Jim Northrup (April 28, 1943 – August 1, 2016) was an

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawa ...

( Native American) newspaper

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the form of a short essay ...

, poet, performer, and

political commentator A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport). Origins The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...

from the

Fond du Lac Indian Reservation The Fond du Lac Indian Reservation (or Nah-Gah-Chi-Wa-Nong (''Nagaajiwanaang'' in the Double Vowel orthography), meaning "Where the current is blocked" in the Ojibwe language) is an Indian reservation in northern Minnesota near Cloquet in Carlt ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

. His Anishinaabe name was "Chibenashi" (from ''Chi-bineshiinh'' "Big little-bird").

Summary

Northrup's regular column, the ''Fond du Lac Follies'', was syndicated through several Native American papers, such as ''The Circle, The Native American Press'' and '' News From Indian Country''. It won many awards (see below) and was known for a warm humour with a sharply political undertone. Northrup often told stories through the perspective of his immediate family, most of whom, like he did, live a traditional Anishinaabe lifestyle and uses a folksy style to make points about United States-Native American interactions. ''Fond du Lac Follies'' was named ''Best Column'' at the 1999 Native American Journalists Association convention. In 1990-1992, Jim worked as a roster artist for the ''COMPAS Writer in the Schools Program''. He was a Mentor in the ''Loft Inroads Program'', a Judge for the ''Lake Superior Contemporary Writers Series'' and ''The Jerome Fellowship'', and a Member of the ''Minnesota State Arts Board Prose Panel''. Jim also gave radio commentaries on the Superior Radio Network,

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

, Fresh Air Radio, and the BBC-Scotland. His books ''Walking the Rez Road'', ''Rez Road Follies'', and ''Anishinaabe Syndicated'' are written in the same style, and have been highly praised for their insights into reservation life. He peppered his column, and the books, with jokes (e.g. ''Q: Why is the white man in such a hurry to get to Mars? A: He thinks we have land there'') and words or phrases from his tribal language, Ojibwemowin, of which he was a student. Born in the Government Hospital on the reservation, Northrup was brought up at Pipestone Indian School, where he was physically abused by teachers and fellow students, Northrup grew up a tough streetfighter with a smart mouth. Service in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

and a surfeit of family tragedy added to a strong, humorous voice that was unafraid to talk about the darker side of life. Jim, with his family, lived the traditional life of the

in northern Minnesota, on the Fond Du Lac reservation. Year around they practice the construction of making winnowing baskets, and harvest wild rice and maple syrup. Nonetheless, his traditional lifestyle did not deter him from participating in events like the ''Taos Film Festival'' and the ''Taos Poetry Circus''. Jim died on August 1, 2016, due to complications from

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include sp ...

. He was 73.

Quotes

''I used to be known as a bullshitter but that didn't pay anything. I began calling myself a storyteller - a little better, more prestige - but it still didn't pay anything. I became a freelance writer. At first it was more free than lance, then I started getting money for my words'' (Rez Road Follies, p. 2)

Awards

* Jim was named ''Writer of the Year'' in syndicated columns for 2001 by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writer's and Storytellers for his column ''The Fond du Lac Follies''. * ''Walking the Rez Road'' was awarded a ''Minnesota Book Award'' and a ''Northeast Minnesota Book Award''. Jim was honored as writer of the ''Best Feature Story'' in 1987 by the Native American Press Association for the story "Jeremiah, Jesse and Dan". In 1987 he also was named winner of the ''Lake Superior Contemporary Writers Series'' for "Culture Clash". * The film ''Jim Northrup: With Reservations'' received an award at the ''Dreamspeakers Native Film Festival '97'', and was named ''Best of Show'' at ''Red Earth '97''. It was named ''Best Short Film'' at the ''Native American Voices Showcase'' 2002 at the ''Fargo Film Festival''. It was also shown at the 1997 ''Native American Film & Video Festival'', National Museum of the American Indian, New York City. * ''The Rez Road Follies'' was nominated for a ''Minnesota Book Award'', in the Creative Non-fiction category in 1995. * ''Fond du Lac Follies'' was named ''Best Column'' at the 1999 Native American Journalists Association convention.

