Off the Reservation: Reflections on Boundary-Busting, Border-Crossing Loose Canons by Paula Gunn Allen (review)

B o o k R e v i e w s Off the Reservation: Reflections on Boundary-Busting, Border-Crossing Loose Canons. By P au la G u n n A lle n . Boston : Beacon Press, 1998. 262 pages, $25.00. R e v ie w e d b y C o l le e n M. Tremonte M i c h i g a n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , E a s t L a n s i n g P e r h ap s b e st k n o w n fo r h e r n o n fic t io n w o r k s an d h e r c o lle c t io n o f critic a l e ssay s su c h as T h e Sacred H oop : R ecov erin g the Fem in in e in A m erican In dian Literature, P au la G u n n A lle n is a lso a p o e t a n d fict io n w riter, a n d it is in t h e in t e r w e av in g o f t h e se la t t e r t ale n t s w it h h e r n o n fic t io n t h a t se t O f f the R eserv ation : Reflection s on Bou n dary -Bu stin g, Border-Crossin g Loose C an on s, a c o lle c t io n o f u n p u b lish e d an d p r e v io u sly p u b lish e d essay s, a p a r t fr o m h e r o t h e r w ork s. T ak e n in d iv id u ally , e a c h e ssay e c h o e s G u n n A lle n ’s lo n g - st an d in g c o n ­ c e r n s w ith N a t iv e A m e r ic a n life, w o m e n ’s issu es, an d sp ir it u ality ; h o w e v er , as a c o lle c t iv e , t h e y d o so in t e n n s o f r e v isio n in g— n o t m e r e ly r e st at in g— p ast o b se r v at io n s a n d ar gu m e n t s in p o e t ic lan gu age a n d st o r y t e llin g fash io n . G u n n Se q u o y a h (C h e r o k e e ) sp e n t year s an aly zin g h is lan gu age . A ft e r id en tify in g eigh t y - six so u n d s, h e in v e n t e d w r it t e n sy m b o ls fo r t h em . H e is sh o w n in t h is 1 8 3 6 lit h o gr ap h h o ld in g u p h is alp h ab e t . b o o k R ev i ew s 2 0 5 A lle n se t s t h e st age for t h is r e c o n t e xt u a liz at io n o f p a st a n d n e w w r it in gs o n t h e r e la t io n sh ip b e t w e e n N a t iv e A m e r ic a n cu lt...