Conceptualizing American Indian Literary Theory Today

In fact the most influential works of Native American literary studies in the past ten years or so have as their common denominator their expressed goal of clarifying not just the connections but the responsibilities that Native writers, Native writings, Native communities, and critics of Native literature all share. Terms such as Robert Warrior's "intellectual sovereignty," and, recentiy, "intellectual trade routes"; Jace Weaver's "communitism"; Elizabeth Cook-Lynn's "AntiIndianism"; Craig Womack's "Red Stick" approach; all these terms, which are the markers of literary theoretical concepts, are unintelligible outside of the context of Native community history, politics, and needs (Cook-Lynn x; Warrior, People and the Word 182 and Tribal secrets 97-98; Weaver xiii; Womack 11-12).