General > Non-Frauds
Native American Authors Project
A.H.:
I mentioned that in some other thread - but I think this is important to see separately.
With all that flood of new age literature it is good to have a resource about real native american authors. While there still could be unreliable and bad books among those, it is at least bull-shit coming from the natives themselves, not "white" exploiters. I specifically wondered if something resembling western philosphical approach in "native" literature is available and I discover that it might be. It is different to learn about ideas through first hand philosophical discourse and not just through antropological description and observation... Or at least through antropology done by the "insiders" not "the other".
I noticed many great books on this list and I think it is valuable to know of the existance of such vault of information:
http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/
A.H.:
So I singled out two authors to check first : Alfonso Ortiz and Vine Deloria, Jr.. The latter is surrounded with some controversy and critique like found on wikipedia:
"Deloria was criticized for his embrace of American Indian creationism. Deloria often cited Christian creationist authors in support of his views relating to science. Deloria also relied on Hindu creationists such as Michael Cremo.[2]
Deloria was further criticized for his reliance on authors of pseudoscience such as Zecharia Sitchin and Immanuel Velikovsky. Deloria cited Sitchin to argue that white people were created by space aliens.[3] Deloria also believed that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time, and that the stegosaurus still existed in the 19th century.[4].
The Rocky Mountain News berated Deloria for "the utterly wacky nature of some of his views,??? and “his contempt for much science."[5] John Whittaker referred to Deloria's "Red Earth White Lies" as "a wretched piece of Native American creationist claptrap that has all the flaws of the Biblical creationists he disdains...Deloria's style is drearily familiar to anyone who has read the Biblical creationist literature...At the core is a wishful attempt to discredit all science because some facts clash with belief systems. A few points will suffice to show how similar Deloria is to outspoken creationist author Duane Gish or any of his ilk."[6]
But at the same time he is highly regarded native american author... and I am suspicious that this criticism might be misunderstanding...
Since I would have to order any of the books on-line, I would like to ask for your opinion and recommendations... Which Deloria's books are (trust)worthy... If any at all.
I am thinking to check those two first, but seem rather "sensational" (esp. when reading that critical remarks on wiki) - has anyone read these?
http://www.amazon.com/World-We-Used-Live-Remembering/dp/1555915647/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3
http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Reason-Vine-Deloria-Reader/dp/1555914306
Maybe this thread can continue as a "non-fraud" book recommendation list?
educatedindian:
Wikipedia is one of the absolute worst sources out there and what you quoted is an example of why. It seems that he rubbed some white conservatives wrong and they've taken to posting one of the most dubious sources out there, a bizarre editorial from the notoriously anti Indian paper Rocky Mountain News.
There's plenty of problems with the IPL link you listed. They have plenty of good authors, but also a who's who of exploiters or frauds mixed in with them.
"Wallace Black Elk is a Lakota elder and spiritual descendant of Nicholas Black Elk, the author of Black Elk Speaks. Wallace Black Elk was born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota where Nicholas Black Elk was one of his mentors. He was present at the occupation of Wounded Knee, and has been politically active in fighting for the rights of Native American people. He is a spiritual leader and has served as an international lecturer and as a Native American representative to the United Nations."
Only about half of that is true.
"Ward Churchill has achieved an unparalleled reputation as a scholar-activist and analyst of indigenous issues. He is a Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, a leading member of AIM, and the author of numerous books, including A Little Matter of Genocide, Struggle for the Land, and Fantasies of the Master Race."
They don't even get his title right. He's in Ethnic Studies.
"Beverly Hungry Wolf was born in 1950 in the Blood Indian Hospital on the Blood Indian Reserve in Canada....She married a German, Adolph Gutohrlein, who encouraged her to preserve her traditions. They encountered some enmity among the Indians and together they wrote Shadows of the Buffalo which tells of their experiences. Beverly Hungry Wolf now lives with her husband and children in British Columbia."
Yeah...her husband Adolf Hungry Wolf was considered an exploiter who wrote a how to book on ceremonies.
"Archie Fire Lame Deer grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. The son and grandson of medicine men, Lame Deer left the reservation at the age of fourteen. He served in the Korean War and was a stuntman in Hollywood. Lame Deer is a lecturer on the Sioux religion and culture, travelling around the world to teach the Native American spirituality."
Teaching? He sold ceremonies in Germany for much of his life.
"Mahinto is a Sioux medicine woman, teacher and counselor. She has been a singer, a dancer, a fashion model, and radio show host. Having dedicated her life to reversing the plight of the American Indian, she has battled Congress to protect the gas, oil and mineral rights of reservation lands. "
Also known as Wind Wolf Woman, another ceremony seller. If I recall right there were disputes over if she was NDN or not.
