Indigenous Intellectuals: Sovereignty, Citizenship, and the American Imagination, 1880–1930 (Studies in North American Indian History)

In the United States of America today, debates among, between, and within Indian nations continue to focus on how to determine and define the boundaries of Indian ethnic identity and tribal citizenship. From the 1880s and into the 1930s, many Native people participated in similar debates as they confronted white cultural expectations regarding what it meant to be an Indian in modern American society. Using close readings of texts, images, and public performances, this book examines the literary output of four influential American Indian intellectuals who challenged long-held conceptions of Indian identity at the turn of the twentieth century. Kiara M. Vigil traces how the narrative discourses created by these figures spurred wider discussions about citizenship, race, and modernity in the United States and elsewhere. By setting them in dialogue with white American culture, Vigil demonstrates how these figures deployed aspects of Native American cultural practice to authenticate their status both as indigenous peoples and as citizens of the United States. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series information 5 Title page 7 Copyright information 8 Dedication 9 Table of contents 11 List of figures 12 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction 17 Why Collective Cultural Biography? 25 Keywords in Native American Studies 32 Indian Play 36 A Native Intellectual Network Emerges 37 Notes 39 1 A Global Mission 50 Introduction 50 A Public Face for Indianness 53 Vox Clamantis in Deserto 58 Imagining the Indian of Today 63 How to Market an Indian Author 75 Performance Politics: Body and Blood 83 Transatlantic Networks 92 Still Dartmouth’s Indian 96 Notes 100 2 Tracing Carlos Montezuma’s Politics 117 Introduction 117 Education: “The Public Knows Very Little of the Indian People in the Right Way.” 120 Dear Monte: Correspondence with Richard Pratt 125 Wassaja’s World in Print 132 Epistolary Production in Relation to Print Culture 143 Private and Public Opinion 149 The Lecture Platform not the Show Indian 154 Wassaja’s Departure 163 Notes 165 3 Red Bird 181 Introduction 181 School Days: An Indian Teacher among Indians 188 Sioux Indian Woman: Author and Lecturer 195 Epistolary Culture Networks 204 Performance Opportunities: Photography, Music, and Indian Play 215 After 1924 and the Indian Citizenship Act 230 Notes 231 4 Luther Standing Bear 250 Introduction 250 Native Actors as Activists 255 The Road Ahead for Luther Standing Bear 257 Performing for Carlisle and Wanamaker 260 Work for the Office of Indian Affairs 265 Performance: A Family Affair 267 The Wild West: Part and Parcel of American Culture 269 1902: New York and London – No Old Pancakes for the Indians 273 1904–1911: “Indians Die in Wreck, Survivors Chant Death Song for Three Victims” 277 Film from the 1910s to the 1930s: “The White Man’s Estimate of the Indian Is Established” 283 Indian Actors Association, Founded in 1936 289 Rumor and Scandal: First His Blood, Then His Character 291 A Contested Will 298 Notes 302 Conclusion 319 Coda 332 Notes 334 Afterword 337 Appendix 341 Bibliography 343 Bibliography of Secondary Sources 345 Index 367 In The United States Of America Today, Debates Among, Between, And Within Indian Nations Continue To Focus On How To Determine And Define The Boundaries Of Indian Ethnic Identity And Tribal Citizenship. From The 1880s And Into The 1930s, Many Native People Participated In Similar Debates As They Confronted White Cultural Expectations Regarding What It Meant To Be An Indian In Modern America Society. Using Close Readings Of Texts, Images, And Public Performances, This Book Examines The Literary Output Of Four Influential American Indian Intellectuals Who Challenged Long-held Conceptions Of Indian Identity At That Turn Of The Twentieth Century. Kiara M. Vigil Traces How The Narrative Discourses Created By These Figures Spurred Wider Discussions About Citizenship, Race, And Modernity In The United States And Elsewhere. By Setting Them In Dialogue With White American Culture, Vigil Demonstrates How These Figures Deployed Aspects Of Native American Cultural Practice To Authenticate Their Status Both As Indigenous Peoples And As Citizens Of The United States. -- From Dust Jacket. Introduction: A Red Man's Rebuke -- A Global Mission: The Higher Education Of Charles Eastman -- Tracing Carlos Montezuma's Politics: Progressive Reform And Epistolary Culture Networks -- Red Bird: Gertrude Bonnin's Representational Politics -- Staging U.s. Indian History With Reel Indians: Luther Standing Bear, Performativity, And Cultural Politics -- Conclusion: The 1930s, Indian Reorganization, And Beyond. Kiara M. Vigil, Amherst College. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. From the 1880s and into the 1930s, Native people participated in debates regarding how to determine and define the boundaries of Indian ethnic identity and tribal citizenship. Indigenous Intellectuals traces the narrative discourses created by four influential American Indian intellectuals and discussions about citizenship, race, and modernity in the United States.