The Great Power of Small Nations

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By Elizabeth Ellis, professor of history

Published Nov. 18, 2022

  Using extensive archival research and oral histories, Ellis tells the story of many smaller Native American nations in the Lower Mississippi Valley. In her first book, Ellis, who specializes in early American and Native American history, argues that Indigenous migration and immigrant practices helped create powerful and resilient Native nations that ultimately shaped the development of early Louisiana. The Great Power of Small Nations (University of Pennsylvania Press) shines a spotlight on the past and present power of Native nations.

Paw in print

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
The Latest Issue

July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.