The Return of the Native

A sympathetic and incisive look at American Indian and Euro-American relations from the 16th century to the present, this book focuses on how such relations have shaped the Indians' political identity and tactics in their ongoing struggle for power. Cornell shows how, in the early days of colonisation, Indians were able to maintain their nationhood by playing off the competing European powers; and how the American Revolution and westward expansion caused native Americans to lose not only their economic independence, but also their social cohesion, land, and ultimately their cultural identity. The final part of the book recounts the slow, steady reemergence of American Indian political power and identity, evidenced by militant political activism in the 1960s and early 1970's. Readership: sociologists and political scientists interested in problems of racial minorities; students of American social and political history.