The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee

Dee Brown’s landmark 1970 book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee provided a beautiful and much-needed antidote to the ‘march of the pioneers’ and Manifest Destiny narratives that held sway over much of the history of the western United States from 1850s-1890.

Over time, however, Brown’s book (and more specifically the massacre at Wounded Knee) became calcified as the ‘end point’ of histories about indigenous people. Treuer challenges this perspective by showcasing native resistance, resilience, and flourishing in the wake of Wounded Knee. Indigenous history is deep, varied, and filled with fascinating people and events—Treuer shows us how to find… show more.

This readable book shows how – contrary to the narrative of the famous Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee – Native history did not end with the massacre at Wounded Knee.

Although the title says it starts in 1890, Treuer actually does a great job of sketching the long histories of the diverse Indigenous peoples that lived in the Americas before the invasion of Europeans and showing their continuing vibrant cultures.

Treuer combines his personal experiences – having grown up Ojibwe on a reservation – with his research into Indigenous struggles to preserve their culture in the face of assimilation… show more.