In this book one of America's leading writers of Indian History examines the aspirations and feelings of today's Indians-what they want and why they want it. Using the particular histories of seven Indian tribes or groups, Alvin Josephy analyzes seven principal issues in the continuing face-off between Indians and Whites:
- The Indians' will to endure as Indians
- Racial sterotypes that influence Whites' treatment of Indians
- Indians' efforts to retain the deep spiritual basis of their lives
- The fight to retain tribal land bases
- Reassertion of Indian water rights
- Claims to fishing and hunting rights
- The modern-day quest for self-termination, sovereignty, and control of tribal affairs and resources
Those themes are the major aspects of contemporary Indian affairs that are least understood by non-Indians and tend to cause continued misunderstanding and conflicts with Whites.