I am reading an excellent book, Chief Joseph and the Flight of the Nez Perce, by Kent Nerburn. I highly recommend it for understanding American history more fully than is offered in history textbooks. It's also an interesting story and very easy to read. Read this and marvel that we (people of European descent, as I am) called ourselves "civilized" and called Indian people "savages." Too bad we didn't have a mirror to take a good look at ourselves, and that we didn't think it necessary to walk a mile in their mocassins. Think also about how relations between the two groups are still strained and imbalanced. We still haven't learned sensitivity toward those we consider "other" than ourselves.
On a quilty note, I went to a big fabric sale and had a coupon for 50% off. I need 9 yards for a big project I am going to undertake. The fabric I picked out did not have enough left on the bolt. Rats! I still managed to find lots of other nice fabrics on sale, but didn't get what I "need."
3 comments:
I haven't read this book but it sounds like an interesting read. I read the chapter on Joseph and the Nez Perce a long time ago in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee -- a gripping story and particularly sad since they almost made it, just 11 miles to go to Canada.
Michael
Michael, I encourage you to read this book. Nerburn did years of research to get the facts straight. It's great to get the "real story" for once, even though it's incredibly sad. It's better to know what happened rather than to base our historical understandings on myth.
I'll keep my eye open for it.
Michael
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