Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto

I am a "mix": Irish, Italian on the European side; Apache, Comanche, and Iroquois on the Native American side. His parents were an Irishman who came to the US back in the mid 1800s, joined the Army, was involved in a raid against the Apaches, was disgusted by the situation, left the Army, lived with the Apaches, married into the village, then fled the area when the Army became relentless. He took his Apache wife back to Kentucky and lived in the hills, where they were at least allowed to live in peace. He became a leader of that area. My grandfather grew up as a "breed" but was still an integral part of the area. Later, he became a reluctant leader and he was the person everyone went to for information. He told me stories when I was a kid, and told me that I needed to remember them because the government never told the truth. I am now over 80 years old, and he spoke the truth. We cannot trust our "so-called leaders" because they also mistreat all the non-political people, no matter the color. Our politicians lie to us to get elected, they lie to us while in office, and they become rich due to those lies. As soon as they are in office, they forget the people who voted for them, and they join the other politicians to 'rule' over those of us who elected them due to their lies.

This book is a Native American Manifesto as the First People of the Turtle Island. They lived here before 3 C: before Christ, Columbus and Custer! Manifest Destiny wiped them out, robbed their land, raped their women, gave them free blanket with old world virus. They are now second class citizens in reservations after the Trails of Tears and Wounded Knee! This book helps you understand American history on Indians.

This is a great book. Vine Deloria is an interesting author and he brings across good ideas. As for the few people who believe that they hold no responsibility because their ancestors imigrated after 1900, well that's not true. Everyone hold responsibility, because Native Americans are still being mistreated. As late as the last half of century Native women were being sterilized without being told what was happening. Our bones and cultural are being dishonored by "scholars" And all those people who want to help Natives. They treat them like little children. If that's not disrespect...Deloria brings out what so many want to keep hidden. All of his books are worth reading.

First published in 1969 and reissued in 1988 with a new preface by the author, this is the one that started it all. This book is required reading and you will be tested. Best Sellers magazine says of Custer Died for your Sins, "nauseated by the traditional Indian image, (Deloria) asserts the worth if not the dignity of the redman and blasts the political, social, and religious forces that perpetrate the Little Big Horn and wigwam stereotyping of his people." Deloria shines his distinctive light on Indian missions, federal relations, Hollywood stereotypes, and community leadership, to name a few. Here began the critique of anthropology to be continued in Indians and Anthropologists, also featured on this website. One of the most notable chapters of this heavy little book discusses the Civil Rights Movement and compares Native American and African American civil rights issues.

I think non-Native people tend to forget that Native Americans aren't interested in functioning as symbols. They have lives beyond the tribal dances they put on for tourists. They're forced to watch their religion and culture being appropriated by bored New Age types who want to be cool and hip and profound, and it's hardly surprising if some Indians, like Mr. Deloria, don't view this theft as a compliment. This book, along with the works of Sherman Alexie, represents a part of the Native community that's usually ignored by the mainstream.