Cherokee Thoughts, Honest and Uncensored (Paperback)

~ Robert J. Conley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Whether or not readers are already familiar with Cherokee history and culture, they will be gripped by this collection of lively essays from Conley, award-winning novelist, Oklahoma native and Cherokee Indian. The author weighs in with fresh and invariably personal emphasis on everything from the rise of Indian casinos to less generally appreciated topics and controversies like the history of Cherokee slavery and Cherokee freedmen. Also collected are rich reflections on Cherokee women and the legacy of the matriarchal clan, the (overlooked) breadth of Cherokee literature, renowned bank robber Henry Starr, Cherokee migration to California, Indian humor and much more. Conley roots his discussions in genial, deceptively unadorned prose that continually references real human beings, famous and otherwise, while maintaining a restless engagement with the relationship between politics, history and the use and misuse of language. His penchant for outspokenness may strike some readers as impulsive, but his prose and analyses, effortlessly blending indigenous and local knowledge with the larger Western cultural canon, have undeniable charm and enduring value. (Nov.)
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Product Description

Distinguished novelist Robert J. Conley examines some of the most interesting facets of the Cherokee world. In 26 essays laced with humor, understatement, even open sarcasm, this popular writer takes on politics, culture, his people's history, and what it meanst to be Cherokee.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (October 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806139439
• ISBN-13: 978-0806139432
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #694,933 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cogent Thoughts from a Cranky Cherokee, April 2, 2009

By	James F. Morris "Jim Morris" (CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert J. Conley is a cantankerous old Cherokee, but he addresses subjects in which that stance is perfectly understandable and appropriate. Indians in general and the Cherokee in particular have been jerked around by the US government and Americans of European ancestry since the first of them arrived. However the Indians have gotten in a few licks along the way.
This book will tell you a lot of stuff you don't know in an interesting way. One of the things you will learn is that the American history you learned in school is biased. Surprise!