Bibliography

Anthologies

* ''Nitaawichige: Selected Poetry and Prose by Four Anishinaabe Writers'', with Jim Northrup, Marcie Rendon &, Linda Legarde Grover, Poetry Harbor. * ''Stories Migrating Home: Anishnaabe Prose'', Kimberly Blaeser (Editor), Loonfeather Press: Wisconsin * ''Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose from the First North American Native Writers' Festival'', (Sun Tracks Books, No 29) University of Arizona Press. * ''Touchwood: A Collection of Ojibway Prose'' (Many Minnesotas Project, No 3), New Rivers Press. * ''North Writers: A Strong Woods Collection'', John Henricksson (Editor), University of Minnesota Press. * ''Stiller's Pond, New Fiction From The Upper Midwest'', Jonis Agee, Roger Blakely & Susan Welch (Editors), New Rivers Press. * ''Do you know me now?: an anthology of Minnesota multicultural writings'', Elisabeth Rosenberg (Editor), Normandale Community College. * ''Medvefelhő a város felett, Native American Poetry in Hungarian, translated by Gabor G Gyukics, Scolar Publishing, Budapest, Hungary.

Autobiographies

* Walking the Rez Road, 1993, Voyageur Press. * Rez Road Follies: Canoes, Casinos, Computers and Birch Bark Baskets, 1997, Kodansha America, Now issued by U Of Minn Press. * Anishinaabe Syndicated, A View From The Rez, 2011, Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Interviews

Slideshow & RealAudio

Roseanne Hoefel, in ''SAIL'', 9, 2, 11.

Chris LaLonde, in ''SAIL, 9, 2, 23. * Tribal Traditions in Minnesota, b
''Laine Cunningham''
July 2000
''American Profile magazine''
* Down Home With Jim Northrup, by Mark Rolo, 1996, ''Aboriginal Voices'', 3, 1. * ''COLORS Magazine'', Language of the Land Project, Volume 1, Issue 2: March/April, 1992, David Mura and Jim Northrup on "Whose story is it, anyway?" * ''Northern Lights, A Look at Minnesota Books and Writers'', video #270 of the series.

Poetry

* ''Three more: poems'', illustrations by Eva Two Crow, Minnesota Center for Book Arts and the Loft, 1992. * ''Days of Obsidian, Days of Grace'' (with Adrian Louis, Al Hunter, and Denise Sweet), 1994, Poetry Harbor Press * '' Nagy Kis-Madár, book of poetry in Hungarian translated by Gabor G Gyukics. Új Forrás Press, Hungary, 2013.

Plays

* Rez Road 2000—performed at the ''Great American History Theatre'' in St. Paul for a five-week run in January 2000. * Rez Road Follies * Shinnob Jep—performed October 9, 10 & 11, 1997, at the Weisman Art Museum,

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

, as part of the ''Indian Humor'' exhibition.

References

External links

Personal website
(includes contact details, links to poems and other online writing)
The United States of Poetry

* ttp://www.sci.edu/sleepyweasel/Weasel03/war.html Warby Kelly Brock
Interview with Mike Hazard
about making ''With Reservations'' *Jim Northrup talks about ''Walking the Rez Road'' with Chris Dodge of Hennepin County Library, Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #270 (1993):

"Words of the Past"
a Minnesota Public Radio story on the Ojibwe language
Pictures of Jim discussing wild rice fanning

A short biography
from the Internet Public Library's Native American Authors Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Northrup, Jim 1943 births 2016 deaths 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American poets 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans American autobiographers American columnists American male comedians American male dramatists and playwrights American male journalists American male novelists American male poets Comedians from Minnesota Comedians from Montana Comedians from North Dakota Comedians from South Dakota Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Journalists from Minnesota Journalists from Montana Journalists from North Dakota Journalists from South Dakota Native American dramatists and playwrights Native American journalists Native American male actors Native American novelists Native American poets Novelists from Minnesota Novelists from Montana Novelists from North Dakota Novelists from South Dakota Ojibwe people Writers from Minnesota