Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People

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Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History Encounters at the Heart of the World concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe We know of them mostly because Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804 1805 with them, but why don t we know Who were they really In this extraordinary book, Elizabeth A Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology, and nutritional science Her boldly original interpretation of these diverse research findings offers us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past. By 1500, than twelve thousand Mandans were established on the northern Plains, and their commercial prowess, agricultural skills, and reputation for hospitality became famous Recent archaeological discoveries show how these Native American people thrived, and then how they collapsed The damage wrought by imported diseases like smallpox and the havoc caused by the arrival of horses and steamboats were tragic for the Mandans, yet, as Fenn makes clear, their sense of themselves as a people with distinctive traditions endured. A riveting account of Mandan history, landscapes, and people, Fenn s narrative is enriched and enlivened not only by science and research but by her own encounters at the heart of the world. New Download Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People [ Author ] Elizabeth A. Fenn [ Kindle ePUB or eBook ] – kino-fada.fr Encounters at the Heart of the World is a detailed history of the Mandan people from the Missouri river valley area of North Dakota This is a tribe that was once a large, thriving people that over time was nearly decimated They battled natural elements, disease and rodents brought by European traders, and battled area tribes, losing 90% or so of their population Today they are remembered and their descendants have begun to reignite the customs and ceremonies once celebrated by the Mandan peop Encounters at the Heart of the World is a detailed history of the Mandan people from the Missouri river valley area of North Dakota This is a tribe that was once a large, thriving people that over time was nearly decimated They battled natural elements, disease and rodents brought by European traders, and battled area tribes, losing 90% or ...An impressive feat of research and writing that makes the most of a scattered and diverse set of sources to produce a fascinating history of the Mandan people through the early 1800s Renowned throughout the Missouri River watershed as traders and farmers, host to Lewis and Clark, and willing to extend cordial relations to all comers as long as they kept the peace, the Mandan were powerful players in the complex social framework of the region Fenn emphasizes how they saw themselves as at the ce An impressive feat of research and writing that makes the most of a scattered and diverse set of sources to produce a fascinating history of the Mandan people through the early 1800s Renowned throughout the Missouri River watershed as traders and farmers, host to Lewis and ...This is an excellent book and Fenn s research is amazing The writing or perhaps jus the subject matter can be uneven at times, and the ending seems a bit rushed but with the smallpox epidemic I can see why Worthy of its Pulitzer PrizeEncounters in the Heart of the New World covers the known history of the Mandan tribe from first European contact until the mid 19th century The Mandan lived in villages comprised of impressive earth lodges in present day North Dakota along tributaries of the upper Missouri They are believed to be distantly related to the Sioux tribes or at least the roots of their language suggest so Tragically the Mandan people were decimated by 1837 from a population of several thousand to only 100 people Encounters in the Heart of the New World covers the known history of the Mandan tribe from first European contact until the mid 19th century The Mandan lived in villages comprised of impressive earth lodges in present day North Dakota along tributaries of the upper Missouri They are believed to be distantly related to the Sioux tribes or at least the roots of their language suggest so Tragically the Mandan people were decimated by 1837 from a population of several thousand to only 100 people due to drought and an outbreak of smallpox Their population had been dwindling but the tragic events of 1837 were the coup de grace Since so few Mandan survived most of the known history is from journals of fur trappers, many explorers such as David Thompson and Lewis and Clark and George Catlin the Indian ethnographer The Mandan were traders Although they had their share of conflicts with the Arikara there were no battles with the U.S military The region ...This is one of those books where you understand why it won a prize.Odds are you ve heard of the Mandan people, even if you are not aware of them Lewis and Clark met them it s where Sacajawea and her husband joined the group.Wein s book is a, as she calls it, a mosaic It is not a linear history, butof a cultural history It s fascinating and the parts about the Native Americans and disease are particularly hard to read The book is not only about the interactions between various Native A This is one of those books where you understand why it won a prize.Odds are you ve heard of the Mandan people, even if you are not aware of them Lewis and Clark met them it s where Sacajawea and her husband joined the group.Wein s book is a, as she calls it, a mosaic It is not a linear history, butof a cultural history It s fascinating and the parts about the Native Americans and disease are particularl...Packed full of information, to the point that it is probably of little interest to the general reader Still, a valuable window into the lives of the western Indians Perhaps this could be read in conjunction with the muchengaging Empire of the Summer Moon, about the very different but partiall...History is clearly written by the victors, and this lesson was clear even before this book was written for how many of us had heard of the Mandans this great native tribe that was the engine of agriculture and commerce at the centre of North America We know of the Sioux, Apache, Blackfoot and Crow largely through many Westerns movies but because the Mandan were largely farmers and traders, and their lives was not sexy , they never make it to the big screen and hence into our imagin History is clearly written by the victors, and this lesson was clear even before this book was written for how many of us had heard of the Mandans this great native tribe that was the engine of agriculture and commerce at the centre of North America We know of the Sioux, Apache, Blackfoot and Crow largely through many Westerns movies but because the Mandan were largely farmers and traders, and their lives was not sexy , they never make it to the big screen and hence into our imaginations.That said, Elizabeth Fenn brillantly weaves the remaining threads of Mandan history to tell a story of the great culture that played a Central role in North America s history I was impressed with their society and the way they bought and sold everything from physical goods to know how and intellectual property They were big time capitalists Fenn s work is clearly worth of the awards it is now receiving Finally and as a portent to all of us, the Mandans were grea...I live in South Dakota and my uncle grew up in Bismarck ND and did amateur archaeology there at Mandan sites I never really new what the story of the Mandans was, who they were, how they came to help Lewis and Clark, and how they pretty much disappeared from history within a few decades This book takes a mountain, well, a large hill, of scattered historical documents and sources and has turned it into clear narrative which tells what happened Along the way we meet successful and clever Mandan I live in South Dakota and my uncle grew up in Bismarck ND and did amateur archaeology there at Mandan sites I never really new what the story of the Mandans was, who they were, how they came to help Lewis and Clark, and how they pretty much disappeared from history within a few decades This book takes a mountain, well, a large hill, of scattered historical documents and sources and has turned it into clear narrative which tells what happened Along the way we meet successful and clever Mandans, Europeans a long way from home either for trade which always made sense to the Mandans or just to see and document in words and pictures a fascinating and rapidly changing world How things changed, what caused that change, from shifting trade p...Having lived in rural Kansas, I like reading books about the plains Indians This book was about the Mandans who lived in South Dakota, and their rituals were very similar to other tribes of the midwest Fenn gi...Yes, it won the 2015 Pulitzer for history and it paints a valuable anthropological picture of the Mandans, but it was much too long and included too much detail in the chronological telling Using a thematic approach would have made the book muchreadable.

Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People
  • English
  • 21 March 2018
  • Paperback
  • 480 pages
  • 0374535116
  • Elizabeth A. Fenn
  • Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People