[Review of] Bernd Peyer, ed. The Elders Wrote

Authors

Gretchen M. Bataille

Orginal Publication Date

1985

Journal Title

Explorations in Sights and Sounds

Volume

5

Issue

ess/vol5/iss1

First Page

60

Last Page

61

Abstract

Bernd Peyer has collected a number of documents which, although available elsewhere, are not easily accessible. The twenty-three selections are arranged chronologically and are complemented by several photographs of the writers. A bibliography of materials written by American Indians between 1772 and 1938 provides additional resources for the scholar interested in reading the complete works from which many of these selections are taken. By collecting what was written during this early period by American Indians about their conditions, Peyer challenges readers to revise many stereotypes of the "savages."Most summaries and anthologies of American Indian literature ignore the writers who are included here except for some twentieth-century writers such as Charles Eastman or Chief Luther Standing Bear. Although scholars are doing more research on early writers such as Samson Occom, William Apes, and George Copway, there are others included here who remain generally unknown -- Joseph Johnson, Hendrick Upaumut, Elias Boudinot, Maungwudaus, and others.

Rights

Copyright, ​©EES, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 1985