Indian Country Critique
...k is clearly intended to show how the whites invaded the sacred grounds of the Indians and how most of the times they got away with it. The book starts with the experiences the Miccousukee tribe from Florida went through. Then it talks about the Cherokee that were affected by the Tellico Dam. The Yurok, Karuk and Tolowa are mentioned when the sacred grounds of the Blue Creek are invaded. The tribe of the Achomawi is mentioned when Pit River is brought up. Next the tribes of the Paiute, Shoshone, and the Ute of the Great Basin are brought up. The book ends with the events of the “Big Mountain” which affected the Navajo tribe. One of the chapters that stuck out most to me was “Lost Eloheh Land.” This chapter talks about how the Cherokee lost their sacred ground as a result of the Tellico Dam built by the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). The area where the Tellico Dam was built was also a burial ground for the Cherokee. What caused the Cherokee to be very frustrated was the fact that when the dam was built, the graves of the white were removed and reentered. The graves of the Cherokee were just tossed into the basement of the University of Tennessee. After reading this chapter, the feeling of emotion I had was sad. It was sad to see what happened to the Cherokee’s because the result of the dam was a failure, the TVA admits it. I can’t help to think that most of this information is accurate because Matthiessen goes real in depth by telling facts of the past and his own first hand experience, also because I don’t have much knowledge of the Cherokee. What I like most about this chapter and most other chapters is when the author brings in direct quotes. Jimmie Durham is quoted when he says “home is speaking of something truly sacred (p.115)” He gives a sense of what the Indians think of their homeland At times when Matthiessen is writing he puts his own opinion in ...