In an effort to obtain research material for this book, I searched for a source that might provide a fresh perspective on the evolving effects of criminal justice services on various population groups within the United States. I considered interviewing individuals experiencing widely publicized negative interactions with policing agencies, such as members of the American underclass descended from conditions of involuntary servitude and those multilingual groups derived from foreign immigration or asylum seeking. Instead, however, I chose to express the reflections of a retired veteran of law enforcement whose ethnic identity is not often considered as that of an oppressed minority. Although they were the earliest of observers of the institution of European law and order in America, Native Americans are rarely popularized as the recipients of police injustices. Similarly, their contributions to American law enforcement are rarely acknowledged. Securing the valuable insights, criticisms, and recommendations of a qualified Amerindian law enforcement observer and practitioner, such as Captain Manitouabewich, has been enlightening and stimulating.
