Exiled within the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations & the U.S. Structure

It’s little recognized that the Revolutionary Battle and the writing of the USA Structure and Invoice of Rights have been strongly influenced by Native American traditions. European philosophers of the Enlightenment similar to Jean Jacques Rousseau had begun urgent for democratic reforms in Europe on the idea of glowing stories by early settlers concerning the New World and its native inhabitants.

The founding fathers of the USA, in flip, have been impressed to battle for independence and to create the nice American paperwork of freedom by way of contact with Native American statesmen and publicity to American Indian societies based mostly on particular person freedom, consultant authorities and the democratic union of tribes. But American Indians have by no means been acknowledged for his or her many contributions to the founding of the USA of America, and so they have by no means been permitted to totally share the advantages of the freedoms they helped set up.

Exiled within the Land of the Free is a dramatic recounting of early American historical past and an eloquent name for reform that won’t be ignored. Written by eight distinguished Native American leaders and students, every a specialist in his space of experience, Exiled within the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations and the U. S. Structure is a landmark quantity, certain to be learn by generations to return.

A side of American historical past that has been ignored and denied for hundreds of years is the extent to which we’re indebted to Native Individuals for the rules and practices on which our democratic establishments are based mostly. That is the primary work to acknowledge that legacy and hint our mannequin of participatory democracy to its Native American roots. This guide, which was written into the Congressional File, has main implications for future relations between Indian tribes and the governments of the USA and different nations. It presents the strongest case ever made for Native American sovereignty. American historical past has lastly been written–not from the European level of view–but from an Indian perspective. Exiled within the Land of the Free has been adopted for programs in twelve universities, so far.