"Ed McGaa is a registered tribal member of the Oglala Sioux and was born on the Pine Ridge reservation. He received his Bachelor's degree from St. John's University, earned a law degree from the University of South Dakota, and has studied under Chief Eagle Feather and Chief Fool's Crow, Sioux holy men. He is honored by the Sioux for having participated six times in the Sun Dance ceremony."
Well he is enrolled, and he was a lawyer, but that's about it.
"Medicine Story's writings include teachings on Native American spirituality as well as practical issues of childraising and personal interaction. He is a Wampanoag elder, ceremonial leader and teacher. He also edits the Native liberation journal Heritage."
A white imposter named Francis Talbot.
"Lewis E. Mehl-Madrona , 1954-
Cherokee
Lakota
He is currently a clinical assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He has written numerous articles and focuses on self-healing medicine."
An exploiter in academia. He was kicked out of the Univ of Pittsburgh. Quackwatch has listings on him.
"Twylah Nitsch is a Seneca Indian elder and author."
Still debated if she's an exploiter, or the Nuage circle around her is using and manipulating her.
"Jamie Sams is a Santa Fe-based writer, artist and teacher of Seneca, Cherokee and French descent. She is the granddaughter of Seneca elder and author Twyla Nitsch."
A supposed adopted granddaughter of Nitsch.
"Hyemeyohsts Storm was born in Lame Deer, Montana and was raised on the Cheyenne and Crow reservations. Storm attended Eastern Montana College in Billings. His first publication of Seven Arrows stirred a widespread controversy regarding the accuracy in Native American fiction and the rights of Native American authors to represent and intrepret tribal religion without tribal authorization."
At least here they have to acknowledge it a bit. Pleny on him in other threads.
"Sun Bear, who was born Vincent LaDuke, was a writer and actor who is probably best known for founding the Bear Tribe in the 1970's in Washington."
See other threads.
"Dark Rain [Thom] is a Shawnee Clan mother who lives in a log cabin near Bloomington, Indiana, with her husband James Alexander Thom."
See other threads.
A.H.:
Thanx for you info... I noticed some of those who you mention - quite some are very easy to dismiss as unreliable...
But to be fair - even if they are fraudulent or unreliable they are still "native american authors" - did you contact IPL maybe - I think such a source is good to have (for all those good authors) - it should be corrected when it is not done properly... and clean it of those really bad books... You have the knowledge and information to interfere with that... (they have a very obvious feedback button - so I just posted your reply and suggested them to consult also with you (NAFPS) for appropriate editing of their entries...)
Do you know some more reliable collections of authors? I would appreciate it.
I also noticed Donald Fixico that is not mentioned on that list - and his book "The American Indian mind in a linear world" : http://www.routledge.com/0415944570
I think books like that are the really important ones that contribute to knowledge on all fronts - understanding native american way of thinking and culture better and the conception of knowledge and ways of thinking in general.
I am more interested in knowing what's GOOD to read - those obvious frauds are quite easy to ignore. But finding the really worthy ones is not so easy - I singled out Ortiz and Deloria in the field that interests me - methods of thought, construction of reality, "metaphysics", psychology, etc.
So what about Vine Deloria Jr. - do you reccomend his writings?
I know of the shortcomings of wikipedia, but at least it is open for all the sides - so it gives a quick overview of what different fractions think about a subject they are interested in enough to write something about it - so even so - when something is mentioned - like referencing Zecharia Sitchin - I become a little suspicious... The same goes for this forum - you are very thorough - but even if someone is only mentioned in "research needed" it stains him a little and anyone who reads that feels like checking such person more... I am not saying this is bad - it is just so - raised suspicion and alert - and that is actually ok, when not exaggerated...
So I suggest to point out more of the GOOD books not just the BAD ones. We don't want to read the bad ones...
I was not asking about those you mentioned (but good that you did) - I asked about Ortiz and Deloria - are they worthy to read? I think yes, but you are the experts... and I check before buying.
And correct IPL if you have a way to.. Because such lists will be used and not everyone can distinguish good from bad - the title Native American Authors and their sincere aim and some respected names among the cooperators on a project gives those included bad authors additional credibility they wouldn't enjoy otherwise...
best
educatedindian:
Deloria is very highly recommended. So is Fixico. They're both some of the finest minds out there. The site doesn't seem to have been updated in many years. For example they don't even mention the controversy over Churchill, and that began at least three years ago. And Fixico's first book (on the history of Termination) is over 20 years old. It seems like they mostly chose the best known Native literature and then never updated.
In the thread NAFPS Highly Recommends I listed some history books.
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