The essay explores the author's family history as Jewish homesteaders in South Dakota, highlighting the connection between their success and the displacement of the Lakota Nation due to broken treaties.

"Rebecca Clarren's book 'The Cost of Free Land' explores her Jewish family's history in South Dakota as beneficiaries of land taken from the Lakota people, prompting her to grapple with feelings of guilt and a desire for atonement. While her family did not actively harm the Lakota, she recognizes their complicity in systemic injustices. Clarren intertwines the narratives of Jewish settlement in the West and the oppression of the Lakota, drawing parallels between American policies towards Native Americans and Hitler's ideology. The book highlights the need for understanding and acknowledging historical injustices, emphasizing the complex legacy of privilege and responsibility."

The podcast episode discussed in this text features JCC Krakow director Jonathan Ornstein talking about Jewish life in Poland, and author Antonio Pagliarulo discussing his book on the history of the evil eye.

Deadwood, South Dakota, known for its Wild West history and the HBO series, was home to a vibrant Jewish population in the late 1800s.