Talking Back to Civilization: Native American Voice in the Progressive Era 1890-1920

As progressive reformers took on America’s ills at the start of the 20th century, a new generation of Native American reformers took on America, “talking back” to the civilization that had overrun but not crushed their own. This volume offers a collection of 21 primary sources, including journal articles, testimony, and political cartoons by Native Americans of the Progressive Era, who worked in a variety of fields to defend their communities and culture. Their protests are divided into seven chapters by topic, as they defended native religion, protested European-influenced attempts to “civilize” Native children in boarding schools, challenged US Indian policy, explained the connection between their service for the US in World War I and their desire for self-determination, and testified before Congress in land claims cases. Spanning the period from the World’s Columbian Expedition in 1893 to Congressional land hearings on the Indian reservations in the 1920s, this rich array of voices fills an important gap in the chronology of Native American studies. An engaging introduction includes background on the Progressive Era, while headnotes for each document, striking illustrations, a chronology of major events, and a bibliography support the firsthand accounts.