Angie Debo

The story of an American community.

A history of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Written in the 1940's, it is very much a history of its day when (perhaps) factual historicity is given over to conventions of the time, in 'above the board' notions of propriety. For example: On 31st May to the 1st of June 1921, Tulsa suffered a brutally violent, cataclysmic erasure of the wealthiest black district in America. What was then described as a 'Race Riot' was in reality a Race Massacre. Some 26 blocks were burnt to the ground. Conservative estimates of mortality, ie, murders, are ten whites and twenty-six black - quoted by Ms. Debo herself. She is then complicit in the quiet dismissal of the sheer scale and overarching implications to society in Tulsa. Implications which permeate Tulsan society to the present day. Ms. Debo devotes a mere half page to the events. While the actual death toll and related statistics of the massacre are still very much disputed, Ms. Debo's book is a triumph of minimisation yet, still worth reading for a demonstration of how the historical record can be distorted by the putative winners.

Includes index. After removal to Indian Territory in Oklahoma, Creek Indians established schools, embraced Christianity, and assumed characteristics of "Civilization"

Records the history of the Choctaw Indians through their political, social, and economic customs.

"In this, one of Native American history's most extraordinary documents, a legendary warrior and shaman recounts the beliefs and customs of his people. Completely and utterly authentic, its captivating narrator is the most famous member of the Apache tribe: Geronimo. The spiritual and intellectual leader of the American Indians who defended their land from both Mexico and the United States for many years, Geronimo surrendered in 1886. Two decades later, while under arrest, he told his story through a native interpreter to S. M. Barrett, an Oklahoma school superintendent. Barrett explains in his introduction, "I wrote to President Roosevelt that here was an old Indian who had been held a prisoner of war for twenty years and had never been given a chance to tell his side of the story, and asked that Geronimo be granted permission to tell for publication, in his own way, the story of his life." This remarkable testament is the result. It begins with Geronimo's retelling of an Apache creation myth and his descriptions of his youth and family. He explains his military tactics as well as traditional practices, including hunting and religious rituals, and reflects upon his hope for the survival of his people and their culture."--back cover.