Native American Representations: First Encounters, Distorted Images, and Literary Appropriations ed. by Gretchen M. Bataille (review)

B o o k R e v i e w s N a t i v e A m e r i c a n R e p r e s e n t a t i o n s : F i r s t E n c o u n t e r s , D i s t o r t e d I m a g e s , a n d L i t e r a r y A p p r o p r i a t i o n s . Ed. G r e t c h e n M . B a t a ille . L in c o ln : U n iv e r sit y o f N e b r a sk a P r e ss, 2 0 0 1 . 2 5 2 p a g e s, $ 7 5 .0 0 / $ 2 9 .9 5 . R eview ed by C ase y L. Kile U n iv er sit y o f C alifo r n ia, Sa n t a Cru z G r e t c h e n Ba t aille o p e n s th is n ew c o lle c t io n o f essays in th e field o f N a t iv e A m e r ic an stu d ies by t r acin g th e w ays t h at im ages o f In d ian s h av e u su ­ ally r eflected th e p r e o ccu p at io n s o f Eu r o p e an s an d E u r o -A m e r ican s r ath er t h a n th e cu ltu r es an d co n ce r n s ce n tr al t o N a t iv e s th em selves. A s an an tid o te t o th is ten d en cy , th e c o lle ct io n , w ith co n tr ib u tio n s by Eu r o -A m er ican s, E u r o p ean s, an d N a t iv e A m e r ic an s, p r ob lem atizes th is h istor y by ask in g, “W h o h as r e p r esen ted N a t iv e A m e r ic an s in th e p ast ? W h a t im ages e xist in var io u s m e d ia o n b o t h sid es o f th e A t la n t ic ? W h o co n tr o ls th e r e p r e se n tation ? W h at U n k n ow n ah ts’ih (M ay a scr ib e). P ages 12-15 o f th e M ad rid C o d e x . Possibly seven ­ teen th cen tury. C alligr aph y in n atu r al in ks, ap plied by br u sh p en to bar k paper. 9 1/16" x 20". M u sèo d e A m ér ica, M ad r id . C ou r tesy C e n te r for M ay a R esearch . Le slie Silk o ’s A lm an ac o f th e D e ad (1 9 9 1 ) an d h er Y ellow W o m an an d a B e au t y o f th e Sp irit (1 9 9 6 ) are b u t tw o w ester n A m e r ic an te xts th at d raw a t t e n t io n to M ay an alm an acs as am o n g th e old e st b o o k s o f th e A m e r ic as. C r aft e d from...