(1888PressRelease)
March 26, 2008 - A just-released book details the efforts of former New York State resident Louis Rooks Bruce to improve the health conditions, education and housing of his fellow American Indians. Cooperstown, NY resident Jane Richardson spent almost two years researching the history, culture, customs and lifestyles of his parents' eastern Mohawks and the western Sioux backgrounds as well as other tribes across the country to provide a detailed foundation for her latest book: Chief of the Chiefs. Lively contributions from young and very old Indians, White House staff, politicians, family members and American Indian activists keep the book moving across the land, visiting longhouses, tepees, men and women at work, children at play, and into the political arena. Over one hundred illustrations, letters and documents are included.
The history includes details about the senior Louis Bruce (Mohawk), who was born in 1877 near the St. Regis Reservation. Chief of the Chiefs describes his being sent to a Philadelphia Boarding School and financing his further education by playing semi-pro and professional baseball. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1902. In 1904 he married a Sioux and received his degree in Dentistry, working in that profession for only two years. He followed that by taking special courses at Syracuse University and becoming a Methodist minister. Bruce served 11 different churches in central New York over 38 years.
The main focus of the book is on his son Louis Rooks Bruce, who was born in Syracuse, NY in 1905 but grew up on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. He attended Cazenovia Seminary and received his BA from Syracuse University in 1930. From his original meeting with Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, his path took many directions, including being consultant to six presidents. Chief of the Chiefs also details Bruce's tenure as Commissioner of Indian Affairs during the Nixon Administration. The takeover of the Bureau's headquarters in 1972 is reviewed from a number of perspectives, including the Bureau, the White House, and the AIM members who occupied the building. After leaving government service Bruce continued working with and for American Indians as a mentor, lobbyist and consultant.
Author Jane Richardson has traveled around the world, living with families in all walks of life from those whose houses have dirt floors to royal palaces. Richardson's decades of experience are shown by her books' authentic details and excellent descriptions. Chief of the Chiefs is Richardson's ninth book, her fifth biography. Chief of the Chiefs is available for $16.95 from most bookstores or by calling Thistle Publishing at (866) 334-2302.
