Books about Native Americans
Nov. 26th, 2017 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithHere's a thoughtful post on finding books that don't lie about Native Americans. It's good as far as it goes.
I will add two things:
1) The best way to get accurate tribal perspectives is simply to buy books written by and for tribal people. Some even have their own publishers and distributors. For Cherokee, there's The Book Publishing Company. Cut Bank Creek Press is Creek. Oyate seems more diverse. Similarly, a business by and for Native Americans is more likely to stock tribal publications. We're lucky to have a powwow store called Driftstone Pueblo within driving distance; in other areas you might find a tribal art gallery.
2) Pay attention to balance. The genocide continues today, which means that contemporary Native American literature is often depressing. This is a problem when depression and suicide run rampant on reservations (and are rising in the mainstream too). Those very bleak stories are true, but not complete. Unfortunately I have found very little written about healthy, happy tribal characters in today's world. The best you're likely to manage is mixing the realistic stuff with some of the better mythology. Reading only dark stuff about a culture -- however well it might reflect current experiences -- isn't good for anyone. What I'd really like to see are more stories about integrating modern and historic motifs or reclaiming lost things. One I remember fondly is "The Elk Tooth Dress," about a girl and her relatives making various choices about which cultural motifs to practice. And while it's a game rather than a book, Potlatch looks like a promising example of something that teaches traditional values and practices through a modern medium.
This stuff is why, when I write tribal characters, I try very hard to represent both the ups and the downs. The current issues are real and compelling, so you'll see struggles about discrimination, identity, and social acceptance. That's hard, so sometimes characters faceplant. But I want to show healthy, effective solutions too -- things that individuals and tribes have discovered to make life work better, preferably replicable ones based on tribal values rather than just assimilation.
Tell ALL the stories.
I will add two things:
1) The best way to get accurate tribal perspectives is simply to buy books written by and for tribal people. Some even have their own publishers and distributors. For Cherokee, there's The Book Publishing Company. Cut Bank Creek Press is Creek. Oyate seems more diverse. Similarly, a business by and for Native Americans is more likely to stock tribal publications. We're lucky to have a powwow store called Driftstone Pueblo within driving distance; in other areas you might find a tribal art gallery.
2) Pay attention to balance. The genocide continues today, which means that contemporary Native American literature is often depressing. This is a problem when depression and suicide run rampant on reservations (and are rising in the mainstream too). Those very bleak stories are true, but not complete. Unfortunately I have found very little written about healthy, happy tribal characters in today's world. The best you're likely to manage is mixing the realistic stuff with some of the better mythology. Reading only dark stuff about a culture -- however well it might reflect current experiences -- isn't good for anyone. What I'd really like to see are more stories about integrating modern and historic motifs or reclaiming lost things. One I remember fondly is "The Elk Tooth Dress," about a girl and her relatives making various choices about which cultural motifs to practice. And while it's a game rather than a book, Potlatch looks like a promising example of something that teaches traditional values and practices through a modern medium.
This stuff is why, when I write tribal characters, I try very hard to represent both the ups and the downs. The current issues are real and compelling, so you'll see struggles about discrimination, identity, and social acceptance. That's hard, so sometimes characters faceplant. But I want to show healthy, effective solutions too -- things that individuals and tribes have discovered to make life work better, preferably replicable ones based on tribal values rather than just assimilation.
Tell ALL the stories.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-11-27 12:12 am (UTC)... And Potlatch. Any idea if the donations through Kickstarter are all monthly reoccurring pledges or one-time? Google is not helpful with finding out. :/
- KJ
Yay!
Date: 2017-11-27 12:17 am (UTC)I'm glad I could help.
>> ... And Potlatch. Any idea if the donations through Kickstarter are all monthly reoccurring pledges or one-time? Google is not helpful with finding out. :/ <<
They look like one-time donations, and the project is still open so you can get a deck if you want one. There is also an option to get one for yourself and one for a tribal school, which is what I did.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-11-27 12:47 am (UTC)That's what I was going for. And it is done, so \o/
- KJ
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-11-27 01:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-09 06:47 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2017-12-09 06:48 am (UTC)I am so glad to hear that.
>> I like that I could get one for a Native school or youth center, too. I've been fascinated by that economic model for years... <<
Yeah, me too. It makes me happy every time I think of it. No matter how hard some people tried to stamp it out, we're still here. <3