"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Monday, September 25, 2023

Lakota America - A New History of Indigenous Power (Pekka Hamalainen, 2019)

This was a really interesting read - much worthwhile.

Biggest takeaway - this tribe, and no doubt others, was a sophisticated player when it came to trade, politics, war, strategy. This author wouldn't agree with the "victim" portrayal, even though eventually the wars (and territories) were lost.

Lakota/Sioux - complicated sifting through the tribes in the early periods (16th and 17th centuries, approximately) - think of Lakota as westernmost of this group?  Sioux too far west to access guns and French trade goods in quantity - at risk from better-armed tribes to the east.  Sioux seek access, try to work diplomacy with French and Indian allies, it doesn't hold long-term.

Idea - early in book - that the "horse frontier" moved west to east starting or accelerating following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 - interesting, I hadn't thought about "where" the horses came from.

"Gun frontier" was moving east to west - having both was transformational.

Lakota use expands ~1700ff - a big change as they shift attention westward - another impetus was losing French support (and trading posts) which made selling beaver difficult or impossible.  Bison herds, horses, westward ho.

1757 - first reference to Lakota using guns while riding horses.  Groups further east lacked horses.  Groups further west lacked guns.

More on horses; buffalo chase and switch to the plains to the west.

Lots of fighting among tribes as Lakota push into their territories. Lakota have numbers, etc.

1820-30s - Lakota strong; continue to invite traders even up to Ft. Laramie - very much wanting the trade goods, esp. guns - apparently not concerned that settlers might follow in their wake.  Interesting; Lakota must have known what happened in multiple territories in east and midwest. 

Civil War is a distraction, but westward push by Americans continues, accelerates.

Eventually the US Army focuses - we get to Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Custer, denouement.  

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