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Native American Identities: From Stereotype to Archetype in Art and Literature

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Scott Vicker's new book about the depiction of Native Americans in art and literature in a thorough and academically rigorous account, yet quite readable. The book helps one to understand how the depiction of Indians has been influenced by the economic and social needs of the dominant white culture, whether that be the dehumanizing of Indians to justify wiping out their cultures, or their romanticization to attract tourists to their lands and make money selling their art. Vickers also brings to attention several writers, for example Frank Waters, who have attempted to deeply understand the culture they are depicting and to create multidimensional characters that provide the reader with a window into the true lives of Native Americans. Seeing how the depiction of Indians has progressed toward a more authentic and self-expressed picture over the last 50 years provides some uplift to counteract the rather depressing story of the books first half. (This book sco! res an impressive 9.5 on the PC scale.) Overall, Vicker's book avoids excessive academic jargon and provides insight for people who are interested in literature and art that depicts Native American's, but may not have thought too deeply about how such depictions have been influenced by the paradigms of the time. The reader may occasionally feel frustrated when Vickers discusses artwork without reproducing it in his book, but this minor problem does little to mar an otherwise outstanding text.