The Small Shall Be Strong

"Matthew S. Makley situates Washoe survival in the cultural worldview and actions of Washoe individuals themselves. A complex and sensitive history of an Indian community that has generally been overlooked by scholars, this book makes key contributions to the fields of Indian history and Western history as well as to environmental history."--Jeffrey P. Shepherd, author of We Are an Indian Nation: A History of the Hualapai People "This timely work makes a strong case for how attention to tribal nations can provide insights into the history and contemporary state of Native North America . . . This volume is a model of ethnohistorical scholarship."--CHOICE "This well-researched book sets a standard for the rapidly expanding field of small tribal histories."--Journal of American History "Makley has done a service to the Washoe and students of Indian history by providing this useful account of a small persistent tribe that is usually overlooked in Native American history and in the sweeping accounts of the American West. Their story demonstrates that the histories of small tribes can reveal new dimensions in a general story that is well known in its broad outlines."--Pacific Historical Review "[Makley's] call for a fresh perspective is very useful and it comes with the added bonus of a solid example of how to tell the story of a smaller tribe."--Nevada Historical Society Quarterly "A richly textured, meditative analysis of the Washoe, The Small Shall Be Strong demonstrates how bringing new voices and experiences adds depth and nuance to Indigenous history as well as the history of the US West . . . Makley has produced a book that should be required reading for all Americans but especially for the non-Indian residents of and visitors to the Washoe homelands."--Ethnohistory

Matthew S. Makley is professor of history at Metropolitan State University of Denver.