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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2017)
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon PETERSON: Book delves into fraught history with native peoples magnificent landscape and romantic ideas of cowboys and Indians portend. “ A m e r i c a n Tr i n i t y ” emphasizes the tragic his- tory of American Indians, while connecting their treat- ment to other cultures in prior centuries such as the Jews, enslaved Africans, and belea- guered Christians. Peterson, in the words of his editor, set out to “chal- lenge views without demand- ing that you change yours.” He is not grinding an ideo- logical ax — but he is facing Continued from page 1 up to some difficult history. A the most respected scholars man of deep faith, Peterson in the field of the history of wrestles with the role religion the American West, such as played in justifying conquest T.J. Stiles and Paul Andrew and the stripping of culture Hutton. away from native “This is a peoples. A doctor big deal in my and a man of sci- life,” Peterson ence, he grapples told The Nugget. with the use of “Probably the “scientific rac- biggest. And I’ve ism” to rational- had the good for- ize oppression. tune to have some In regards to things go right — the role of the but nothing like church, Peterson this.” notes that “there Peterson, an is the church of award-winning Jesus and what he physician and sci- said,” which dis- entist of dermatol- tills down to the ogy, has already Golden Rule — won renown for do unto others as his extraordi- you would have nary coffeetable them do unto you. books on Western “Then there’s the artists Charles church of Paul,” M. Russell Peterson says. and Phillip “Paul is really the R. Goodwin. basis of religion.” “American Fundamentally Trinity” is a dif- different spiri- ferent kind of tual outlooks book — one were part of the whose window conflict between GRAPHIC PROVIDED E u r o p e a n - on the frontier shows something “American Trinity” has earned prestigious Non-fiction Book of the Americans and darker than the Year accolades from True West Magazine. Indians. HOWELLS REALTY GROUP Phil Arends 541-420-9997 phil@blackbutte.com “One of the wonder- ful things about Native Americans is that they accepted the Mystery,” Peterson said. “We don’t like to accept that. The myster- ies in Western Civilization are called paradoxes. Native Americans accepted the mys- tery; Christians tried to make sense of it.” Medicine, too, was used almost as a weapon against the native peoples. “I think it’s kind of like religion,” Peterson said. “Any tool can be used for good or bad.” While he looks unflinch- ingly at the sins of the West and the evils perpetrated on native peoples, Peterson is careful and thorough in pro- viding context. He notes that Thomas Jefferson is often judged harshly for extolling profound ideals of freedom while owning slaves and tak- ing land from Indian nations. “I tend not to be too judg- mental about somebody like Jefferson,” he told The Nugget. “We’re all cultural beings.” If we’re honest, we have to acknowledge that if we were in the shoes of our ancestors, growing up in a slave soci- ety that regarded Indians as uncivilized people and the land as “empty,” we would likely have behaved much the same as they did. The purpose of “American Trinity” is to seek an honest reckoning, not to impose a point of view or instill feel- ings of guilt. In a sense, though it is a hard look back- ward, it is really aimed at the future. In an earlier review of “American Trinity,” Rosebrook wrote: “At the heart of Peterson’s magnum opus on the American West is his search for the historical meaning and a record of race relations between European- Americans and the Native peoples of North America — and how a truthful reckoning of the past can provide clar- ity for an improved collective future.” The scope and scale of “American Trinity” is immense, but the book is nevertheless quite acces- sible. It was designed that way, to be read in chunks, not necessarily from begin- ning to end in one shot. And it rewards multiple readings. “Those 27 chapters are individual studies and they stand alone,” Peterson said. “It’s not a timeline.” Peterson will share a dis- cussion of the themes of his book at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters on Saturday, December 9, at 6 p.m. A Christmas Dream Come True: A NEW HOME PEAK PROPERTIES PARTNERSHIP Dick Howells 541-408-6818 Black Butte Ranch, Sisters Area, rahowells@blackbutte.com and Central Oregon Let our 40+ years of combined experience work for you. Whether you are buying or selling, call us for a no-obligation consultation. www.realestateinsisters.com | 220 S. Ash St., Sisters Debbie Brown/Broker A Partnership Beyond Your Expectations Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180 282 2 82 Cedar C d St., St Sisters S i t (Behind Hop-n-Brew) Home Ownership Brings Quality of Life If you are currently renting a home, come by and see us. 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