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American Indian Stories (1921) is a collection of stories and essays from Yankton Dakota writer Zitk疝a-眼. Published while Zitk疝a-眼 was at the height of her career as an artist and activist, American Indian Stories collects the author's personal experiences, the legends and stories passed down through Sioux oral tradition, and her own reflections on the mistreatment of American Indians nationwide.
In "My Mother," Zitk疝a-眼 remembers the walk she would take with her mother to the river, where they would gather water to use in their wigwam. This simple chore becomes a cherished tradition between the two, allowing Zitk疝a-眼's mother to educate her on the circumstances that led their people to the reservation, depriving them of land and life itself. "The Legends" traces Zitk疝a-眼's childhood experience of learning from the oral tradition passed down from the Dakota elders. In "The Coffee Making," she remembers the first time she made coffee. While her mother has gone out for the day, an elder pays a visit to their wigwam. Remembering that her mother usually makes coffee for visitors, Zitk疝a-眼 attempts to play hostess to her visitor, who humors her and takes the time to share stories about his life and their people. American Indian Stories is a charming and politically conscious collection of stories from one of the leading American Indian writers of her generation, a committed activist and true voice for change who saw through her own eyes the lives and experiences of countless others.
This edition of Zitk疝a-眼's American Indian Stories is a classic of American Indian literature reimagined for modern readers.
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About the author
Zitkála-¿á (1876-1938) (Lakota: Red Bird = Cardinal (bird)), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, her missionary-given and later married name, was a Yankton Dakota Sioux writer, editor, translator, musician, educator, and political activist. She was raised by her mother, Ellen Simmons, whose Dakota name was Thaté Iyóhiwi¿ (Every Wind or Reaches for the Wind). Her father was a German-American man named Felker, who abandoned the family while Zitkala-¿a was very young. She wrote several works chronicling her struggles with cultural identity and the pull between the majority culture she was educated within and her Dakota Sioux culture into which she was born and raised. Her later books were among the first works to bring traditional Native American stories to a widespread white English-speaking readership, and she has been noted as one of the most influential Native American activists of the 20th century.
Working with American musician William F. Hanson, Zitkala-¿a wrote the libretto and songs for The Sun Dance Opera, (1913), the first American Indian opera. It was composed in romantic musical style, and based on Sioux and Ute cultural themes. She was co-founder of the National Council of American Indians in 1926, which was established to lobby for Native people's right to United States citizenship and other civil rights they had long been denied. Zitkala-¿a served as the council's president until her death in 1938.
Summary
American Indian Stories (1921) is a collection of stories and essays from Yankton Dakota writer Zitkála-Šá. Published while Zitkála-Šá was at the height of her career as an artist and activist, American Indian Stories collects the author’s personal experiences, the legends and stories passed down through Sioux oral tradition, and her own reflections on the mistreatment of American Indians nationwide.
In “My Mother,” Zitkála-Šá remembers the walk she would take with her mother to the river, where they would gather water to use in their wigwam. This simple chore becomes a cherished tradition between the two, allowing Zitkála-Šá’s mother to educate her on the circumstances that led their people to the reservation, depriving them of land and life itself. “The Legends” traces Zitkála-Šá’s childhood experience of learning from the oral tradition passed down from the Dakota elders. In “The Coffee Making,” she remembers the first time she made coffee. While her mother has gone out for the day, an elder pays a visit to their wigwam. Remembering that her mother usually makes coffee for visitors, Zitkála-Šá attempts to play hostess to her visitor, who humors her and takes the time to share stories about his life and their people. American Indian Stories is a charming and politically conscious collection of stories from one of the leading American Indian writers of her generation, a committed activist and true voice for change who saw through her own eyes the lives and experiences of countless others.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Zitkála-Šá’s American Indian Stories is a classic of American Indian literature reimagined for modern readers.
