The Four Deaths of Acorn Whistler: Telling Stories in Colonial America
Pocahontas. Sacajawea. Sitting Bull. Crazy Horse. Acorn Whistler? This Creek Indian's life will never put him in the pantheon of renowned Native Americans. But it is his death, not his life, that matters--or, rather, it is the stories that colonists and Creeks made up about his demise. Unpacking and untangling those tales,Joshua Piker's fine book reveals nothing less than 'the way life in colonial America worked.' (James H. Merrell, author ofThe Indians' New World)Pikeris an excellent storyteller, andThe Four Deaths of Acorn Whistleris an intriguing tale--told in four different ways--that showcases his dazzling historical detective work. He skillfully uses Creek Indian history as a window into early America. (Jenny Hale Pulsipher, author ofSubjects unto the Same King: Indians, English, and the Contest for Authority in Colonial New England)As American historians contemplate how best to reintegrate narrative into our work,Pikerprovides us with a model. Not only isThe Four Deaths of Acorn Whistlerbeautifully written, it also considers the nature and impact of storytelling, suggesting that in the end we are who we are because of the tales we tell to ourselves and to others. (Ari Kelman, author ofA Misplaced Massacre: Struggling over the Memory of Sand Creek)Josh Pikerfollows his superb first book,Okfuskee, with a sharply observed and deeply researched analysis of a bloody conflict and its tangled--and ultimately murderous--aftermath. His examination of the multiple narratives of Whistler's death forces us to consider the nature of documentary evidence and story-telling in early North America. (Peter C. Mancall, author ofFatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson)