''From a Native Son: Selected Essays on Indigenism, 1985–1995'' is a 1996 book by

Ward Churchill Ward LeRoy Churchill (born 1947) is an American author and political activist. He was a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1990 until 2007.

. It is a collection of 23 previously published essays on various topics relevant to the

indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

(particularly of North America) in relation to their experience of being

colonized Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

. It is introduced by

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a politica ...

Publishing information

It was published by South End Press in 1996 as a 588-page hardcover () and paperback ().

Synopsis

The book brings together a decade of Churchill's writings on American Indian history, culture, and political activism. The essays explore the themes "of

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...

in the Americas, historical/legal (re)interpretation of the processes of conquest and colonization,

literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

/ cinematic criticism, and the positing of

indigenist Indigenism can refer to several different ideologies that seek to promote the interests of indigenous peoples. The term is used differently by various scholars and activists, and can be used purely descriptively or carry political connotations. D ...

alternatives to the status quo." The author gives his assessments of how Indians are represented on film, in literature, and in academic institutions in order to support his case for believing in an ongoing "systematic cultural extermination". He analyses "Indian resistance--as it occurs in

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

, cultural practice, and activist struggle..." The book is dedicated "for Aunt Bonnie, who inspired me more than she knew..."

Criticism

The scholar Elizabeth Zahrt Geib, writing in ''

Feminist Economics Feminist economics is the critical study of economics and economies, with a focus on gender-aware and inclusive economic inquiry and policy analysis. Feminist economic researchers include academics, activists, policy theorists, and practition ...

'', stated that though the book was "thoroughly researched"Geib, Elizabeth Zahrt (Jul. 2002).
Review of ''From a Native Son: Selected Essays on Indigenism, 1985-1995'' by Ward Churchill
. ''Feminist Economics''. 8(2):5. . Retrieved on April 22, 2011 and benefited from a "highly articulate hypothesis", she ultimately feared that due to the author presuming a familiarity with

Postmodern theory Brian Duignan writes on the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' that Postmodern philosophy is a philosophical movement that arose in the second half of the 20th century as a critical response to assumptions allegedly present in modernist philosophical i ...

on the part of the reader, that "some of the impacts of the essays could be lost on readers."

Awards

The book won the 1997 Gustavus Myers Award for Outstanding Books on

Human Rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

*Introduction by

*Deconstructing the Columbus Myth: Was the "Great Discoverer"

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

? *Since Predator Came: A Survey of Native North America Since 1492 *The Earth is Our Mother: Struggles for American Indian Land and Liberation in the Contemporary United States *Genocide in Arizona?: The " Navajo- Hopi Land Dispute" in Perspective *Native North America: The Political Economy of

Radioactive Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consi ...

Colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...

, with

Winona LaDuke Winona LaDuke (born August 18, 1959) is an American economist, environmentalist, writer and industrial hemp grower, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for Vice ...

*Like Sand in the Wind: The Making of an American Indian Diaspora in the United States * Death Squads in the United States: Confessions of a Government Terrorist *

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

Studies: The Intellectual Imperialism of U.S.

Higher Education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

*Literature and the Colonization of American Indians *A Little Matter of

Genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...

and the Expropriation of Indigenous Spiritual Tradition in Academia *Another Dry White Season:

Jerry Mander Jerry Irwin Mander (born May 1, 1936) is an American activist and author, best known for his 1978 book, ''Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television''. In a more recent book, ''The Capitalism Papers'', Mander argues against capitalism as a ...

's '' In the Absence of the Sacred'' *Spiritual Hucksterism: The Rise of the Plastic

Medicine Men A medicine man is a traditional healer and spiritual leader among the indigenous people of the Americas. Medicine Man or The Medicine Man may also refer to: Films * ''The Medicine Man'' (1917 film), an American silent film directed by Clifford S ...

*Indians "R" Us: Reflections on the "

Men's Movement The men's movement is a social movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily in Western countries, which consists of groups and organizations of men and their allies who focus on gender issues and whose activities range from self-help ...

" *Fantasies of the

Master Race The master race (german: Herrenrasse) is a pseudoscientific concept in Nazi ideology in which the putative " Aryan race" is deemed the pinnacle of human racial hierarchy. Members were referred to as "''Herrenmenschen''" ("master humans"). T ...

: Categories of

Stereotyping In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

American Indians in Film *

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

: ''

Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel '' Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the ...

'' and the Maintenance of the American Empire *And They Did It Like Dogs in the Dirt ...: An Indigenist Analysis of '' Black Robe'' *Let's Spread the "Fun" Around: The Issue of Sports Team Names and Mascots *In the Matter of

Julius Streicher Julius Streicher (12 February 1885 – 16 October 1946) was a member of the Nazi Party, the ''Gauleiter'' (regional leader) of Franconia and a member of the '' Reichstag'', the national legislature. He was the founder and publisher of the virul ...

: Applying Nuremberg Standards to the United States * Semantic Masturbation on the Left: A Barrier to Unity and Action *False Promises: An Indigenist Perspective on Marxist Theory and Practice *Nobody's Pet Poodle:

Jimmie Durham Jimmie Bob Durham (July 10, 1940 – November 17, 2021) was an American sculptor, essayist and poet. He was active in the United States in the civil rights movements of African Americans and Native Americans in the 1960s and 1970s, serving on the ...

, an Artist for Native North America *Another Vision of America: Simon J. Ortiz's '' From Sand Creek'' *I Am Indigenist: Notes on the Ideology of the Fourth World *Works by Author, 1980-1996 *Index

Notes

* {{DEFAULTSORT:From a Native Son: Selected Essays on Indigenism, 1985-1995 1996 non-fiction books Non-fiction books about Native Americans Books about indigenous rights Books by Ward Churchill American essay collections

Publishing information

Synopsis

Criticism

Awards

Contents

Notes