In Defense of Loose Translations: An Indian Life in an Academic World

Cook-Lynn (emeritus, English and Native studies, Eastern Washington Univ.; A Separate Country), born on the Crow Creek Dakota Reservation, SD, here discusses building her career as an academic and overcoming immense hurdles as a woman and a Dakota to become a prominent figure in American Indian studies. Among her achievements is cofounding the Wícazo Ša Review, an influential interdisciplinary journal, yet her work has also been marked by controversy, specifically her research on settler-colonialism, bringing intense criticism from the political right. Particularly notable is her comparison of South African and American histories. In South Africa, Native peoples overcame apartheid, while in the United States, Native Americans continue to suffer extreme victimization. The difference, according to Cook-Lynn, is leadership, with South Africa's Indigenous populace united behind Nelson Mandela, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) here failing to provide effective support. Cook-Lynn admits a schism within the AIM from the beginning, claiming its activists had no use for American Indian scholars, believing they were not contributing to the advancement of the community's civil rights.