Description
Book SynopsisIn this revealing study, historian Mark Edwin Miller describes how and why dozens of previously unrecognized tribal groups in the southeastern states have sought, and sometimes won, recognition, often to the dismay of the Five Tribes - the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles.
Trade ReviewClaiming Tribal Identity is a highly successful, and very brave, effort by Mark Miller to explain why the Five Tribes of Oklahoma support the controversial Bureau of Indian Affairs Federal Acknowledgment Process . . . Mark Miller is the right one for this task. He is an historian with a strong earlier book, and now he has zeroed in on the problem of false claims. Miller's work is an exceptional history of U.S. public policy generally and the internal politics surrounding Indian issues more specifically."" - Bruce Ganville Miller,
New Mexico Historical Review""This is a refreshing look at the intricate politics not just of federal acknowledgment of unrecognized tribes (in the Southeast, primarily), but of the process of negotiating identity within group . . . Engaging, enlightening, and provocative, this is bound to become canonical in this field . . . Essential."" - C.R. Kasee,
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries ""[Miller] has established himself as perhaps the leading authority on the complicated, sometimes flawed, and often politicized federal acknowledgment system…this important and timely book deserves a wide audience."" - Thomas Cowger,
Western Historical Quarterly ""Miller's forthright venture into this contested terrain provides much-needed insight into the many competing motivations that undergird these debates. His book is essential reading not only for scholars of Native America but also for anyone interested in southern identity politics."" - Mikaela H. Adams,
The Journal of Southern History
