Customer Reviews

Indigenizing the Academy: Transforming Scholarship and Empowering Communities (Contemporary Indigenous Issues)

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In recent decades, American historians have significantly re-evaluated the role of Native Americans in the continent's history. Largely, of course, this was done by academics who were not themselves of that ethnicity. A roundabout way of saying that most were white, and male, for that matter.

But there has also been an increasing number of Natives ascending the academic ladder. First as students, and then as faculty. A decades-long process. It has produced enough people, thus far, to enable the editors to put together this book. Here, the emphasis is not so much on changing a typical view of Natives in history, but instead on the academic environment itself, and how it impacts Natives trying to fit in. Which can be very difficult, as some articles in the book attest. A typical Native student might not have a family tradition of reaching college as a student, let alone as an academic.

The editors have amassed very articulate concerns. Quite readable.

The book is a compilation of poorly-researched essays, really poorly done, each belaboring bellyache ideas that we all, quite frankly, grew tired of back in high school. Example...the ridiculous diatribe into 'who is and who is not a native'. Haven't we all grown sick of that racist measuring stick yet?

Unfortunately, each essay follows the same tired format. All are made up of stereotypes, promoting such yowlers as 'all Whites think this way, vs. all indigenous people think that way...'; drawn-out complaints without substantiation, such as 'all non-native professors use gatekeeping to keep out indigenous scholars', and the like.

The book is for truly hateful, bigoted people who wish to foster an environment of fear in the academy and for those interested in engaging in senseless, time-wasting, essentialist arguments.

Save your money and time and work for justice.