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.

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The September 2026 cover of PAW, featuring the headline "Minds at Play" written in game pieces — crossword, Scrabble, and Rubics Cube.
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