American Indians, American Scholars and the American Literary Canon

Abstract

As a member of the editorial board whose work culminated in the Heath Anthology of American Literature, I have watched with interest during the last two years the debate on the American literary canon and the related issue of political correctness.Heretofore, I have not publicly addressed the issues of the debate.My intention is not to rehash them here, for one additional statement more or less will not matter much.What I wish to address, instead, is a matter related to the debate on the literary canon: the growing controversy between American Indians and American scholars.Presented first are the broad outlines of the controversy and some of its causes, followed by an analysis of what implications the debate might have for American studies that deal with Indian matters, particularly for the American literary canon and those whose scholarship concerns it During the past twenty years, American Indians have been critical of American scholars, especially the anthropologists, for whom their criticism has been relentless.In recent years, with ever increasing intensity, their criticism has spilled over to other American scholars as well.Depending on the political stand of the person making the statement, we have been naive, ignorant, racist, colonialist, or two or more of these in combination. 1 In some instances, there is outright repudiation of our efforts.Oren Lyons, for example, "arunner for the Six Nations" and a member of the Onondaga council, has said to us, "We will determine what our culture is we are not going to be put in a museum or accept your interpretations of our culture." 2 Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, the Sioux scholar and

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