"Alvin Josephy Jr.'s groundbreaking, popular books and essays advocated for a fair and true historical assessment of Native Americans, and set the course for modern Native American studies. This collection, which includes magazine articles, speeches, a white paper, and introductions and chapters of books, gives a generous and reasoned view of five hundred years of Indian history in North America from first settlements in the East to the long trek of the Nez Perce Indians in the Northwest. The essays deal with the origins of still unresolved troubles with treaties and territories to fishing and land rights, and who should own archaeological finds, as well as the ideologies that underpin our Indian policy. Taken together the pieces give a revelatory introduction to American Indian history, a history that continues both to fascinate and inform." -- Publisher's description.

Part I. Putting Indians into American history -- Listening to Indians: a commentary / by Clifford Trafzer -- A continent awakes -- Indians of the sound -- Tecumseh, the greatest Indian -- The Hudson's Bay Company and the American Indians -- "A most satisfactory council" -- Red morning in Minnesota -- The last stand of Chief Joseph -- Part II. Indians and the natural world -- Native endurance: a connection to place: a commentary / by Jaime Pinkham -- Cornplanter, can you swim? The Native Americans' fight to hold onto their land base -- "Like giving heroin to an addict": the reassertion of Native American water rights -- The great northwest fishing war -- The Hopi way -- Part III. The miracle of Indian survival -- Let's make the deal: Indian country's history of success: a commentary / by Mark Trahant -- The American Indian and the Bureau of Indian Affairs -- The historical and cultural context of White-Native American conflicts -- "You are on Indian land!".