The Birch Bark Books of Simon Pokagon is a collection of articles and
legends written for and about the Potawatomi tribe by Simon Pokagon.
Originally printed on the bark of the white birch tree, a gesture made
"out of loyalty to [Pokagon's] own people, and gratitude to the Great
Spirit, who [...] provided for [their] use [...] this most
remarkable tree," these works paint a picture of America's native
people. "[On] behalf of my people, the American Indians, I hereby
declare to you, the pale-faced race that has usurped our lands and
homes, that we have no spirit to celebrate with you the great Columbian
Fair now being held in this Chicago city, the wonder of the world. No;
sooner would we hold high joy-day over the graves of our departed
fathers, than to celebrate our own funeral, the discovery of America."
Before Chicago was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the
nation, it was home to the Anishinaabe peoples, including the Potawatomi
to whom Simon Pokagon belonged. Angered with the erasure of his people
and the whitewashing of the history of violence against America's
indigenous tribes, Pokagon gave this opening speech, "The Red Man's
Rebuke," at the World's Columbia Exposition of 1893. A lifelong
activist, Pokagon dissects the false narrative of savagery and
civilization which justified the actions of European settlers while
vilifying those they displaced in their movement westward. During the
Exposition, Pokagon would speak to a crowd of 75,000 on his hope for the
future of his people. Including lesser known works, such as, "Algonquin
Legends of South Haven," "Algonquin Legends of Paw Paw" and "The
Pottawattomie Book of Genesis," this beautifully designed edition of
Simon Pokagon's work is a classic of Native American literature
reimagined for modern readers.
