| Native American Literature is one of the many well-researched titles in the Junior Library of American Indians Series published by Chelsea House. This text is written by Katherine Gleason. Designed for elementary students in grades four to seven, this title introduces the reader to the subject of Native oral and written literature. The book begins with an overview of the first literature of North America, which includes creation stories, legends, songs, and speeches of early Native Americans. A variety of creation stories, trickster tales, song lyrics, and speeches from Iroquois, Zuni, Kiowa, Blackfoot, Sioux, Navajo, Papago, Pima, Ojibwa, and Shawnee Nations are discussed. The third chapter showcases several early Native American writers including Samson Occom, the first Native writer to have a work published in English, William Apes, George Copway, Sarah Winnemucca, John Rollin Ridge, and Emily Pauline Johnson. Twentieth century writers are covered in two chapters. From 1900 - 1967, brief portraits of Charles Eastman, Luther Standing Bear, Zitkala-Za (Gertrude Bonnin), Francis La Flesche, Will Rogers, Mourning Dove, Black Elk, D'Arcy McNickle, John Joseph Mathews, Lynn Riggs, and Ella C. Deloria are included. Their books, articles, and poetry often drew inspiration from the many cultures of Native America. Several of these writers combined political activism with a writing career. The period from 1968 to the present is a time of literary revitalization for Native American writers. The final chapter brings the works of Pulitzer-Prize winner N. Scott Momaday, James Welsh, Gerald Vizenor, Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich, Michael Dorris, Joseph Bruchac, Martin Cruz Smith, and Simon Ortiz to the attention of young readers. These contemporary authors publish novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and children’s books. The only unfortunate reference is the addition of Non-Native Jamake Highwater to this list of stellar literary talents. The text includes an index, chronology, and glossary, in addition to several black and white photographs and illustrations. An eight-page colour insert focuses on the richness of Native American artists who also keep cultural traditions alive through visual storytelling. On the whole, this book does an excellent job of presenting the chronological history of American Indian writers and storytellers. |
