Red Men in Red Square

Chief Big Eagle, hero of the legal battle to save the last quarter-acre of the original Golden Hill Indian reservation (QUARTER-ACRE OF HEARTACHE, Pocahontas Press, 1985), travels to Russia where he discovers the Indianists--Soviet citizens who study & practice Native American cultures, religions, & crafts. They are so skilled that the Chief remarks, "In another 25 years, American Indians will have to come to Russia to learn how to be American Indians." In a culture basically hostile to the theology & customs of Native Americans, these intrepid people from as far away as Siberia gather every summer near Leningrad for a two-week pow-wow. They live in tents, cook, sing, dance, conduct religious ceremonies, have contests, display their crafts. During the second trip, the Chief has a heart attack, adopts a daughter into the Golden Hill tribe, & finds many kindred souls among these people who, if the land bridge across the Bering Strait is valid, share his ancestry. Smith's words give an immediacy to this story, in which the Indianists' warm welcome, sincere friendliness, & serious study are in marked contrast to the discouraging, depressing difficulties & frustrations of life in Russia as the Communist system begins to crumble.Smith, Claude C. is the author of 'Red Men in Red Square' with ISBN 9780936015460 and ISBN 0936015462.