Native American Literatures, 1994<caron>96: A Selective Annotated Bibliography
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HERTHA D. SWEET WONG and LAUREN STUART MULLER

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THREE early Modern Language Association publications helped firmly establish Native American literature as a field unto itself—no longer a subfield under the auspices of anthropology or history. Scholars in the field are indebted to A. LaVonne Brown Ruoff's “A Selected Bibliography of American Indian Literatures” (published in the ADE Bulletin 75, along with articles by Jarold Ramsey and Larry Evers), Paula Gunn Allen's Studies in American Indian Literature (New York: MLA, 1983), and Ruoff's American Indian Literatures: An Introduction, Bibliographical Review, and Selected Bibliography (New York: MLA, 1990). In 1995, in an effort to provide updated information to nonspecialists and to extend the work of previous bibliographers, the Committee on the Literatures and Languages of America (CLLA) initiated a plan to assemble annotated bibliographies for each of the five designated categories of ethnic American scholarship represented on the committee, including Native American literary studies.

Because of the abundance of recent volumes in Native American literature and critical studies, we decided to compile a thorough (though not exhaustive) bibliography of works published during a three-year period, 1994—96. The proliferation of texts in Native American literatures reflects increased publication possibilities for Native American writers and continued interest by a wide variety of scholars and other readers. One consequence of this proliferation is the need to include many categories to cover the field fully. In addition to anthologies, fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography, and criticism—categories used by other bibliographies in this series—we have included a brief section of oral narratives (some bilingual, most translated into English). Nonfiction is organized into three sections: life histories (personal narratives told with the help of an amanuensis), biographies, and autobiographies; essays; and interviews.

Because of space limitations, we excluded (with one exception) studies of indigenous languages. We also excluded anthropology, sociology, and history books; young adult books; individual articles published in journals or in nonfiction anthologies; and unpublished doctoral dissertations. We have included in the criticism section books with popular as well as academic appeal and a few transethnic comparative studies.

We wish to acknowledge the work of small presses like the Greenfield Review in Greenfield Center, New York, and Heyday Books in Berkeley, California, and of university presses like the University of Arizona Press (publisher of the Sun Tracks series), the University of New Mexico Press, the University of Oklahoma Press, and the University of Nebraska Press. These publishers have contributed considerably to the flourishing of Native American literatures.

Finally, though we use the term Native American for the sake of consistency, we want to acknowledge that there are ongoing, sometimes contentious debates about the most appropriate term to use— American Indian, First Nation, Indian; Native, indigenous people , or specific tribal names. These debates are often political (reflecting long-standing efforts to decolonize the language used to refer to indigenous peoples). There is no consensus, but Native American is the term most widely used in academic circles. Because of the historical transformations of tribal nomenclature and the complexities of defining and claiming Native American identities, we have used the tribal affiliations (and spellings) the authors themselves prefer. One tribal affiliation may be signified by various names. For instance, Louise Erdrich refers to herself primarily as Chippewa, Kimberly Blaeser identifies herself as Ojibwa, and Gerald Vizenor identifies himself as Anishinaabe.

Anthologies

Allen, Paula Gunn (Laguna Pueblo-Sioux), ed. and introd. Song of the Turtle: American Indian Literature, 1974<caron>1994 . New York: Ballantine, 1996.

Short stories by well-known and emerging contemporary Native American writers, including Sherman Alexie, Michael Dorris, Louise Erdrich, N. Scott Momaday, Louis Owens, Susan Power, Leslie Marmon Silko, Luci Tapahonso, and James Welch. The introduction discusses the writers' incorporation of ritual elements into their works, as well as the optimism that permeates their sometimes angry and pained voices.

———, ed. Voice of the Turtle: American Indian Literature, 1900<caron>1970. New York: Ballantine, 1994.

Short stories, sketches, novel extracts, autobiographies, and traditional tales from seventeen Native American writers, including Mourning Dove, Pauline Johnson, Zitkala-·a, and Luther Standing Bear. The foreword provides an overview of Native American literature.

Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki), ed. Aniyunwiya / Real Human Beings: An Anthology of Contemporary Cherokee Prose. Greenfield Center: Greenfield Review, 1995.

A collection of essays by twenty-three contemporary writers whose Cherokee identity is central to their work, including Wilma Mankiller and Robert Conley.

———, ed. Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose from the First North American Native Writers' Festival. Sun Tracks 29. Tucson: U of Arizona P, 1994.

