Introduction : Self-determination, subaltern studies, and the critical remapping of U.S. empire -- Representing the Cherokee Nation : imperial power and elite interests in the remaking of Cherokee governance -- The territoriality of tradition : treaties, hunting grounds, and prophecy in Black Hawk's narrative -- Comanche metaphors : Juan Seguín's Memoirs and the figure of the barbarian in the struggle for Texas -- Partial citizens and insurgent masses : narrating violence past and present in post-1848 California.