Asian Studies

After reading of the chapters in Dee Browns Bury My Heart in Wounded Knee, it is hard to reconcile that Brown in the first place was neither a historian nor novelist by profession but in fact, was a full time Librarian. The book in review is by far his most famous work which details the violent relationship between the Native Americans and the American expansionism (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 2008).  Brown is considered as a leading authority on the Western American History.

Sheppard upon his review of the book, stated in Time Magazine 
Like a number of scholars, novelists and moviemakers, Dee Brown, Western historian and head librarian at the University of Illinois, now attempts to balance the account. With the zeal of an IRS investigator, he audits U.S. historys forgotten set of books. Compiled from old but rarely exploited sources plus a fresh look at dusty Government documents. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee tallies the broken promises and treaties, the provocations, massacres, discriminatory policies and condescending diplomacy.

The books title was from the from Stephen Vincent Benets  poem entitled American Name. It is the final phrase from the said poem. Brown however placed the full quotation, I shall not be hereI shall rise and passBury my heart at Wounded Knee, at the beginning of his book.

The book is 40 years olds as it was published in 1970 and was intended to show the public the history of the American West in the later part of the 19th century. It was in this era that the displacement of the Native Americans and their evident slaughter brought about by the United States Federal Government.
A year after it has been published, Sheppard in his opinion of the book published in Time Magazine
In the last decade or so, after almost a century of saloon art and horse operas that romanticized Indian fighters and white settlers, Americans have been developing a reasonably acute sense of the injustices and humiliations suffered by the Indians. But the details of how the West was won are not really part of the American consciousness ... Dee Brown, Western historian and head librarian at the University of Illinois, now attempts to balance the account. With the zeal of an IRS investigator, he audits U.S. historys forgotten set of books. Compiled from old but rarely exploited sources plus a fresh look at dusty Government documents, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee tallies the broken promises and treaties, the provocations, massacres, discriminatory policies and condescending diplomacy.

Because of its theme, it said to be widely accepted by almost all readers. From professionals to students, it has been one of the books they read at some point in their life. When the book was written, Brown has definitely one thing in mind and that is to open the eyes and minds of the readers to the reality. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee continues to be translated into many foreign languages, most recently in Korean, Serbian, and Turkish.  (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 2008).

His work was even adapted by HBO Films which aired on May 27, 2007.  It went to win the Emmy Award for Best Movie made for Television. The said adaptation has the same title of the book but upon watching the film for comparison, only the last two chapters of the book was adapted for screenplay. Despite the given fact, the stars who were in the film gave the same emotion one would feel upon reading the book.
His book revolves around the tales of the violent relationship between the Native Americans and the American expansionism (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 2008). It even included the removal or displacement of the Native Americans from their homes by those that conquered them since the arrival of Columbus.
It cannot be denied that some critics criticize Brown as to his sources for his best-known work, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970), which changed the way the world thinks about Americas westward expansion. His daytime profession as a librarian was the key to his international success as a writer he knew how to find primary sources, such as Indian Treaties written in their own Native American words. His most famous bestseller has the rare distinction among historians of being considered an indispensable reference for Native American studies (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 2008). Thus it can be said that he has on hand sources for his book that would continue to have its impact until today.

Having read the book and based on the authors presentation the facts that were not commonly seen or published most books, I agree with what he has written.  It may be one sensitive issue but such is part of history that was vital in the birth of the strongest and most powerful nation. When he penned that novel, he wants us to know what the Native Americans had to endure those years.  I agree with Browns intention to let his readers know that in the history of Western settlement, what the Native Americans saw and experienced were very much different to most belief. He wants us to know their point of view during that time that tested their strength as a nation and as a people.