Touring Indian Country: A Review of Native Fiction from 1999 and 2000

T o u r in g In d ia n C o u n t r y : A R e v ie w o f N a t iv e F ic t io n f r o m 1 9 9 9 a n d 2 0 0 0 G w e n G r i f f i n W it h t h e gr o w in g d e m a n d fo r c la sse s t h a t fo c u s o n t h e w o r k s o f N a t iv e w r it er s, t h e d r iv in g d isc u ssio n t u r n s t o w h ic h w o r k s sh o u ld b e in clu d e d . T h e r e ar e alw ay s t h e “F a b F o u r ” o f N . S c o t t M o m ad a y , Ja m e s W e lc h , Lo u ise E r d r ic h , a n d Le slie M a r m o n Silk o , b u t t h e t id e is sh ift in g as m o r e a n d m o r e N a t iv e w r iter s m a k e t h e ir v o ic e s h e ar d t h r o u gh fict io n . In t h e p a st t w o y e ar s, a sign ific a n t b o d y o f lite r at u r e h a s b e e n p u b lish e d t h a t w ill m a k e se le c t in g w o r k s e v e n m o r e d iffic u lt a n d m o r e r e w ar d in g t h a n ev er . N a t iv e w r iter s w h o w r it e a b o u t N a t iv e life c o n ­ t r ib u t e t o t h e su r v iv al o f c u lt u r a l t r a d it io n s an d e x p r e ssio n in a w ay t h a t c a n n o t b e d u p lic at e d b y o u tsid e r s. In R ed on R ed: N at iv e A m erican Literary Separatism , C r a ig W o m a c k (C r e e k /C h e r o k e e ) h igh ligh t s t h e n e e d fo r fo r ­ m a l d iscu ssio n a b o u t t h e im p o r t a n t r o le o f N a t iv e lit e r at u r e a n d N a t iv e w r iter s: “T h e o n g o in g e x p r e ssio n o f a t r ib a l v o ic e , t h r o u g h im a g in a t io n , la n gu age , a n d lit e r at u r e , c o n t r ib u t e s t o k e e p in g so v e r e ign t y a liv e in t h e Sh o n to Begay. M Y ST O R Y R O CK . 1991. A cr ylic o n can v as. 43...