"The accomplishments of Indians and their actual place in the story of the United States have never been remotely touched by ... [most] historians. The major reason for this omission is that a substantial number of practicing historians simply do not know the source documents with sufficient precision to make sense of them; ... They spend a…

Discusses the general unfamiliarity of American Indian prophets, religions, and spiritual beliefs and attributes that lack of knowledge to the difficulty scholars have had in examining the social and cultural systems of Indians. Sums up the role and the importance of religious movements and prophets in American Indian history. (JHZ)

From an individual's viewpoint, it is argued, culture establishes a meaningful context of social institutions, ecological practices, and personal rules of conduct which provide each group member with a blueprint for social existence. But, behavior is also conditioned by unconscious internalized patterns, which tend to be accepted by everyone as…