In The Native Ground; Kathleen DuVal argues that it was Indians rather than European would-be colonizers who were more often able to determine the form and content of the relations between the two groups. Along the banks of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers; far from Paris; Madrid; and London; European colonialism met neither accommodation nor resistance but incorporation. Rather than being colonized; Indians drew European empires into local patterns of land and resource allocation; sustenance; goods exchange; gender relations; diplomacy; and warfare. Placing Indians at the center of the story; DuVal shows both their diversity and our contemporary tendency to exaggerate the influence of Europeans in places far from their centers of power. Europeans were often more dependent on Indians than Indians were on them.Now the states of Arkansas; Oklahoma; Kansas; and Colorado; this native ground was originally populated by indigenous peoples; became part of the French and Spanish empires; and in 1803 was bought by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. Drawing on archaeology and oral history; as well as documents in English; French; and Spanish; DuVal chronicles the successive migrations of Indians and Europeans to the area from precolonial times through the 1820s. These myriad native groups—Mississippians; Quapaws; Osages; Chickasaws; Caddos; and Cherokees—and the waves of Europeans all competed with one another for control of the region.Only in the nineteenth century did outsiders initiate a future in which one people would claim exclusive ownership of the mid-continent. After the War of 1812; these settlers came in numbers large enough to overwhelm the region's inhabitants and reject the early patterns of cross-cultural interdependence. As citizens of the United States; they persuaded the federal government to muster its resources on behalf of their dreams of landholding and citizenship.With keen insight and broad vision; Kathleen DuVal retells the story of Indian and European contact in a more complex and; ultimately; more satisfactory way.
#313429 in Books Chronicle Books 1999-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.25 x 1.10 x 10.25l; 3.60 #File Name: 0811818179256 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding study of River Road plantation historyBy Jon L AlbeeThis is no ordinary picture book. It's a complete history of River Road plantation life; told with engaging depth; startling photography; and profound cultural insight. It is a narrative study; every bit an exercise in sociology as in history and architecture.This book is so good it's hard to know whether to praise the beautiful illustration - a combination of photography and other graphics - or the engaging text. This is a book that has obviously been prepared as a serious study; and will be useful to architectural historians; architects; and local historians; as well as curious general readers.It is not an architectural catalog; but is a narrative featuring discussion of about 20 of the most important River Road sites; most of which are still standing. The book is organized into chapters dedicated to exterior styles; interior details and design; and landscaping.This book was published in 1999; when many of the houses featured were in desperate need of restoration. The reader will find the dilapidated state of some of the structures either quaint or alarming; depending on the attitude toward restoration. Some of the houses shown here have been restored; and some were damaged in hurricane Katrina; which happened six years after this book was published.For me; the most outstanding things about the book are the dazzling aerial photographs and the rigor of the sociological analysis. It's showing its age a bit; but this is still a fantastic book; especially for students of River Road history; architectural history; and for committed amateurs.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not Just The Houses; But The People Who Lived In ThemBy Herbert H. HighstoneI certainly agree with the other reviewers that praise the photography and selection of the images in this book. But there are also unique insights into the lives and culture of the people who lived and worked on these plantations. Photographs and biographies reveal how the plantation world functioned. A baby's cradle and a prie dieu bring out in a very human way the lives of the individuals involved in the history of this lost world. Astonishing aerial photos show historic homes cheek by jowl with oil refineries; illustrating the enormous risks that face the historic plantations today and tomorrow. Then there are the simple; humble; small-scale images of domestic life; such as page 206 that displays a picture entitled "Louisiana ducks roasting on the open hearth at Destreham plantation. Sweet potatoes bake in the hot embers below the fire." In an instant my mind flashes back more than a century and I can almost see the ghosts. It's difficult to describe the special charm of this book; but I can assure you that you're in for a unique experience if you read it. The much overused word ESSENTIAL is truly authentic in this case. One feels that veils are lifted and a vital new understanding has been achieved.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Spectacular richesBy Mary Bellis WilliamsIn a way this is a heartbreaking book; because so many of these spectacular plantation houses are in precarious or ruinous shape -- on the other hand; the way of life they represent -- of slavery and oppression and people worked to death in the fields -- is gone now. The owners used their money on houses designed to impress each other; and each brick and nail and window represents beauty bought by blood. Yes; they are beautiful. Some are preserved and lived in. Others are sinking into the silt.
