From the Deep Woods to CivilizationIn the first of his memoirs, the popular Dover book Indian Boyhood, Charles Alexander Eastman recounted his tribal upbringing among the Santee Sioux. From the Deep Woods to Civilization resumes his story, starting with his departure from the reservation at age 15 to receive his education among whites. Eastman became a physician with the intention of supporting the Native American community, and while working as a doctor for the Indian Health Service he cared for the victims of the U.S. Army's 1890 attack on Wounded Knee. Later that decade, Eastman moved to Washington, D.C., where he lobbied on behalf of the Santee Sioux and held a succession of government positions. This book, along with his other writings, offers a powerful testimonial by an American Indian on behalf of his native culture. |
