Indian Yell
by Michael Blake
Published by Northland Publishing
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Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart
Subtitled: The Heart of an American Insurgency
From Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves, comes a brief account of the "Indian Problem" between 1854 and 1890, described in Indian Yell: The Heart of an American Insurgency. Blake tries to capture how the American Indian was, and is treated, by picking twelve of most significant conflicts/events in American Indian history.
The dust jacket gives voice to Blake's intention: "Beginning in 1854 with a decrepit cow that wandered onto a Sioux encampment that sparked a slaughter, and ending with the last freezing gasps of breath from the victims of the Wounded Knee in 1890, the horrors and shame of war within our borders is recounted." Sounds fascinating, right?
Unfortunately Blake tries to do too much with too little. If the reader isn't steeped in the history, the reader will be as lost as the Indian way of life. Key information is missing in each event.
For example, in "Deceit," the chapter is supposed to provide illumination on how the Apaches were lied to and the fall of Cochise. Instead, sentences like "A new general, known equally for self-promotion and effectiveness, was installed to oversee a mammoth military commitment" leave the reader wondering what is happening. Which general? Does his name live in the history books? Should I know him? Could it be Custer? His name is never mentioned.
Sentence like the one mentioned abound throughout the book. I found this jarring and interruptive to an already dull narrative.
There are two saving graces to Indian Yell. One is that the chapter titles are creative and interesting "The Music Freezes," "Burned at the Tongue," and "Shock and Awe." Second, is that at the end of each chapter, Blake provides a "Recommended Reading" suggestion to further enlighten the reader of that episode.
As far as reading Indian Yell, readers would be better off taking the author's suggestions and reading his recommendations.
Armchair Interviews says: History lesson that leaves much yet to be learned from this author.