To tell the truth, Century of Dishonor put me to sleep. I was forced to read it for a AP US History class. If you can stay awake to read it, it details everything you need to know about how the U.S. government has swindled and cheated Native Americans in this country. It was written in the late 1800's and we just don't talk like that anymore as a country. Like my teacher said: "The reason this book was so powerful was because it listed every incident with many tribes to bring home this point: There needs to be a change how they handled the Native Americans." No one in the class read the book cover to cover, including myself. I would never recommend reading this book, except for research (there's a 150 page or so Appendix along w/ the actual book)or if you're REALLY into that stuff. Even in the latter case, theres lots of better choices.

Bearing in mind that this book was written at the time when Native Americans were still "Savages" and totally responsible for all atrocities perpetrated in the west,in the eyes of the White Europeans, Helen Hunt Jackson made a brave stand in trying to educate these same people to the needs and requirements of the Native Americans.

With each chapter given to a different Native American nation she tries, and in my opinion succedes,to make people understand the hopelessness the Native Americans found themselves in, and the only recourse they had was to fight to preserve their way of life, all too sadly with devestating consequences.

Through each chapter the same theme occurs, the whites cheat,steal, murder, and abuse the Native American and very few Whites tried to correct these wrong doings, and the biggest offender the US Government, and even today the US Government do not appear to be too interested in the Native Americans.

The book is "heavy going", and one can be forgiven in thinking, as they read through it, that I've been here before, because the facts are presented in the same way for every nation, but that notwithstanding, I feel this is a book that should be in anyones library who professes to have an interest in Native Americans.

Yes Helen Hunt Jackson was a brave pioneer to voice her opinions in favour of the redman all those years ago, had more people listend, perhaps the Native American culture in all its glory would still be with us today.

This (unfortunately) timeless work is a scathing indictment of US Indian policy from independence until the 1880s. It includes a general treatment of bad-faith attitudes and policies, and a series of more detailed case studies of exceptionally egregious violations of legal treaties & human rights. It is timeless because of ongoing popular and official ignorance or lack of concern for American Indian rights, economic problems and indigenous culture---witness, for just one chilling example, the continuing imprisonment of Oglala/Anishinaabe activist Leonard Peltier, for murders he did not commit.

Jackson was a pioneer activist for Indian rights, and passion and commitment shine through on virtually every page of this book. While it is true that her writing style might seem dated to some contemporary undergraduates, the intrinsic interest of her subject should hold the attention of any reader with more than a marginal interest in the topic. It is still useful for research purposes today, though it is perhaps most valuable for history and/or anthropology courses on changing attitudes & policy toward Indians.

In teaching about American Indian history, a main reservation about assigning it would be the need to present what Indians themselves have said and/or written about their encounters with Euro-Americans. For a fine variety of views on these issues, see Peter Nabokov ed, "Native American Testimony," and (among many other sources) memorable works by two premier Indigenous scholar-activists: Ward Churchill, "From A Native Son," and Vine Deloria Jr., "Custer Died For Your Sins."