Since coming fruition in the 60's during the Native American Renaissance, Native American literature has developed a rich tradition with many great works by Native American authors such as N Scott Momaday and Leslie Marmon Silko. Most of this literature is strongly influenced by the oral traditions the authors grew up with, and while some authors' writings are throwbacks to the past and the traditions of their ancestors, much of modern Native American literature deals with life for contemporary Native Americans on the reservations. These novels often make a strong connection between the past and modern Native American life. They tend to focus on the effects of colonization, the dispossession felt by American Indians, the loss of cultural identity, and the struggle to overcome stereotypes that Native Americans face every day. In portraying these struggles, many Native American authors show their Indian characters in very human terms, helping non-Native American readers to relate to them and overcome misconceptions about what it means to be an Indian. The dispossession and loss of cultural identity is a strong theme throughout much of contemporary Native American literature. Books like Silko's Ceremony show the effects that such cultural loss can have on the people. In Silko's case, the main character's Post Traumatic Stress disorder is exacerbated by a loss of cultural connections, nearly destroying him. Novels tend to focus on the emptiness and inability to live a complete life when such loss is felt, and som authors use alcoholism - an issue dealt with by many Native Americans - to help demonstrate the effects of this dispossession.
Though Native American literature only came into its own quite recently, it has many fine works in its body. Many novelists and poets such as Sherman Alexie have written great works that deal with many issues that concern the Native American people as a whole.
The history of Native American literature begins with traditional storytelling. Prior to the Native American Renaissance, authors such as Simon Pokagon and Charles Alexander Eastman based their writing on personal experiences, opinions, and struggles. When the 1960's and 1970's yielded a new generation of Native Americans, young people took a new interest in the ideas of colonization, nativism, and cultural histories. While these ideas remained common themes throughout new writing, authors found new ways to convey their messages. Through looking at the past century, we can see how influential Native American authors have used their traditions in new ways to protest against and educate others about the concerns and struggles facing them.
The Oral Traditions
In Native American culture, storytelling isn't simply something to pass the time. Stories hold the history of the people, the collective memory of the tribe. This tradition is a fundamental part of their culture, connecting people to their past and their surroundings. However, colonization began with the coming of the Europeans, forcing assimilation on the Native Americans and causing some to lose their connection to the past. With colonization, Native Americans were told and expected to pick up on the culture of their new colonizers, and not to rely on the stories that held their past and present together.
The Turn of the Century
Since Europeans first came to America, the process of colonization has proved difficult for Native Americans to withstand. First explorers and settlers, and later the American government forsake any rights of Native Americans, leaving them small reservations which weren't even safe from nuclear hazards and train rails. However, as their land, freedom, culture, and lives were taken away from them by the white men, government schools became mandatory to attend, giving Native Americans a way to share their own histories with a large audience. In the late 1800's, Native American writers began telling their stories through books in the form of autobiographical novels. It was then that they could express their feelings about their colonizers, and speak of nativism openly.
Simon Pokagon
Born 1830, was a Potawatomi Indian with a lot to share with the world. He spent his life working for the freedom and rights of his fellow Native Americans. He was straightforward about his feelings toward the “pale-faced race” in such novels as The Red Man’s Rebuke and The Red Man’s Greeting (1893). Many of his works and efforts were driven by his childhood, when having to watch the land of his ancestors be destroyed by “the cyclone of civilization”. His novels were not only some of the earliest written work on behalf of Native Americans, they also held meaning and values which many Native American’s shared. In his works, we see the themes of nativism and cultural identity that can be seen throughout the history of Native American literature.
