Synopses & Reviews
Abenaki Joseph Bruchac and Navajo Shonto Begay combine their talents to tell the tragic story of how, in the 1860s, U.S. soldiers forced thousands of Navajos to march to a desolate reservation 400 miles from their homeland in an effort to civilize them. Hundreds died along the way; those who survived found unspeakable living conditions at their destination. When word of the Indianss plight finally gained public attention, President Andrew Johnson sent a Peace Commission to investigate. The resulting treaty allowed the Navajos to return to their homeland, and hozhoharmonywas restored. The Navajos prospered and have lived in peace with the U.S. government ever since while preserving their own proud culture.
Synopsis
Shedding fresh light on a tragic chapter of American history, this book documents a shameful episode in the 1860s, when U.S. soldiers forced thousands of Navajo to march 400 miles from their homeland to a desolate reservation. Full color.
Synopsis
Powerfully written from the perspective of the Navajos and illustrated with deeply personal interpretations of historic events, this book sheds fresh light on a shameful episode of American history.
About the Author
Joseph Bruchac is a writer and storyteller of Abenaki heritage who feels that his lifes work is sharing stories told to him by elders of various Native American peoples. Bruchac has been awarded Rockefeller Humanities and NEA Poetry fellowships and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas. His more than 70 childrens books include Sacajawea: The Journal of Jesse Smoke, A Cherokee Boy on the Trail of Tears; and Native American Games and Stories, which he co-authored with his son, Jim. Bruchac lives in Greenfield Center, New York.