Angie Debo Boeken

The classic book that exposed the scandal of the dispossession of native land by American settlers And Still the Waters Run tells the tragic story of the liquidation of the independent Indian republics of the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Creeks, and Seminoles, known as the Five Civilized Tribes. At the turn of the twentieth century, the tribes owned the eastern half of what is now Oklahoma, a territory immensely wealthy in farmland, forests, coal, and oil. Their political and economic status was guaranteed by the federal government—until American settlers arrived. Congress abrogated treaties that it had promised would last “as long as the waters run,” and within a generation, the tribes were systematically stripped of their holdings, and were rescued from starvation only through public charity. Called a “work of art” by writer Oliver La Farge, And Still the Waters Run was so controversial when it was first published that Angie Debo was banned from teaching in Oklahoma for many years. Now with an incisive foreword by Amanda Cobb-Greetham, here is the acclaimed book that first documented the scandalous founding of Oklahoma on native land.

Set against the backdrop of the 1906 protests led by Creek Indian Chitto Harjo, the narrative delves into the historical struggles of Native Americans, beginning with the era of Columbus. Harjo emphasizes the importance of understanding the deep-rooted history of indigenous peoples in the context of their ongoing fight against the U.S. government's land policies. The book highlights the persistent gap in knowledge among non-Indian Americans regarding Indian history and the implications of this ignorance on contemporary issues.

On September 5, 1886, America celebrated the surrender of Apache war leader Geronimo to Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles, accompanied by Chief Naiche, 16 warriors, 14 women, and 6 children.

This seminal work of Native American history explores the legal and political battles surrounding the management and ownership of the Arkansas River and its watershed, and their impact on Indigenous communities in Oklahoma and beyond.