From Pine Ridge to Alaska Native Villages

Abstract

In his memoir, Sandra's Hands, a Reflective Journey from the Vietnam War to the Siege of Wounded Knee, Paul Berg explores his experiences in the Vietnam War and working as a teacher on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. After 1973, when tensions on the reservation exploded and culminated in the 72 day siege of the village of Wounded Knee, Paul Berg finds himself drawn into the conflict as he strives to provide quality education to his students. After this experience and given his dedication to education, he becomes a recognized national expert in cross-cultural education and establishes, with Bill Demmert and Richard Dauenhauer, the first cross-cultural education course required for teacher education in Alaska.