A collection arising from a 1992 gathering of more than three hundred Native American writers at the Returning the Gift Festival in Norman, Oklahoma. Features previously unpublished works from over ninety writers representing diverse regions and a wide range of tribal affiliations, languages, and cultures. The editor comments on Native American literature and on the significance of the festival.

Calloway, Colin G., ed. The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices from Early America. New York: St. Martir's, 1994.

Native American speeches and letters highlighting Native American-European American tensions and reflecting diverse indigenous responses to European invasion and colonization. Topics include cultural contrasts, land disputes, Native American sovereignty and resistance, trade, war, and Christianity.

Elder, John, and Hertha D. Wong, eds. Family of Earth and Sky: Indigenous Tales of Nature from around the World. Boston: Beacon, 1994.

Excerpts from oral tribal stories (origin stories, animal stories, and trickster tales) and contemporary essays on environmental writing and activism. Features selected indigenous perspectives on the natural world.

Evers, Larry, and Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O'odham), eds. Home Places: Contemporary Native American Writing from Sun Tracks. Introd. Simon Ortiz. Tucson: U of Arizona P 1995.

Poems, stories, and songs selected from the Sun Tracks literary series. Nineteen authors, including George Blue-eyes, Joy Harjo, Felipe S. Molina, Carter Revard, Wendy Rose, Refugio Savala, Elizabeth Woody, and Ofelia Zepeda, focus on the significance of home.

Francis, Lee (Laguna Pueblo), and James Bruchac (Abenaki), eds. Reclaiming the Vision: Past, Present, and Future: Native Voices for the Eighth Generation. Greenfield Center: Greenfield Review, 1996.

A collection arising from the Wordcraft Circle workshops, gatherings of Native Americans that took place throughout North America as a result of the 1992 Returning the Gift Conference. Includes special sections on writing, pedagogical approaches, and classroom exercises, as well as prose and poetry by Native American student writers.

Glancy, Diane (Cherokee), and C. W. Truesdale, eds. Two Worlds Walking: Short Stories, Essays, and Poetry by Writers with Mixed Heritages. Saint Paul: New Rivers, 1994.

A collection focused on the difficulties, challenges, and possibilities of mixed cultural and racial identities.

Hunter, Al, et al. Days of Obsidian, Days of Grace: Selected Poetry and Prose by Four Native American Writers. Duluth: Poetry Harbor, 1994.

Selected works by Native American writers from the northern Midwest: Al Hunter, Adrian C. Louis, Jim Northrup, and Denise Sweet.

Jim, Rex Lee (Navajo), ed. Dancing Voices: Wisdom of the American Indian. Illus. Woody Crumbo. White Plains: Pauper, 1994.

Powerful quotations, both historical and contemporary, from Native Americans.

Littlefield, Daniel F., Jr. (Cherokee), and James W Parins, eds. Native American Writing in the Southeast: An Anthology, 1875<caron>1935. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1995.

Selected works by Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole writers (Mabel Washbourne Anderson, John Milton Oskison, Alexander Posey, Charles Gibson, Ora V. Eddelman Reed, Will Rogers, Rollie Lynn Riggs, and others) from the close of the treaty-making period until the beginning of the Indian New Deal, established under John Collier's administration of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Includes poetry, speeches, editorials, adapted myths, and short stories.

Miller, Lee, ed. From the Heart: Voices of the American Indian. New York: Knopf, 1995.

Excerpts of notable speeches by Native Americans from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century, including well-known orators and leaders such as Montezuma, King Philip, Tecumseh, and Chief Joseph. Also contains testimony from non-Native American sources. The editor's commentary presents a brief overview of Native American-European contact in the United States and Mexico.

"Miller, Lee, ed. From the Heart: Voices of the American Indian. New York: Knopf, 1995.

Excerpts of notable speeches by Native Americans from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century, including well-known orators and leaders such as Montezuma, King Philip, Tecumseh, and Chief Joseph. Also contains testimony from non-Native American sources. The editor's commentary presents a brief overview of Native American-European contact in the United States and Mexico. "


glad to see this

———, ed. Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose from the First North American Native Writers' Festival. Sun Tracks 29. Tucson: U of Arizona P, 1994.

This conference/festival is taking place near Calgary again this month. Too bad Lee Francis, the "two spirit" founder of the organization Wordcraft Circle that was formed based on that conference died last year of cancer. So he won't be attending. He was such a blessed, blessed spirit.

We will forever continue to return the gifts he gave and continues to give.