Native indian literature

North American Indians had a rich literature at the time of

The principal genres of traditional literature were:
songs, the equivalent of

Indians continue to employ these forms today, especially in tribal settings.
But

The first American Indian to publish a literary work in English

Other early Indian writers of note were
Yellow Bird (Cherokee, 1827–67)

In the first half of the 20th century, the major Indian

was active in early pan-Indian movements
had a good deal of

John Joseph Mathews’s
writings were often a surprise to readers of

his work represents the highwater mark of Indian literary achievement before

The 1960s, a decade of dramatic cultural and political upheaval in

In the work Native American Literatures: An Introduction, author Suzanne Lundquist suggests the

The characteristics of Renaissance writers are as follows:
devotion to a

The renaissance in Native American culture began almost concurrently with the

was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on February 27, 1934, and grew

wrote principally about the Blackfeet of his native Montana.
as did

 grew up on an Indian reservation, determined to become a writer

The title of the book refers to the forty acres of

has chronicled the fortunes of the Indians as they trade the

Ortiz writes intensely political poetry, presenting a running critique of American

Despite the grim events of the 19th century, Ortiz does not