Part 9 Summary and Analysis

"A Redefinition of Indian Affairs"

This essay begins with the story of the Tiguas (see "Important People") whose discovery, the author contends, woke Indians in the rest of America to the possibility that Indian culture did not have to be assimilated into white culture, but could continue to exist with independence and cultural integrity (see "Quotes," p. 245). The discovery of the Tiguas, the author adds, awakened national Indian consciousness, a process that, as he points out, has expanded on several fronts, particularly into eastern Indian communities and those composed of what he calls "urban Indians."

These sorts of Indians, the author writes, consider themselves to be merely visiting the cities, returning "home" to their reservations whenever they have the chance. This suggests, he adds, that reservations are the socio-cultural center of a tribe, while employment and political opportunities can be found...