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Native American Literature: A Very Short Introduction
Contributor(s): Teuton, Sean (Author)
ISBN: 0199944520     ISBN-13: 9780199944521
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
OUR PRICE:   $11.69  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: January 2018
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Collections | American - General
- Literary Criticism | American - General
- Literary Collections | Native American
Dewey: 810.989
LCCN: 2017021510
Series: Very Short Introductions
Physical Information: 0.5" H x 4.3" W x 6.8" (0.30 lbs) 176 pages
Themes:
- Religious Orientation - Native American
- Ethnic Orientation - Native American
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
North American indigenous literature began over thirty thousand years ago when indigenous people began telling stories of emergence and creation, journey and quest, and heroism and trickery. By setting indigenous literature in historical moments, Sean Teuton skillfully traces its evolution
from the ancient role of bringing rain and healing the body, to its later purpose in resisting European invasion and colonization, into its current place as a world literature that confronts dominance while celebrating the imagination and resilience of indigenous lives.

By the time Europeans arrived in North America indigenous people already understood the power of written language and the need to transmit philosophy, history, and literature across generations and peoples. Seeking out multiple literary forms such as sermon, poetry, and novel to serve differing
worldviews, indigenous authors have shaped their writing into North American indigenous literature as we recognize it today. In this lucid narrative, Sean Teuton leads readers into indigenous worlds. He describes the invention of a written indigenous language, the first indigenous language
newspaper, and the literary occupation of Alcatraz Island. Along the way readers encounter the diversity of indigenous peoples who, owing to their differing lands, livelihoods, and customs, molded literature to a nation's specific needs. As Teuton shows, indigenous literature is one of the best
places for understanding indigenous views about land and society and the role of humanity in the cosmos. In turning to celebrated contemporary authors such as Thomas King, Leslie Silko, Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, and James Welch, Teuton demonstrates that, like indigenous people, indigenous
literature continues to survive because it adapts, both honoring the past and reaching for the future.