Voices of the American West, Volume 1: The Indian Interviews of Eli S. Rick er, 1903-1919

US: UNP - Bison Books, 2012. Paperback. Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting.The spine remains undamaged. The valuable interviews conducted by Nebraska judge Eli S. Ricker with Indi an eyewitnesses to the Wounded Knee massacre, the Little Big Horn battle, t he Grattan incident, and other events and personages of the Old West are fi nally made widely available in this long-awaited volume. In the first decade of the twentieth century, as the Old West became increa singly distant and romanticized in popular consciousness, Eli S. Ricker (18 43-1926) began interviewing those who had experienced it firsthand, hoping to write a multi-volume series about its last days. Among the many individu als he interviewed were American Indians, mostly Sioux, who spoke extensive ly about a range of subjects, some with the help of an interpreter. For yea rs Ricker traveled across the northern Plains, determinedly gathering infor mation on and off reservations, in winter and in summer. Judge Ricker never wrote his book, but his interviews are priceless sources of information ab out the Old West that offer more balanced perspectives on events than were accepted at the time. Richard E. Jensen brings together all of Ricker's interviews with American Indians, annotating the conversations and offering an extensive introductio n that sets forth important information about Ricker, his research, and the editorial methodology guiding the present volume. Eli S. Ricker (1843-1926) served with the 102nd Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. After the war, he began farming but was eventually admitted to th.