Booklist Review
The Dakota War of 1862 was the beginning of a long series of struggles on the northern Great Plains that culminated in the tragic affair at Wounded Knee. Little Crow was called upon by the Sioux to lead them in this war of self-preservation, despite his efforts to keep his people from just such a conflict during much of his adult life. Anderson's biography tells of a tragic figure who has become a symbol of the dichotomy created by that Indian resistance and by the failed government policy that was intended to assimilate the tribes peacefully. Little Crow is portrayed as an intelligent man with readily understandable motives, who often faced impossible situations. This superb narrative history will make an important addition to collections relating to both North American Indians and American history. Notes; bibliography; index. FRE. 977.6'00497 (B) Little Crow / Dakota Indians Biography / Indians of North America Minnesota Biography [CIP] 86-795
Choice Review
Anderson (Texas A&M), author of Kinsmen of Another Kind: Dakota-White Relations in the Upper Missippi Valley, 16501862 (CH, Apr '85), here turns his attention to an ``ethno-biography'' of the tribal spokesman, politician, and war leader, Little Crow (Taoyateduta). Little Crow was the Mdewakanton Sioux who led his people in a peaceful struggle of accommodation with Minnesota whites from 1846 until 1862, when the pressure for leadership in a bloody war ended in the public hanging of 38 Indians in the largest mass execution in US history. Anderson weaves a fine narrative. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the Dakota culture (especially social systems, leadership, and religion) and how it interacted with government policy. This interethnic study succeeds more in its presentation of the Indian side than of the white, a reflection of the author's research interests. It goes a long way, however, in clarifying an otherwise confused mixture of fact and myth that has existed until now. Full footnotes; bibliography; index; interesting pictures; adequate maps; clear style; logical organization. Upper-division undergraduates and above.-F. Nicklason, University of Maryland at College Park
