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Fictional depictions of Native American concepts of justice, crime, and the investigation of crime are explored in this original work.
Shaman or Sherlock explores depictions created by Native American authors themselves, as well as those created by outsiders with mainstream agendas. The most successful of these writers fuse authentic Native American culture with standard genre conventions, thus providing an appealing, empathetic view of little-understood or underappreciated groups, as well as insight into issues of cross-cultural communication. Dealing with such significant concepts as acculturation, regional diversity, and assimilation, this unique study evaluates over 200 detective stories.
Though the crime novel began in Europe as a manifestation of Enlightenment rationality and scientific methodology, the Native American detective story moves into the realm of the spiritual and intuitive, often incorporating depictions of non-material phenomena.
Shaman or Sherlock? explores how geographical and tribal differences, degrees of assimilation, and the evolution of age-old cultural patterns shape the Native American detective story.
List of contents
Introduction
Two Ways of Knowing: Mainstream and Native American
Native American Crime and Detection Novels: Earth and Spirit Power
The Southwestern Detective Story: A Reflection of the Land
The Southwestern Detective: Shaman or Sherlock?
Shamans and Sherlocks: Unraveling Crime in the Mountains and on the Plains
The Northwest: Shamanistic Horror Infuses Eerie Rain Forests
Alaska and the Canadian Northwest Territories: Wilderness Challenges and Human Limitations
The East Coast and Great Lakes Nations: Modern Reincarnations of Past Glory
Conclusion: The "Indian" in Detective Fiction-- Present Realities and Future Directions
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Gina Macdonald, Andrew F. Macdonald
