American Indian Literary Nationalism

by Weaver, Jace

• ISBN13: 9780826340733
• ISBN10: 0826340733
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-11-01
• Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr

Summary

In a contentious field characterized by divergence of opinion, American Indian Literary Nationalismintervenes in recent controversial debates on the role of hybridity, suggesting common sense strategies rooted in the material realities of various communities. These essays deal with issues the authors have been wrestling with throughout their careers.Jace Weaver, Craig Womack, and Robert Warrior, assert being a "nationalist" is a legitimate perspective from which to approach Native American literature and criticism. They consider such a methodology not only defensible but also crucial to supporting Native national sovereignty and self-determination, an important goal of Native American studies, generally.However, the authors do not believe the nationalism suggested in American Indian Literary Nationalismis the only possible approach to Native literature. Each invites Natives and non-Native allies who support tribal national sovereignty and nationalist readings of Native literature to join the discussion.With this writing, each author acknowledges and honors the foundational contribution of Simon Ortiz in his 1981 MELUSessay, "Towards a National Indian Literature: Cultural Authenticity in Nationalism." It has been over thirty-five years since academe has accepted the legitimacy of American Indian literature. Weaver, Warrior, and Womack now call for more Native voices to articulate literary criticism and for clearer thinking about what links the literature to Native communities.

Table of Contents

Foreword Speaking-Writing Indigenous Literary Sovereignty	vii
Simon J. Ortiz
Preface	xv
Splitting the Earth
First Utterances and Pluralist Separatism	1	(90)
The Integrity of American Indian Claims
Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Hybridity	91	(88)
Native Critics in the World
Edward Said and Nationalism	179	(46)
At the Gathering Place	225	(36)
Lisa Brooks
Towards a National Indian Literature
Cultural Authenticity in Nationalism	253	(8)
Simon J. Ortiz
Index	261