In Their Own Words: Native American Voices from the American Revolution

In Their Own Words is a unique collection of nearly one hundred and fifty never-before published original documents containing the speeches of 18th century Native-American orators who spoke in dozens of councils with white men, both British and American, during the years of the American Revolution.

Painstakingly transcribed from the Sir Frederick Haldimand Papers collection housed in the British Library and on loan from copies held in the National Archives of Canada, this collection of Native-American speeches is arranged in chronological order from the beginning of the war until its end in 1784, re-creating an unbroken record of what was said by an 18th century indigenous people who had no means of recording themselves.

Each document reveals a written account of what was spoken by both village and war chiefs at a particular time and place in the many councils held with both the British and Americans during the war years. The reason these speeches exist at all in archives is that the white officers attending the councils had with them at the time both a translator who could speak the language of the tribe attending the council and, more importantly, a white man who was able to write in English the words spoken by the native orator as quickly as they were translated by the person present who could speak the language. Consequently, these speeches together comprise an unbroken record of what 18th century Indian orators said at councils held at Fort Detroit, Fort Niagara, Fort Pitt, Montreal, and Quebec City, as well as Indian villages throughout the Ohio Country during the war.

Together, this collection of 18th century Native-American voices from the American Revolution serves as a unique, never-before heard, poignant and heart-rending testament of an indigenous people lost in the turbulence of American history.

Soft bound, 375 pages, appendix, biblio., $19.95