shortcomings. One of the greatest, I believe, is the language Brown used.
In some places, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is difficult to understand
and could lose potential readers. This is a book every American should read,
but the writing techniques and vocabulary used prove to be a challenge.
However, the events this book reveals make reading it worthwhile.
Another complaint is that each chapter tells the same story, just with
different tribes. But, I believe Brown had a purpose for writing this way.
It shows that no matter where the Indians turned, they were slaughtered.
This is a powerful point and I believed it was clearly conveyed.
The merits of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee far outweigh its few faults. It
tells a story that is not well known or understood, but is a crucial and
horrible part of our American heritage. The book is comprehensive, but only
tells the beginning of what was done in the name of manifest destiny and
war profiteering.
Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a wonderfully written and
insightful piece of American literature. The author asks us to confront our
past, which may make us uncomfortable. But there are two sides to every
story, and Brown shows us the side that we rarely see. By forcing us to
think about these issues, Dee Brown accomplished the goal he set out to
achieve when he began writing this eye opening account of the American West.
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