American Indian Treaties - by Francis Paul Prucha (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

American Indian affairs are much in the public mind today-hotly contested debates over such issues as Indian fishing rights, land claims, and reservation gambling hold our attention. While the unique legal status of American Indians rests on the historical treaty relationship between Indian tribes and the federal government, until now there has been no comprehensive history of these treaties and their role in American life.

Francis Paul Prucha, a leading authority on the history of American Indian affairs, argues that the treaties were a political anomaly from the very beginning. The term "treaty" implies a contract between sovereign independent nations, yet Indians were always in a position of inequality and dependence as negotiators, a fact that complicates their current attempts to regain their rights and tribal sovereignty.

Prucha's impeccably researched book, based on a close analysis of every treaty, makes possible a thorough understanding of a legal dilemma whose legacy is so palpably felt today.

Review Quotes

"By the end of the book, the reader will have a much better understanding of how the policies, resources, and sheer brute force of the federal government manifested in treaties with Native Americans played a central part in the history of 'civilizing' the American 'wilderness.'"-- "Law and History Review"

"For anyone investigating federal Indian policy, this will be an indispensable work. . . . as with any sound historical work, even those who disagree can richly draw on the research. In doing so, they will be aided by a wonderful, old-fashioned innovation that makes the book a joy to engage: footnotes at the bottom of the page. . . . the 130 pages of appendices and notes on sources alone are worth the price."-- "American Historical Review"

"Sources for the study of American Indian treaties will be of great interest to future scholars who pursue this subject. The book will be a valuable reference work for every archive and every college and university library."-- "Pacific Northwest Quarterly"

"This book should be required reading by people who are interested in federal Indian law . . . Prucha's book is as good a guide as this generation will get. Let us hope that it sparks some enthusiasm for scholarship among Indians."-- "American Indian Quarterly"

"This book will be a standard reference work for the entire profession. . . . an admirable research tool."-- "Western Historical Quarterly"

"This is a big book, an important book, sweeping in conception and content. . . . Like Prucha's other works, American Indian Treaties is meticulously researched, well written, and essential reading. It is by intent policy- rather than Indian-centered history."-- "Journal of American History"

About the Author

Francis Paul Prucha, S.J. (1921-2015) was Professor Emeritus of History at Marquette University. Among his many books is The Indians in American Society: From the Revolutionary War to the Present.