The mythology of "gifted land" is strong in the National Park Service, but some of our greatest parks were "gifted" by people who had little if any choice in the matter. Places like the Grand Canyon's south rim and Glacier had to be bought, finagled, borrowed--or taken by force--when Indian occupants and owners resisted the call to contribute to the public welfare.
The story of national parks and Indians is, depending on perspective, a costly triumph of the public interest, or a bitter betrayal of America's native people.
"Combining highly charged prose and convincing evidence...this superb book constitutes a moving account of [tribal] defeats and victories."
-Choice
"It's not just Indians who need to heed the lessons of this book and the ultimate illusion of ownership."
-Christian Science Monitor
"A great asset to the literature on the relations between Indian people and the National Park Service."
-American Indian Culture and Research Journal