Abraham Lincoln

Eastman's autobiography is the story of the "civilizing" of a "pagan," in the author's own words. Eastman tries to bring together the best of the Indian's and white man's world, and it is a difficult task he has set for himself. He declares that

I stand before my own people still as an advocate of civilization. Why? First, because there is no chance for our former simple life any more; and second, because I realize that the white man's religion is not responsible for his mistakes (195).

The primary element of "civilization" which Eastman expounds is Christianity, but it seems as if he might argue that Indians should "civilize" themselves even if it were not for the values the Christian religion offers, for one of the major points made by Eastman is that the old way of life for the Indians is over forever:

The North American Indian was the highest type of pagan and uncivilized man. He possessed not only a superb physique but a remarkable mind. But the Indian no longer exists as a natural and free man. Those remnants which now dwell upon the reservations present only a sort of tableau --- a fictitious copy of the past (v).

However correct Eastman (his Sioux name was Ohiyesa) might be with respect to the obsolete nature of the Indian way of life, he clearly runs into a number of serious

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work "no longer existed when the book was published in 1902" (vii). Historically, Eastman in this work tells the story of a people who had lost their grip on a way of life which was gone forever, and who were having tremendous difficulty adjusting to such radical changes. They had lost their previous way of life, but they had learned to reject the white man's way of life, and there seemed to be no alternative beyond those two --- one gone, the other unacceptable. Eastman's book is meant to bridge that historical gap in the life of the American-Indian. As we read, in this book Eastman "recounts his initiation into the white world and his subsequent role as mediator between two often conflicting cultures" (vii). Despite the fact that Eastman became a Christian, it is not fair to conclude that he turned his back on the Indian way of life. As he writes himself, "I am an Indian; and while I have learned much from civilization. . . . I have never lost my Indian sense of right and justice. I am for development and progress along social and spiritual lines, rather than those of commerce, nationalism, or material efficiency. Nevertheless, so long as I live, I am an American" (195). Eastman is actually advocating not the actual
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1562
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)