Native Roots: How the Indians Enriched America

This is a wonderful book to explore and learn from Professor Weatherford who wrote Indian Givers. This well organized book in 19 chapters in explaining in great details how Native Americans contributions help make our modern American life. This book helps understand the achievements from Native Americans in past thousands years before Columbus. The Pyramids on the Mississippi are important site to explore history. The other Pyramids in Mexico are world wonders that need to be recognized. As the back cover said "natives spoke in earth and wood, in fiber and textile, in bead and shell, even in stone" They did speak in tongues and eventually influence newcomers and settlers. Jack's text provide a good lesson in learning the ancient root on trade, heritage, language and culture in modern America. I specially enjoy the last chapter 19 on White Roots of Peace which inspired the American democracy. The tree offered sanctuary to people of all cultures looking for a better life in a new world, to people fleeing from war, tyranny, poverty, oppression, famine, persecution and genocide. The newcomers often had no water to give the white roots other than their own sweat, tears, and sometimes even blood. When they came without nourishment for the tree, the tree lived on their dreams and hopes, and it continued to grow. Truly, this is our Statue of Liberty made in America. This book help to understand and motivate to learn and research more on this home of the brave, land of the free from Native Americans.

Jack Weatherford is a well known and respected professor and author and he brings great perspective and respect to this subject. The book is not terribly long or difficult to get through but really does a great job of educating the reader about the enormous contributions of the Native people of the Americas, in particular the U.S. and should be assigned reading for high schoolers.

Although the clarity of some of his writing is a little fuzzy, Weatherford uses his expansive knowledge of Native American history as the basis of his work in a manner that is quite intriguing. However, I believe that while the basic premises of Weatherford's thesis are sound, his assertions frequently overstate the Indian's influence on the settlers. For a number of his references, he has relied on secondary sources, some of which are incomplete or even controversial in regards to the validity and reliability of their factual assertions. For instance, Weatherford frequently refers to historical documents and journals of various explorers (i.e. - DeSoto, Schoolcraft, Columbus), missionaries and other early settlers as sources for his "facts", without having the benefit of being able to interview any of them first-hand. He would have been able to make sure he more fully understood the nuances and exact meaning of their writings if he had at least conducted more first-hand interviews with their descendents and others who were associated with them. This is, of course, something that is at times unavoidable in this genre of writing. And even though he usually clarifies the reliability of the material he cites, Weatherford does not always make it explicit that the events he refers to are chronicled as someone's opinions of what they observed, and are not necessarily a 100% accurate account of what really took place. It would seem that with such an extensive knowledge of Native American history as his basis, that Weatherford's work would not only be adequate, but even possibly the defining work on this subject. I feel this is not the case. Although he writes about some 20 or so different aspects of the social, material, technologic and intellectual culture of Native Americans in an attempt to show how present-day America was built on Indian foundations, his rendition of the abuses, atrocities and various injustices they suffered is somewhat one-sided. Weatherford tells of Indians being extensively enslaved by the early Spanish and European explorers and how they were cruelly treated while in servitude. He also tells of their homes being burned, their places of worship and burial being looted and desecrated and other offenses that would make even the most callous person cringe with disgust. While these tragic atrocities most certainly happened, he does not make mention of the other races (except for brief mentions of African American slaves), such as the poor, lower class Europeans, that were forced into indentured servitude along with the Indians. These whites were slaves to almost the same extent as the Indians. Whether it was to pay their fare across the ocean to the "New World", to pay off some real or imagined debt to a nobleman or some other circumstance, these indentured whites were treated just as poorly, if sometimes not more so, as the enslaved Native Americans. Weatherford also does not make any real mention of those that sp

Native American history is a significant part of America in all its facets today. The myths and half-truths that have filtered down through television, movies, school textbooks and the educational system have seriously tainted these indigenous peoples. Jack Weatherford has placed the lives, cultures and customs of the Native Americans in an historically refreshing and accurate portrayl. He writes with carefully researched truth essential to create the groundwork for understanding and respecting America's first -- and perhaps most intelligent --civilization. Once this is accomplished, Mr. Weatherford weaves the complete tapestry that makes up this rich and self-sustaining society, long before the first European set foot on this continent. A must reading for serious students of American history and adults like myself who missed the full story the first time around!

This book details the origins and development of many everyday / ordinary things in our lives. You may be surprised how much the Europeans owe to the natives of this land. This is NOT a hate filled, preachy, or mean spirited book. I think that regardless of age, race or up bringing you will enjoy this book and be educated by it.