Dammed Indians Revisited: The Continuing History of the Pick-Sloan Plan… (edition 2009)

Like some others, I found this book too impenetrable for my non-academic brain. While I'm sure it's a worthwhile subject, more specialized minds than mine will have to judge. ( )

I wanted to read this book because I am from the Midwest and interested in the ecology and politics behind water rights but it was too academic for me. Some human interest bits to lighten it up would have made it an easier read and more people would have gotten some good information. ( )

A very interesting topic, and I am glad that I stuck with the book. However, it is a very academic book, and is not geared towards the casual reader. A lot of discussion of court cases, legislation and political wrangling. To the author's credit it is well put together and is a good, if not easy read. ( )

In 1982, Michael Lawson wrote Dammed Indians, a book that chronicled the development and impact of the Pick-Sloan water management plan on the Missouri River Basin and the Native American people that lived along the river. It was a tragic story.
Almost 30 years later, Lawson has returned to the Missouri River with his book Dammed Indians Revisited. He picks up the story of the Pick-Sloan Plan and its continuing impact on the Missouri River Sioux that had once lived in the area inundated by the Pick-Sloan dams. He provides an historical narrative that weaves together the complexities of western water politics, business development, state and federal government bias, racism, and their impact on the Native American peoples living along the Missouri River.
Dammed Indians Revisited is a timely book with an important message. As water and other resources become more strained we will see more and more efforts by business and government (local, state and federal) to exercise eminent domain for a questionable common good. Dammed Indians Revisited is a cautionary tale worth reading. ( )

Excellent, almost text book in its approach to a water plan that covers several states and hundreds of miles of the Missouri River. The book is about this huge project, and the last chapter discussed what has happened in the years since the start. Any one who likes history of lives in the Missouri valley will find this of interest. ( )

This book was a little too scholarly for me. There is certainly a meaningful and important story told here, but I have to admit I would have liked it better if it had been a little more "easy reading". Serious students of Native American history should have this on their must-read list. For someone who just "enjoys" nonfiction like I do, it's not an ideal book. ( )

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history from this time. It's very thorough and, being Canadian, taught me a lot about the Indians of this particular part of the U.S. An intriguing read indeed! ( )

A well documented presentation of the effects of the Pick-Sloan plan on the Indian Reservations of the Dakotas.
Written so a layman can understand. Another bureaucratic government project that has taken away from our Native Americans. ( )