Vine Deloria, 1933-2005
"Vine Deloria Jr., the intellectual star of the American Indian renaissance, passed on Nov. 13, after struggling for several weeks with declining health." - Indian Country TodayMy heart is incredibly saddened by this news. Like many Indians my age, Vine Deloria was my first experience of a radical Indian identity. I read God is Red when I was in graduate school, at the age of 22. It changed my life forever. Suddenly there was an eloquent and passionate voice saying all the things I knew to be true; things I hadn't been able to put into words and share with my Ivy League colleagues. Mr. Deloria said them for me and opened my eyes to another way of understanding and living as an American Indian. I went on to read Custer Died for Your Sins and Red Earth, White Lies, books that are on my mandatory Indian reading list to this day.
So, thank you Mr. Deloria. For all you did for us of the next generation, and the generation to come, and the generations after that.. You will be missed but we know your spirit has not left us.
posted by The Marigold Trail at 8:45 PM
2 Comments:
Vine Deloria was a warrior and he will be missed, but he lead a great and meaningful life. One can't ask for more than that. I'm sure his writings will stand the test of time and serve to honor his memory in the future, even for those too young to have been around during his lifetime.
One can only hope they will, I think the things he wrote about are pretty timeless.
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