Witness

"A book written from a Native person's point of view provides a rare—and therefore much needed—narrative about American society's impact on indigenous peoples."—Edward Valandra, Great Plains Quarterly

"This is an unprecedented addition to the field of Dakota/Lakota scholarship."—Shannon D. Smith, Nebraska History

“Emily Levine has amassed an essential text for all students, professors, scholars, and general readers interested in the history, culture, and traditions of the Oceti Sakowin Oyate, the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations.”—Brian J. Twenter, Studies in American Indian Literatures
 
 

"This book is a pleasure to open and explore."—Bill Markley, Roundup Magazine

"In this sensitively edited and translated volume, Emily Levine performs a work of recovery mirroring that of Lakota amateur historian Josephine Waggoner (d. 1943) herself: distilling for scholars a disciplined but wide-ranging gathering of historical materials that might otherwise have been forever lost. The list of archives consulted is impressive, and the attention to Lakota expression and Waggoner's intention extremely conscientious. Well illustrated and annotated, it is a major editorial achievement."—American Historical Association

“Josephine Waggoner’s writings offer a unique perspective on the Lakota. Witness will become a widely referenced primary source. Emily Levine has meticulously examined all known collections of Waggoner’s manuscripts, sometimes comparing handwritten drafts with multiple typed copies to preserve information in full. Levine’s extensive notes are well chosen and informative. Witness will interest both specialist and popular audiences.”—Raymond J. DeMallie, Chancellors’ Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies at Indiana University