Real Indians Identity and the Survival of Native America [Paperback]

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, America finds itself on the brink of a new racial consciousness. The old, unquestioned confidence with which individuals can be classified (as embodied, for instance, in previous U.S. census categories) has been eroded. In its place are shifting paradigms and new norms for racial identity. Eva Marie Garroutte examines the changing processes of racial identification and their implications by looking specifically at the case of American Indians.

Eva Marie Garroutteis Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston College.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Chief Who Never Was
1. Enrollees and Outalucks: Law
2. If He Gets a Nosebleed, Hell Turn into a White Man : Biology
3. What If My Grandma Eats Big Macs? Culture
4. If Youre Indian and You Know It (But Others Dont): Self-Identification
5. Whaddaya Mean We, White Man? :
Identity Conflicts and a Radical Indigenism
6. Allowing the Ancestors to Speak:
Radical Indigenism and New/Old Definitions of Identity
Conclusion: Long Lances Ghost and the Spirit of Future Scholarship

Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
Index

In discussing a wide array of legal, biological, and sociocultural definitions, Eva Garroutte documents how these have frequently been manipulated by the federal government, by tribal officials, and by Indian and non-Indian individuals to gain political, social, or economic advantage. Whether or not one agrees with her solutions, anyone seriously concerned with contemporary American Indian issues should read this book. Garrick Bailey, editor ofThe Osage and the Invisible World

Real Indiansis a remarkably candid, engaging, and compelling book. It tells the important and often controversial story of how 'Indian-ness' is negotiated in American culture by indigenous peoples, policy makers, andlói