Indispensable Momaday

running after evil in the night,
whole and indispensable in what they did.
because of them, perspective, proportion, design in the universe.
meaning.
they ran with great dignity and calm, not in the hope of anything,
but hopelessly, neither in fear nor hatred nor despair of evil.
evil was abroad in the night; they must venture out to the confrontation.

Edge of Oblivion

In House Made of Dawn, Pulitzer Prize-winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday writes about the exhilaration of recognizing the mystery and magic embedded in the majesty of creation. He also writes about the hardness that is fashioned within those who have faced extinction.

Describing one such indigenous tribe, he observes that having made the journey along the edge of oblivion, they had got a keener sense of humility, and paradoxically a greater sense of pride. Having acquired a tragic sense, he remarks, gave them a certain dignity and bearing.

Indigenous Peoples Movement

On January 10, 2013, WBAI New York's Tiokasin Ghosthorse of First Voices Indigenous Radio interviewed John Schertow, editor and publisher of Intercontinental Cry (IC) magazine, about the world indigenous peoples' movement and the Idle No More campaign in Canada. Discussing his latest publication, Indigenous Struggles 2012: Dispatches From The Fourth World, Schertow highlighted some of the hot spots around the world, where indigenous nations are challenging modern states to abide by international law.

On February 7, 2013, Jay Taber, IC columnist and contributing editor of Fourth World Journal, joined Ghosthorse and Schertow in discussing the history of the world indigenous peoples' movement, and the redistribution of power now taking place between indigenous nations and modern states. Noting the forthcoming World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, scheduled for September 2014 at UN headquarters in New York City, Taber emphasized the vital role indigenous media like First Voices and IC -- along with indigenous think tanks like the Center for World Indigenous Studies -- play in making the struggle visible.

Politics Nations and Wilderness

Three books that might be of interest:

The Politics of Resource Extraction by Suzana Sawyer

Rebuilding Native Nations by Miriam Jorgensen

Stein: The Way of the River by Michael M'Gonigle