"A century ago, U.S. policy aimed to sever the tribal allegiances of Native Americans, limit their ancient liberties, and coercively prepare them for citizenship. At the same time, millions of new immigrants sought their freedom by means of that same citizenship. Alan Trachtenberg argues that the two developments were, inevitably, juxtaposed: Indians and immigrants together preoccupied the public imagination, and together changed the idea of what it meant to be American." "In Shades of Hiawatha, Trachtenberg eloquently suggests that we must imagine America's tribal creation story in new ways if we are to reaffirm its beckoning promise of universal liberty. Book jacket." -- Book jacket.

Introduction : dreaming Indian -- Singing Hiawatha -- Conceivable aliens -- Yiddish Hiawatha -- Ghostlier demarcations -- Wanamaker Indians -- The great bridge.