Talking Back to Civilization: Indian Voices from the Progressive Era

As progressive reformers took on America’s ills at the start of the twentieth century, a new generation of Native American reformers took on America, "talking back" to the civilization that had overrun but not crushed their own. This volume offers a collection of 21 primary sources, including journal articles, testimony, and political cartoons by Native Americans of the Progressive Era, who worked in a variety of fields to defend their communities and culture. Their voices are organized into 7 topical chapters on subjects such as native religion, education, and Indian service in World War I. Spanning the period from the 1893 Columbian Expedition to the 1920s' congressional land hearings, this rich array of voices fills an important gap in the chronology of Native American studies. An engaging introduction focusing on the intellectual leaders of the protest efforts includes background on the Progressive Era, while headnotes for each document, striking illustrations, a chronology of major events, and a bibliography support the firsthand accounts.