Idaho Commission for Libraries

Two writers invite readers to contemplate American values in a context of controversy and dialogue.

By Dennis Walsh

Indian literature is fascinating in that it contains literary forms and cultural views that run counter to those of the dominant white culture. Thus it is kind of counter-discourse that allows a reader to contemplate American and western values in a context of controversy and dialogue. Indian literature usually attacks common stereotypes that Indians were and are either noble natural men, on the one hand, or brutal savages, on the other. Instead it insists on the humanity of Indians, the differences among Indian cultures and differences among whites and Indians, and on the fundamental importance of tradition and community. Indian writers insist that not all-Indian cultures have vanished, but many have resiliently changed and adapted in the face of murderous circumstances.