The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story (Pivotal Moments in American History),   ISBN:9780195136753

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While the United States Army's campaign against the Sioux in 1876 has been immortalized by "Custer's Last Stand," the equally significant Nez Perce War of 1877 has received very little attention. There have been a few other books out on this subject, but nothing like the non-stop flow of Custer historiography. In The Last Indian War, Professor Elliott West (University of Arkansas) takes an academic look at the Nez Perce War and does a fine job casting it in a cultural context. Readers expecting a pure military history will be disappointed since only about half the book actually covers the war itself. Instead, the author's intent is to demonstrate how cultural misunderstandings between the United States representatives and the Nez Perce contributed to the deterioration of relations and eventual outbreak of war, as well as making it difficult for each side to understand the other's objectives once fighting did begin. There is a subtle nuance in these pages that greatly adds to our understanding of this conflict, yet without getting bogged down. Furthermore, the author demonstrates balance in not adopting an `all-Whites-are-bad, all-Indians-are-good' attitude or depicting the Nez Perce as noble victims, as they tried to depict themselves after they were defeated.

The Last Indian War consists of 18 chapters, plus footnotes and index, for a total of 397 pages. The author has also included 32 illustrations/photos, a chronology and five maps. Approximately the first third of the book traces the evolution of the Nez Perce and their interactions with White explorers, traders, missionaries, miners, politicians and settlers in the period 1805 to the 1870s. The author makes some good points here, that the Nez Perce were able to deal with Whites as equals to about 1855 and that the relationship established was beneficial to both sides (guns traded for resources). This period of relative equality came to an end in 1860 when gold was discovered on Nez Perce land and the resulting flood of new-comers left the Nez Perce a minority on their own land. The critical moment came with the treaty of 1863, which tried to force the Nez Perce onto reservations, which caused a split between `Treaty' and `Non-Treaty' Nez Perce. Although the author is at pains to point out deceptions and outright lies by Whites about their intentions, he does not spare the Nez Perce either. He points out that earlier, they had not only stood by while Whites took land from neighboring tribes like the Flatheads, but actually contributed scouts to help the US Army suppress their neighbors.

The war breaks out in the middle section of the book and the author covers the entire march from Idaho to Bear Paw Mountain in Montana and the three months of active campaigning. Although he does discuss the US Army, its leaders and its plans, more of the focus is on the Nez Perce. Battles are generally covered in a couple of pages, with adequate detail about casualties, but these descriptions don't include all the details that a military reader or specialist might expect. A big point that the author does make is to deflate the "Chief Joseph was in charge" legend. In fact, leadership of the Nez Perce was rather amorphous and battlefield leadership was often left up to individual warriors. In contrast, West makes the point that the US Army leadership was often deficient at the tactical level but the units had a level of cohesiveness and dedication to mission that the Nez Perce found difficult to comprehend. Amazingly, the Nez Perce apparently believed that when they left Idaho that `the war was over' and they were surprised to find other US Army units attacking them. The author succeeds in demonstrating that not only did cultural misunderstandings contribute to the war, but they made it difficult for each side to actually fight each other. Misconduct on both sides is also addressed: White violations of a flag of truce and Nez Perce murders and rapes committed against civilians.

The final section of the book covers the defeat of the Nez Perce at Bear Paw and the ultimate disposition of the `Non-Treaty' members, as well as Chief Joseph's successful song-and-dance routine to gain national sympathy (actually the author is quite merciless against Joseph). All in all, the Last Indian War does an admirable job putting this war in its cultural context although there were a few issues that were left not fully covered. For example, while the author makes clear that the "Treaty Nez Perce" did not side with those involved in the war and even provided scouts to the US Army to use against their fellows, it's still left a little murky why so many Nez Perce (apparently more than two-thirds) were able to move onto reservations and adapt without violence, while the non-Treaty's couldn't. It is clear that the anti-progressive `Dreamer Movement' among the Nez Perce played a part, but this seems insufficient in itself. Nevertheless, The Last Indian War adds to our understanding of the important Nez Perce War and makes some important observations about conflict between two radically different cultures.

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Not since I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown has a book about the plight of the Native Americans so consumed me. Elliot West's The Last Indian War is an easy read for the lay-person, yet well-researched and documented enough for even the most persnickety historian. I was emotionally touched by the simple life of these people and found myself cheering for the Nez Perce knowing full well that they never made it to the freedom they so desired. These people befriended Lewis and Clark and remained peaceful for decades with the whites until finally forced into retaliation for the many broken treaties and abuses by the U.S. Government and the unquenchable greed for land and gold by farmers, merchants and gold miners. The Nez Perce--forced to flee for their lives with only a few possessions were finally overcome, not by a superior fighting force, but by new technologies such as the Gatling gun, the telegraph, and the railroad. Elliot West tells the story of these spiritual, proud people not to elevate them or to demonize the U.S. Army, but in a factual, detailed accounting of Western expansion by a country destined to engulf everyone that stood in its way. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," were words extended to the freed slaves on the one hand, but taken from the Native Indians with the other hand. West weaves the cultural, political, technological, and emotional themes together into a book worthy to be called a Western epic.

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In "The Last Indian War," West has brought his exceptional storytelling skills to a compelling group of nineteenth-century Americans. I was particularly impressed at how he blended political and technological forces from across the country and at times around the world with the Nez Perce tale, demonstrating how they were connected to broader issues of the day rather than treating them like an anachronistic group, as is so often the case in Indian history. By demonstrating the complicated nature of the Nez Perce's existence, and their struggle to retain independence from various Euro-American competitors, West has created a work that will stand not only as an excellent narrative of that society but also a model for other historians of how to tell more complete, overarching cultural stories.

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The tragic story of the flight of the Nez Perce--a people long at peace with the United States--is familiar to most students of Western American history, a coda of deceit and betrayal so typical of relations between Indian peoples and the federal government. Elliott West's "The Last Indian War" recounts, in crisp and accessible prose, that story. But unlike many "popular" historians, he is also interested in more than just rehashing the same narrative for a new generation of readers. West sees the Nez Perce War as emblematic of deeper social and political changes that forever altered the course of the nation from the 1840s-1877, a period West argues should be known as the "Greater Reconstruction." This period saw the extension of the nation to the Pacific, the battle between regions and the increasingly powerful federal government, the spread of information and transportation technology, and most importantly, in West's view, a grappling with the meaning of citizenship and the inclusion of both newly free African-Americans and Indian peoples, the former willingly and the latter reluctantly. West has always been a master at showing the connections of seemingly unconnected events and in this book he uses O.O. Howard, particularly, to show both the issues facing freedmen in the South and Indians in the West as Howard was a crusader for African Americans (leading the freedmen's bureau and founding Howard University) and the officer in charge of capturing Joseph and the Nez Perce. West has written a book that should appeal to both serious scholars, who will find it especially useful for upper-division history classes, and those general readers who enjoy works by writers like Stephen Ambrose and Jeff Shaara.

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Mr. West lost me on page 147 when he described Miles Keogh of Custer's 7th as a sergeant when in fact he had been the Captain of "I" troop 7th Regiment of Cavalry. I'm sure he's a fine writer as is obvious but a mistake like that makes me wonder what other errors might be included be they the publisher's or Mr. West's. Other than that it is a detailed book.