Review by Choice Review
Books abound on the lives of Indian leaders who martially resisted white incursions, yet only in recent years have favorable studies of accommodationist Indian leaders begun to appear. Daniel Bread may have been the most important Oneida chief during the 19th century, but he never fought a battle against the US Army. Instead, he counseled a move from his people's ancestral estate in New York to distant Wisconsin, where a suitable land base could be reestablished. Although he promoted some utilitarian aspects of acculturation among his people, Bread fought valiantly within the courts, Indian Bureau, and the office of the presidency to guarantee their future. Using a wide array of government records, cultural studies, and 1930s Works Progress Administration interviews, Hauptman (SUNY, New Paltz) and McLester (Oneida Historical Society) provide the definitive work on this relatively small group of Oneida exiles. They successfully challenge older interpretations about the struggle between Bread and Reverend Eleazer Williams, and they demonstrate the former's finesse in negotiating with the Menominee and Winnebago tribes for lands near Green Bay. Furthermore, Hauptman and McLester deal fairly with the anti-Bread sentiments that persist among some Oneidas even today. This brief and well-written book serves as a worthy model for other biographical studies. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All public and university libraries. M. L. Tate University of Nebraska at Omaha
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
