What is a good site for a complete summary chapter by chapter of Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee?
2 Answers
copelmat | High School Teacher | (Level 3) Associate Educator
Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a historical account of the relations between various American Indian tribes and the United States Government from 1860-1890. Although the book is very popular, it is a very one-sided description of history.
The book begins by chronicling the interactions between the tribes of the American Southwest and the U.S. government--namely the Apache and Navajo nations. Then the book moves on to address the tribes of the Great Plains--namely the Sioux and the Cheyenne. Throughout the book many military officers are mentioned, including General George A. Custer, and well as many Indian Chiefs, including Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, and Red Cloud. The book ends with the Battle of Little Big Horn and the slaughter of innocent Indians at Wounded Knee, from which the book draws its name.
muharana | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Adjunct Educator
Though I would, as a teacher, always prefer that you read the book on your own, ENotes has a summary you can use as a study guide:
http://www.enotes.com/topics/bury-heart-wounded-knee
You can also watch the film, which has an official HBO page here:
http://www.hbo.com/movies/bury-my-heart-at-wounded-knee
It is a relatively faithful adaptation of the book that teachers often show clips from while students are reading the book.
And just to help you dig a little deeper, it would also be a very good idea to get a little information about the author, Dee Brown, here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/14/arts/dee-brown-94-author-who-revised-image-of-west.html
http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-A-Di/Brown-Dee.html
And there are accounts of what happened at Wounded Knee, on sites like:
http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/wounded-knee
http://www.woundedkneemuseum.org/
The museum site is an interactive experience that takes you right to the heart of the matter, and is both fun and informative. It may help you really feel what America was like at the time of the massacre, and how all the parties involved must have felt.
I hope this helps you get the most of out this very important book.