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Charles Alexander Eastman was born in 1858, to a Dakota Indian and his mixed-blood wife. While Charles was born on a small reservation near Redwood Falls, Minnesota, he grew up to attend Dartmouth College and Boston University, becoming a successful physician and writer. His works contain a lot of autobiographical writing, allowing many non-Indian readers to have a better understanding of the culture, values, and abilities of Native Americans for the first time. His works have a way of fusing the traditional upbringing he received from his grandmother with his own Christian spirituality, along with detailing events that occurred while he was a refugee in Canada. Novels such as Memories of an Indian Boyhood, his autobiography which was published in 1902, and Red Hunters and Animal People, a collection of legends, help us to see what Native Americans were facing; not only were they harassed and killed by white men as they were pushed out of their land, but also the way in which many of them used a combination of their history, traditional upbringing, and culture with the new Christian mentality to fight against stereotypes and oppressors.
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The Native American Renaissance In the 60's and 70's, these idea's and feelings were rekindled within the youth, leading to a breakthrough into the mainstream Euro-American society. When N. Scott Momaday came out with House Made of Dawn, he crossed new boundaries, bringing Native American literature into the homes of millions of Americans, and allowing them to experience the struggles first hand. In John Lloyd Purdy's "The Baby Boom Generation and the reception of Native American literatures: D'Arcy Mcknickels' "Runner in the Sun", Lloyd explains how "In 1969,Momaday, a writer of Kiowa descent, won the Pulitzer Prize for his first novel, House Made of Dawn (1966); and in the 1970's the window of publishing possibilities opened a bit wider for others, such as Simon Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, James Welch, and Geral Vizenor" (Lloyd). This Renaissance has indeed opened the doors for many Native American authors, and it has also sent a riple of creativity through generations to come.
N. Scott Momaday’s writing has greatly helped Native American Literature break into the mainstream. He, along with many other writers of his time, started what many deem as "The Native American Renaissance". With novels such as House Made of Dawn (1966), Momaday tackled many issues which were surrounding Native Americans during this time: war, drinking, nativism, and the oppression from mainstream America, giving authors such as Silko and Alexie the ability and inspiriation to create their own stories. Momaday uses traditional stories and methods, but manages to retell it in a way which makes them new and understandable by all audiences.We can see Momaday's influence in Alexie's writing, as well as other modern Native American authors. ****
Leslie Marmon Silko has spent her career reaching out to educate and comfort her audiences with moving, enlightening novels concerning modern day Native Americans. Most noticeably is her 1977 novel Ceremony, which speaks to those caught between their Native American culture and their American identity. Like other authors of her time, Silko focuses on the relationship between man and nature, the importance of storytelling, and the dangers of the Euro-American society. Silko speaks from experience in many of her novels. Like the protagonist from Ceremony, Silko is not a pure blooded Indian, which caused social isolation for her. However, she was taught by her family about the traditions and stories of their culture, and she uses her knowledge and experience to help others feel less alone and more comfortable with their identities. Silko encourages her readers not to be afraid of their heritage, and to embrace their culture through stories and landscapes.
Modern Native American Literature
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Sherman Alexie represents the newest generation of Native American literature. While many young writers now are using previously unseen writing tactics, humor in particular, his message is still reminiscent of the writers before him. Alexie manages to reach audiences of all backgrounds to help unify and understand Native American culture. In his collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Alexie shows us the struggles modern Native Americans must go through, both on the reservation and outside of it. Although his writing may not be traditional, he pulls from traditional influences, and argues the same points that Native American authors have been arguing for decades. He can be seen as a continance of the Native American Renaisance, putting his Native American heritage into mainstream media.
Purdy, John Lloyd. Western American Literature, Fall 2008. 43.3, p233-57. 28 May 2009. Ohio University, Alden Library.
Sherman Alexie was born in October of 1966. He grew up in the Spokane Indian Reservation and this is where a lot of his works are from.He is a very talented writer.Alexie was a very smart child who read many novels at a very young age.By age 5, he was reading The Grapes of Wrath.He was much further advanced than the regular 5 year old.
Alexie struggled with drinking but overcame it by age 23.His first collection of short stories was The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.Alexie has done readings, interviews, stand-up comedy, etc and he has also written poetry, screen plays, novels, short stories, anthropologies, and movies.
