Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
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"We The People" Edited by Serle L. Chapman. "Mountain Press Publishing Co. 350 pages. ISBN 0-9528607-5-9 (Paperback) $29.95"

What do Native American elders, writers, scholars, artists, leaders and activists have to say about their tribes' pasts, futures and cultures? They tell us in a new book "We, The People (Of Earth and Elders Vol. II)" edited by Serle L. Chapman.

Native people from throughout the United States share a wealth of words, (their own words) to tell about their history, traditions and cultures; survival; and what it means to be Native American at the beginning of a new century.

Cherokee actor Wes Studi writes about his perception of Cherokee history before, during and after the Cherokee removal. He also shares stories about his successful movie career and what it meant for him to play historic characters like Geronimo and Red Cloud. Perhaps because he likely didn't have any Native American role models before he chose an acting career, at the end of his commentary Studi offers needed encouragement to the next generation of Cherokee youth who may be looking to him for inspiration. "Being an Indian certainly doesn't hold you back and to our younger generations I would say be who you are and grow to be better," Studi writes.

Principal Chief Chad Smith and Hastings Shade are also featured in the book with Shade offering an account of the Trail of Tears told by his great-grandmother who took part in the removal at the age of nine. Ninety percent of children under seven and elders over sixty died on the trail, his grandmother told him, taking the first and last generation. Shade reminds us this story was never told in American history books.

Smith writes about the history of the Cherokee government from the 1700s to present, tribal sovereignty, threats to that sovereignty and the challenges facing the Cherokee Nation like its people saving themselves and their nation from cultural extinction. "The revitalization of our language is crucial and the challenge is to reach everybody, the mixed-bloods, and thin-bloods, so our children and grandchildren will be taught our language and history," Smith writes. Unless this revitalization takes place Smith envisions in 25 years the tribe will consist of "some brown people running a municipal government."

"We The People" is graphically pleasing and is broken up into sections. The first section is called Elders and includes Joe S. Sando of the Jemez Pueblo who gives a thorough account of Pueblo Indian history based on his own research. Sando is the Director of Archives at the Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Using the linguistic characteristics of southwest tribes he creates a fascinating picture of the origins of the Pueblos and their neighbors the Hopis and Zunis. He also makes an interesting case for ancient seafarers from Africa and the Mediterranean visiting and influencing tribes in the southwest and Central America, providing more evidence that Columbus was a late arrival when he reached the New World.

All of the Native people included in this fascinating book have something to say. It is our good fortune Serle Chapman worked so hard to gather these stories for us.

Royalties from "We The People" are contributed to the American Indian College Fund. For more information, contact Mountain Press Publishing, phone: 1-800-234-5308, or send e-mail to: info@mtnpress.com.

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