On the Back of a Turtle: A Narrative of the Huron-Wyandot People

by Lloyd E. Divine Jr.

On the Back of a Turtle  is an all-inclusive history of the Huron-Wyandot people—from before the creation of the Great Island, now called North America, to the present day. No other full-length history of the Huron-Wyandot people exists. Presented in a conversational, easy-to-read style, the book is a compelling and informative telling of the story of the Huron-Wyandot people as told by a tribal historian.
 
As characters and tribes emerge in the Huron-Wyandot’s oral tradition of creation, and take their respective places upon the Great Island, the author reveals the most difficult element of the Huron-Wyandot’s how the tribal name was obtained. With the knowledge of how both  Huron  and  Wyandot  are relevant names for one tribe of people, the author then shares his tribe’s amazing history. The reader will be fascinated to learn how one of the smallest tribes, birthed amid the Iroquois Wars, rose to become one of the most respected and influential tribes of North America.
 
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous

424 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2020

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars-because I could have used some visual aids in the first couple chapters. (History is complicated!) Highly recommend to fellow Ohioans

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing of the Wyandot: the last Native American tribe to be forcibly removed from Ohio. I'm highly impressed that Divine--a Wyandot himself and the only tribe member to date to write a book on his people--is also a paramedic and a father of four. Where does one have the time to compile such a thorough history? The style was engaging and it certainly piqued my interest to learn more about Native American history in general.

[Uriah St · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts were contradictory and others felt pretty biased in their portrayal of precolonization tribes.