This book traces american indian relations in the United States beginning around 1930 and ending in the 1990's. Just as the relations are complex, so to is the character Aurelia, a Lakota. She has had to deal with many harsh experiences growing up on the reservation, but throughout her life she continues to return to traditional thinking and stories. The book moves along slowly, it is not a page-turner, but one has the feeling that the progression of the story is like the movement of the river, the Mni Sosa, strong and continuous and always there. The book is humorous, Native Americans are great storytellers, but mostly I would say it is sad and angry. The American Indian has not been treated fairly by the United States Government, and Cook-Lynn captures the Indians feelings of helplessness and frustration throughout, yet never to the point where you grow tired and think that Indians are whining. You read of the forced relocation, the unfair loss of Indian lands, the rise of A.I.M., the loss of their sacred Black Hills, and the constant poverty and prejudice that continues to this day. However, as sad and frustrating and angry as this book is you are aware of the American Indians ability to adapt and keep their sense of humor, even when faced with adversity. By the end of Aurelia you know that if the Native Amerians can continue to keep their stories and traditions they will rise and become strong. There are some beautiful, thought provoking passages here; some you will remember forever. I highly recommend this book to all who care about allowing the American Indian to preserve their culture, in their own way, without the help of well-meaning, new-age white people. I believe Cook-Lynn is as strong a voice as Vine Deloria, Jr. I thank her for writing this book.

This book is about the relationship between the United States and the Sioux Nation from the signing of the 1851 Ft. Laramie treaty up to the present. The book centers around the efforts of the Wounded Knee Survivors Assoc. and their attorney Mario Gonzalez to obtain a formal apology from the U.S. government for the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre and the establishment of a National Tribal park at the massacre site. This book includes:

*Gonzalez' diary entries from 1989-1992--an excellent window to see firsthand how contemporary tribal governments work and how Native Americans on reservations interact with each other on a daily basis.

*Commentary (called chronicles)by Elizabeth Cooke-Lynn explaining events described in the diary entries including Gonzalez' efforts in stopping the payment of $100 million claims commission for the Black Hills in 1980, and his efforst in Europe from 1981 to 1984 to get the World Court to issue an advisory opinion on the illegal confiscation of the Black Hills.

*Appendices that include a complete chronology of Sioux land claims from the signing of the 1851 treaty up to the present--a must for anyone interested in Indian land claims.

*Excellent footnotes with valuable information found no where else including information about Chief Crazy Horse's family members contained in the probate records of Chief Crazy Horse's father.

This book is FASCINATING and should appeal to everyone! IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN EVERY NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES CLASS!

what elizabeth and mario have done is to create a work that will stand for the test of time! my favorite part of the whole book was when Elizabeth proudly states THAT NATIVE AMERICAN, ABORGIONAL, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE NOT CITIZENS OF THE WHITE MAN'S NATION ! FOR EXAMPLE A PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE DINE NATION IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE THEY NEVER ASKED FOR NOR DID WANT TO BE CITZENS OF THIS PATHETIC NATION! THEY ARE CITIZENS IN THEIR TRIBE AND NATION NOT OF THE PATHETIC UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER! READ THIS BOOK TO LEARN THE REAL HISTORY OF WOUNDED KNEE AND ABOUT A PEOPLE WHO ARE CHANGING HISTORY EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Wonderful workings of writing the whole truth. A must have, must read, must distribute widely!

Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, while admirable in her passion and energy, should be ignored and left unread for her unbending, close-minded, self-pitying, small, and miserable book Why I Can't Read Wallace Stegner and Other Essays. She clearly has no understanding of Stegner's work. She also apparently refuses to try to appreciate the work of anyone with the slightest disagreement with her worldview, which is narrow and mean-spirited at best. She assaults Michael Dorris for speaking lowly of an alcoholic woman who caused the mental retardation of her child by her carelessness. She thinks this is a bad choice on Dorris' part because the woman was a Native American. Does she believe that Native Americans are somehow above criticism? What race can claim such moral perfection and not seem like small-minded racists? Every member of every race is responsible for his/her actions, and if Ms. Cook-Lynn had read more of Stegner's work before she blindly bashed it, she would understand that deeper human truth, which is obvious to any real thinker.

I am annoyed to even have to mention such basic beliefs. There is no reason to believe that a group of people is better than another group, or that only members of that group have a right to write histories about the group. Ms. Cook-Lynn has some ideas about white history that she freely spouts, and I believe in my heart of hearts that it is her right to write alternate interpretations of the past (though she seems to just be rewording long-tired versions of history).

Only by hearing what other groups have to say about us can we grow by seeing ourselves with new perspective. Ms. Cook-Lynn hasn't even read Stegner--she refuses to hear anything but her own shrill, childish voice. I for one look forward to reading critical analyses of society, history, and literature by African Americans, Native Americans, German Americans, Frenchmen, Poles, Australians, etc. This is what led me to read Ms. Cook-Lynn's book. However, I was met with a fierce small-mindedness that enraged rather than enlightened.

Ignore this book. It is not worth the paper it was printed on. So long as these sorts of ideas are propagated, humankind will never end its struggles with racism and hatred.

this is such a wonderful book to read, it's truly beyond words!