Long before lucrative tribal casinos sparked controversy, Native
Americans amassed other wealth that provoked intense debate about
the desirability, morality, and compatibility of Indian and
non-Indian economic practices. Alexandra Harmon examines seven such
instances of Indian affluence and the dilemmas they presented both
for Native Americans and for Euro-Americans--dilemmas rooted in the
colonial origins of the modern American economy. Harmon's study not
only compels us to look beyond stereotypes of greedy whites and
poor Indians, but also convincingly demonstrates that Indians
deserve a prominent place in American economic history and in the
history of American ideas.