Robert J. Bigart's Books

Providing for the People

Economic Change among the Salish and Kootenai Indians, 1875–1910

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Providing for the People

Economic Change among the Salish and Kootenai Indians, 1875–1910

By: Robert J. Bigart

The years between 1875 and 1910 saw a revolution in the economy of the Flathead Reservation, home to the Salish and Kootenai Indians. In 1875 the tribes had supported themselves through hunting—especially buffalo—and gathering. Thirty-five years later, cattle herds and farming were the foundation of their economy. Providing for the People tells the story of this transformation. Author Robert J. Bigart describes how the Salish and Kootenai tribes overcame daunting odds to maintain their independence and integrity through this dramatic transition—how, relying on their own initiatives and labor, they managed to adjust and adapt to a new political and economic order. Major changes in the Flathead Reservation economy were accompanied by the growing power of the Flathead Indian Agent. Tribal members neither sought nor desired the new order of things, but as Bigart makes clear, they never stopped fighting to maintain their economic independence and self-support. The tribes did not receive general rations and did not allow the government to take control of their food supply. Instead, most government aid was bartered in exchange for products used in running the agency. Providing for the People presents a deeply researched, finely detailed account of the economic and diplomatic strategies that distinguished the Flathead Reservation Indians at a time of overwhelming and complex challenges to Native American tribes and traditions.

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291

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University of Oklahoma Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0806167688

ISBN 13

9780806167688

Getting Good Crops

Economic and Diplomatic Survival Strategies of the Montana Bitterroot Salish Indians, 1870–1891

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Getting Good Crops

Economic and Diplomatic Survival Strategies of the Montana Bitterroot Salish Indians, 1870–1891

By: Robert J. Bigart

In 1870, the Bitterroot Salish Indians—called “Flatheads” by the first white explorers to encounter them—were a small tribe living on the western slope of the Northern Rocky Mountains in Montana Territory. Pressures on the Salish were intensifying during this time, from droughts and dwindling resources to aggressive neighboring tribes and Anglo-American expansion. In 1891, the economically impoverished Salish accepted government promises of assistance and retreated to the Flathead Reservation, more than sixty miles from their homeland. In Getting Good Crops, Robert J. Bigart examines the full range of available sources to explain how the Salish survived into the twentieth century, despite their small numbers, their military disadvantages, and the aggressive invasion of white settlers who greedily devoured their land and its natural resources. Bigart argues that a key to the survival of the Salish, from the early nineteenth century onward, was their diplomatic agility and willingness to form strategic alliances and friendships with non-Salish peoples. In doing so, the Salish navigated their way through multiple crises, relying more on their wits than on force. The Salish also took steps to sustain themselves economically. Although hunting and gathering had been their mainstay for centuries, the Salish began farming — “getting good crops” — to feed themselves because buffalo were becoming increasingly scarce. Raised on the Flathead Reservation himself, the author is seeking to convey the Salish story from their perspective, despite the paucity of written Salish testimony. What emerges is a picture — both inspiring and heartbreaking— of a people maintaining autonomy against all odds.

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302

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University of Oklahoma Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0806185236

ISBN 13

9780806185231

A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest

By: Robert H. Ruby,John A. Brown,Cary C Collins

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A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest

By: Robert H. Ruby,John A. Brown,Cary C Collins

The Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest inhabit a vast region extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from California to British Columbia. For more than two decades, A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest has served as a standard reference on these diverse peoples. Now, in the wake of renewed tribal self-determination, this revised edition reflects the many recent political, economic, and cultural developments shaping these Native communities. From such well-known tribes as the Nez Perces and Cayuses to lesser-known bands previously presumed "extinct," this guide offers detailed descriptions, in alphabetical order, of 150 Pacific Northwest tribes. Each entry provides information on the history, location, demographics, and cultural traditions of the particular tribe. Among the new features offered here are an expanded selection of photographs, updated reading lists, and a revised pronunciation guide. While continuing to provide succinct histories of each tribe, the volume now also covers such contemporary—and sometimes controversial—issues as Indian gaming and NAGPRA. With its emphasis on Native voices and tribal revitalization, this new edition of the Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest is certain to be a definitive reference for many years to come.

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462

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University of Oklahoma Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0806189509

ISBN 13

9780806189505

Providing for the People

Economic Change among the Salish and Kootenai Indians, 1875–1910

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Providing for the People

Economic Change among the Salish and Kootenai Indians, 1875–1910

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Page Count

291

Publisher

University of Oklahoma Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0806167688

ISBN 13

9780806167688

Getting Good Crops

Economic and Diplomatic Survival Strategies of the Montana Bitterroot Salish Indians, 1870–1891

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Getting Good Crops

Economic and Diplomatic Survival Strategies of the Montana Bitterroot Salish Indians, 1870–1891

By: Robert J. Bigart

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

302

Publisher

University of Oklahoma Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0806185236

ISBN 13

9780806185231

Book's by Robert J. Bigart

Providing for the People

Providing for the People

Getting Good Crops

Getting Good Crops

A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest

A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest

Providing for the People

Providing for the People

Getting Good Crops

Getting Good Crops

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