In this novel, first published in 1891, young, idealistic Genevieve Weir arrives in Indian Territory on a mission to bring “civilization” to the Muscogee people. There she meets Wynema, a young Muscogee girl who shares the traditions and beliefs of her tribe. Together, these young women come of age during a time in American history marred by racism, sexism, and brutality toward Native Americans. A story about love’s power to overcome differences, this novel also takes a hard look at “the wrongs and opression” perpetrated by the U.S. government toward Indigenous tribes. Edited by Tammy Jabin, professor of English at Chemeketa Community College, and including an introduction by Norma Marshall, Native American Studies instructor at the College of the Muscogee Nation, this new edition of Wynema: A Child of the Forest brings this novel to a twenty-first century readership.
