In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

work by Matthiessen

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July 23, 2026

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"In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen details the conflict between federal agents and the American Indian Movement (AIM) at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973. This event was a pivotal moment in Native American activism, stemming from AIM's broader goals of economic independence, cultural revitalization, and the protection of legal and tribal rights.123

The book also touches upon the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, where approximately 150-300 Lakota individuals were killed by U.S. Army troops, marking the end of organized resistance to reservation life. The narrative connects these events to the ongoing struggle for Native American rights and autonomy.45673

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Peter Matthiessen
His book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (1983), about the conflict between federal agents and the American Indian Movement at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973, was the subject of a prolonged libel suit that blocked all but an initial printing and was not settled until…
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His book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (1983), about the conflict between federal agents and the American Indian Movement at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973, was the subject of a prolonged libel suit that blocked all but an initial printing and was not settled until…
Read More