Michigan's Company K: Anishinaabe Soldiers, Citizenship, and the Civil War is a highly specific read about a specific group of the the Anishinaabe tribes of Michigan. It covers more than just the Civil War service and sacrifice provided by these men and their families - it begins in 1763 with the group providing service before the US was the US in many military conflicts leading up to the Civil War. By assisting in the defense of our upcoming nation, the Anishinaabe sought to protect their rights within the growth: voting, preserving past-present-future treaty rights, and their own national identity nested within yet separate and apart from this new creature calling itself America.

A challenging yet interesting detail-upon-detail text with the Other Side of the Story of our nation's history, one in which a spade is called a spade. Important and timely, this is another example showing the outrageous deceit of "manifest destiny" theories-turned-history to justify the destroying of entire peoples without blinking an eye. Outrageous.

All the stars - woeful and weeping for all they have had to witness. (no apologies for the drama)

*A sincere thank you to Michelle K. Cassidy, Michigan State University Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

In full disclosure, I requested this quite specialized history title firstly as it was published by Michigan State University, my Alma mater. Also, I know less than I probably should about the state’s history, especially involving its indigenous populations. What I read was fascinating and important, a little-known chapter of history worth learning about.

A long neglected part of the American Civil War was the participation of Native Americans on both sides of the conflict. In this case the Native Americans of the Great Lakes region. This is well worth it for the interested reader of the Civil War.

Native American roles in the Civil War are always fascinating. To know that tribes fought on both sides but neither really won is a common trend. Company K as told by Michelle Cassidy details the full story of the native marksmen who fought for the Union. I would highly recommend this.