Red Power is a documentary history of the militant American Indian movement that emerged in the 1960s. At the beginning, Alvin M. Josephy Jr. clearly states the major theme: "the right of Indians to be free of colonialist rule and to run their own affairs."

 

What follows are twenty-six selections by Indian groups, congressional committees, and such articulate individuals as Clyde Warrior, Melvin Thom, Laura McCloud, and Andrew Heimequaftewa. They propose diverse solutions to problems of employment, education, and health. Their statements about such vital concerns as land and water, hunting and fishing rights are also proud and moving affirmations of Indian identity. In lucid introductions, Josephy places each selection in the context of Indian demands for self-determination.