Most of Sherman Alexie’s novels and collections of short stories center around the Indian living in a white world and Indians on the Spokane Reservation.He usually includes humor to make light of very serious situations.To incorporate humor, he speaks of alcoholics, basketball, women, etc.Many of these works include heartbreak and sadness and Alexie is very good at making the serious aspects and humor fall together to make an amazing creation.
Short Story Collections:
1993- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Summary:This collection has become one of the most popular themes of American Indian Literature.It is a collection of short stories about the Spokane Indian Reservation.It contains much criticized humor.Critics claim that Alexie “makes fun” of his own reservation and people by incorporating his use of humor.In many parts of the stories, Alexie speaks of Indians of the Spokane Reservation getting drunk and acting stupid and this is where people get off saying that he is making fun of the culture.To Alexie, it is his life and how he has interpreted things.He did not write about his culture in a negative way but he just believed that he was incorporating humor into his stories and making them more enjoyable.This novel focuses on family, friends, basketball, alcohol, and about anything a person could imagine.It comes together to create and fun and imaginable collection of short stories.
2003- Ten Little Indians
Summary:This is a collection of short stories that, like many of Alexie’s works, has Indians finding themselves at a crossroads about living as an Indian of the modern world.This collection talks of the struggles they had to go through to stay loyal to their culture.This is a more serious collection of stories than The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.Ten Little Indians is said to be a very emotional and heart wrenching collection of stories.
2009- War Dances
Summary: “Heartbreaking and hilarious” at the same time.It is about ordinary people that are on the road to change.War Dances includes problems with alcohol and disease and comes together into many sad stories.It is said to bring about what it is actually like to be human.Again, Alexie uses his humor to make light of some serious situations.
Novels:
1995- Reservation Blues
Summary:Also speaks of the Spokane Indian Reservation.It is about a black stranger who appears and brings nothing with him.He turns out to be a famous bluesman, Robert Johnson, who everyone thought was dead.He passes his guitar to Thomas-Builds-the-Fire who is also in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.It is a story of Rock-and-Roll and Thomas-Builds-the-Fire’s travelling new band.
1996- Indian Killer
Summary:A story of a serial killer that is in Seattle, WA.These crimes have created much racial hatred and fear in many people.It is a story of John Smith who was born Indian but raised in a white setting.Indian Killer is a book of the revenge of the Indian to the white and the Indian Killer continues to take lives throughout the novel.
2000- The Toughest Indian in the World
Summary:This is different than much American Indian Literature because the Indians are “different.”They have jobs, pay their bills, and fall in love which is not like a lot of Alexie’s works.It is a novel about the serious issues that people of all races encounter like diabetes, traffic accidents, and divorce.This is a novel of love stories and love in different relationships including children and parents, man and woman, movie stars and regular people and EVEN whites and Indians.
2007- Flight
Summary: A novel about an orphan Indian Boy who is trying to find his true identity.He is forced to find the true meaning of terror.The boy is about to make a massive decision to create violence but then is thrown back in time to an FBI agent at the time of the Civil Rights Era.He continues travelling back and learning his history and true identity.Like other Alexie works, Flight makes people laugh and cry at the same time.It speaks of why human beings have so much hatred in their lives.
2007- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Summary:This is Alexie’s first novel for young adults.It is about an Indian boy, Junior, from the Spokane Reservation that leaves his school to be in an all white school.He is a cartoonist.It is also heartbreaking and funny.Junior is breaking away from the life that he is destined for.
This is a video of Sherman Alexie speaking about his novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. He reads excerpts from the novel and it gives a good example of his style of writing on American Indian Literature and also his use of humor in his works.
"Official Sherman Alexie." shermanalexie.com. 2009. 28 May 2009 .
"Sherman Alexie Speaks." Youtube. 09 November 2007. 28 May 2009 .
