Sacred Revolt

In a compelling counterpoint to viewing colonial Indian-white relations as a series of uneven battles or unfair massacres, Joel Martin traces the cultural/religious history of the Muskogee "Creeks" from precontact times, through a century of nation-to-nation dealings with European traders, to a culmination of this interaction in the 1814 revolt against the U.S. Army at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Placed in a Muskogee context, this revolt is more than an uprising against white encroachment; it is the culmination of an ongoing effort by the Muskogees for cultural reaffirmation. Part of a growing body of literature in which Native Americans are viewed as dynamic participants in the events that encompass their worlds, this is an important contribution to U.S. history collections.