Description
Now in paperback: in the vein of Killers of the Flower Moon,one of America’s greatest storytellers sheds light on an Americantragedy:the Wounded Knee Massacre, and the ‘cultural genocide’experienced by the Native American children at the Carlisle IndianIndustrial School . . .
In September of 1890, the academicyear begins at the Carlisle School, a military-style boarding school forIndians in Pennsylvania, founded and run by Captain Richard HenryPratt. Pratt considers himself a champion of Native Americans. Hismotto, “To save the man, we must kill the Indian,” is severely enforcedin both classroom and dormitory: Speak only English, forget your ownlanguage and customs, learn to be white.
As the young studentsnavigate surviving the school, they begin to hear rumors of a “ghostdance” amongst the tribes of the west—a ceremonial dance aimed atrestoring the Native People to power, and running the invaders off theirland. As the hope and promise of the ghost dance sweeps across theGreat Plains, cynical newspapers seize upon the story to whip up panicamong local whites. The US government responds by deploying troops ontolands that had been granted to the Indians. It is an act that seemscertain to end in slaughter.
As news of these developmentsreaches Carlisle, each student, no matter what their tribe, must make achoice: to follow the white man’s path, or be true to their own way oflife . . .
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