Eduardo Santiago
A disheartening indictment of white supremacy and ultimately humanity itself. There were so, so many chances for things to go better than they did: decent moral people here and there, in positions where they could do good or at least prevent greater harm, all of them replaced or killed or simply worn down by the system. Really drives home the inevitability of Might Makes Right, how subhuman bullies can destroy entire worlds in brief times. Reading this in 2025 is depressing AF. Like seeing a roadmap of the next thirty years.
Although nominally centering around Kit Carson -- a more complex and tragic figure than I had thought -- the book is much more epic in scale. Carson is a major player, but the focus is really on the white expansion into the West through bullying, force, lying stealing cheating. Sides attempts to write with objectivity, giving (what comes off as) fair voice to the many NDN tribes involved. He repeatedly stresses the role played by misunderstandings, by cultural divides that could have been bridged... had anyone in power bothered to try.
Well researched and engagingly written. Highly, highly recommended, especially to anyone in New Mexico.
A disheartening indictment of white supremacy and ultimately humanity itself. There were so, so many chances for things to go better than they did: decent moral people here and there, in positions where they could do good or at least prevent greater harm, all of them replaced or killed or simply worn down by the system. Really drives home the inevitability of Might Makes Right, how subhuman bullies can destroy entire worlds in brief times. Reading this in 2025 is depressing AF. Like seeing a roadmap of the next thirty years.
Although nominally centering around Kit Carson -- a more complex and tragic figure than I had thought -- the book is much more epic in scale. Carson is a major player, but the focus is really on the white expansion into the West through bullying, force, lying stealing cheating. Sides attempts to write with objectivity, giving (what comes off as) fair voice to the many NDN tribes involved. He repeatedly stresses the role played by misunderstandings, by cultural divides that could have been bridged... had anyone in power bothered to try.
Well researched and engagingly written. Highly, highly recommended, especially to anyone in New Mexico.