Summary

Entertaining and enlightening interviews with some of today's most important Native Americans.

In these lively and informative interviews, skillfully contextualized in a national and international sociopolitical perspective, noted ethnohistorian Joëlle Rostkowski brings to light major developments in the Native American experience over the last thirty years. Overcoming hardships they have experienced as a forgotten minority, often torn between two cultures, these prominent native writers, artists, journalists, activists, lawyers, and museum administrators have each made remarkable contributions toward the transformation of old stereotypes, the fight against discrimination, and the sharing of their heritage with mainstream society.

Theirs is a story not so much of success but of resilience, of survivance, with each interview subject having marked their time and eventually becoming the change they wanted in the world. The conversations in this volume reveal that the assertion of ethnic identity does not lead to bitterness and isolation, but rather an enthusiasm and drive toward greater visibility and recognition that at the same time aims at a greater understanding between different cultures. Conversations with Remarkable Native Americans rewards the reader with a deeper understanding of the Native American Renaissance.

"Through this series of skillfully structured conversations, Joëlle Rostkowski elicits a succinct and engaging portrait of contemporary Native American intellectuals. They include a wide diversity of writers, artists, museum specialists, and political activists, many of whom have gained international recognition. Together, their lives represent the florescence of Native American identity in the modern world." — Raymond J. DeMallie, Chancellor's Professor of Anthropology and American Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington

"Conversations with Remarkable Native Americans is itself a remarkable book. Joëlle Rostkowski brings a deeply informed international perspective to the table here. Her profiles with some of the most talented, accomplished Native American leaders of our times demonstrate an understanding of the richness and significance of their tribal histories, communities, and traditions—all of which had nurtured their contributions and informed their worldviews. The Native Americans showcased in Rostkowski's book have made their marks at the highest levels of diverse fields as leaders, advocates, orators, poets, lawyers, musicians, and visual artists. This book showcases the power of each individual's story, and serves as evidence of the profound and significant contributions of Native Americans to a contemporary global discourse." — John Haworth (Cherokee), Director, George Gustav Heye Center, National Museum of the American Indian

"With her well-informed and sympathetic ear, French anthropologist Joëlle Rostkowski has listened to a range of American Indian voices telling of creative and political experiences. What makes this collection of interviews with an indigenous elite from different tribal nations so unique is that most are cross-cultural explorers on the threshold between local tradition and global modernity." — Harald E. L. Prins, University Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Kansas State University, and Research Associate, Smithsonian Institution

Joëlle Rostkowski is an ethnohistorian who teaches at the School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. She is also a consultant at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Her books include The Incomplete Conversion: North American Indians and Christianity and Native American Renaissance: A Century of Reconquests, winner of the 2002 French Academy History Prize.