The Great Native American novel. Does it exist?

[Dana Jean]

This is a children's book, but I remember really enjoying it. I think an adult could still appreciate it.

Island of the Blue Dolphin

 

[Kurben]

Not much fiction by Native Americans about classic traditions, or even from NA perspective. Even books like A Man Called Horse or Dances With Wolves, or Thirteen Moons (a favorite of mine) which deal with native life and customs, are from a white perspective looking in. Maybe it's because NA tradition is mainly oral? There are more contemporary NA authors. Sherman Alexis is my personal favorite of those.

Is there white authors that present the native perspective then? In novel form i mean . There ought to be stuff for a good historical author. Just recently and relatively well documented the stories of for example Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull among the Sioux or Cochise and Geronimo among the Apache. And further back, if not as well documented, there are more things that should invite somebody to write about it. I just find it strange that noone apparently has done so. Dont you? In my experience these kind of novels work best when you dont use one of the icons as main character but let them have smaller parts. There are exceptions of course........

 

[Dana Jean]

Is there white authors that present the native perspective then? In novel form i mean . There ought to be stuff for a good historical author. Just recently and relatively well documented the stories of for example Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull among the Sioux or Cochise and Geronimo among the Apache. And further back, if not as well documented, there are more things that should invite somebody to write about it. I just find it strange that noone apparently has done so. Dont you? In my experience these kind of novels work best when you dont use one of the icons as main character but let them have smaller parts. There are exceptions of course........

Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo is supposed to be good. I have it in my TBR pile.

 

[Kurben]

Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo is supposed to be good. I have it in my TBR pile.

Thank you. Another book and author i never heard of.

 

[Dana Jean]

Thank you. Another book and author i never heard of.

It is huge, but i guess well researched and has terrific reviews for the most part.

 

[Kurben]

It is huge, but i guess well researched and has terrific reviews for the most part.

It looks really interesting.

 

[skimom2]

Is there white authors that present the native perspective then? In novel form i mean . There ought to be stuff for a good historical author. Just recently and relatively well documented the stories of for example Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull among the Sioux or Cochise and Geronimo among the Apache. And further back, if not as well documented, there are more things that should invite somebody to write about it. I just find it strange that noone apparently has done so. Dont you? In my experience these kind of novels work best when you dont use one of the icons as main character but let them have smaller parts. There are exceptions of course........

Yes, story from a white perspective. I'm trying to remember if I've ever read a fiction book about NA traditions that does not have a white protag, and I'm not coming up with anything. Even in Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye was white.