Chainbreaker
Author | : Governor Blacksnake |
Publisher | : U of Nebraska Press |
Total Pages | : 344 |
Release | : 2005-07-01 |
ISBN-10 | : 080326450X |
ISBN-13 | : 9780803264502 |
Rating | : 4/5 (0X Downloads) |
Book excerpt: One of the earliest memoirs by an American Indian, Chainbreaker presents the recollections of a Seneca chief, also known as Governor Blacksnake. A fighter in the American Revolution who lived more than a century, Chainbreaker told his story as an old man in the 1840s to a fellow Seneca, Benjamin Williams, who translated it and committed it to paper. Epic in scale and yet intensely personal, Chainbreaker's story provides a rare Native view of warfare and diplomacy during a crucial period in American history. His account is only fully available in this edition, featuring extensive commentary by Thomas S. Abler. Thomas S. Abler is a professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Hinterland Warriors and Military Dress: European Empires and Exotic Uniforms.