Choctaw Crime and Punishment, 1884-1907 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780806140520)

During the decades between the Civil War and the establishment of Oklahoma statehood, Choctaws suffered almost daily from murders, thefts, and assaults--usually at the hands of white intruders, but increasingly by Choctaws themselves. This book focuses on two previously unexplored murder cases to illustrate the intense factionalism that emerged among tribal members during those lawless years as conservative Nationalists and pro-assimilation Progressives fought for control of the Choctaw Nation.

Devon Abbott Mihesuah describes the brutal murder in 1884 of her own great-great-grandfather, Nationalist Charles Wilson, who was a Choctaw lighthorseman and U.S. deputy marshal. She then relates the killing spree of Progressives by Nationalist Silan Lewis ten years later. Mihesuah draws on a wide array of sources--even in the face of missing court records--to weave a spellbinding account of homicide and political intrigue. She painstakingly delineates a transformative period in Choctaw history to explore emerging gulfs between Choctaw citizens and address growing Indian resistance to white intrusions, federal policies, and the taking of tribal resources.

The first book to fully describe this Choctaw factionalism, Choctaw Crime and Punishment is both a riveting narrative and an important analysis of tribal politics.

Author: Devon a. Mihesuah
ISBN-10: 0806140526
ISBN-13: 9780806140520
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Language: English
Published: 10/29/2009
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.10d
Award: Oklahoma Book Award - Finalist

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 11/13/2009 pg. 18
Chronicle of Higher Education 04/30/2010 pg. 19
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2010 pg. 63