Full Description
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Indian Territory, which would eventually become the state of Oklahoma, was a multicultural space in which various Native tribes, European Americans, and African Americans were equally engaged in struggles to carve out meaningful lives in a harsh landscape. John Milton Oskison, born in the territory to a Cherokee mother and an immigrant English father, was brought up engaging in his Cherokee heritage, including its oral traditions, and appreciating the utilitarian value of an American education.
Oskison left Indian Territory to attend college and went on to have a long career in New York City journalism, working for the New York Evening Post and Collier's Magazine. He also wrote short stories and essays for newspapers and magazines, most of which were about contemporary life in Indian Territory and depicted a complex multicultural landscape of cowboys, farmers, outlaws, and families dealing with the consequences of multiple interacting cultures.
Though Oskison was a well-known and prolific Cherokee writer, journalist, and activist, few of his works are known today. This first comprehensive collection of Oskison's unpublished autobiography, short stories, autobiographical essays, and essays about life in Indian Territory at the turn of the twentieth century fills a significant void in the literature and thought of a critical time and place in the history of the United States.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction Part 1. AutobiographyA Tale of the Old I.T.: An Autobiography by John Milton OskisonA Trip to Yosemite Valley: Graphic Picture of Grand Scenery Drawn by a Vinita BoyA Letter to His Father: John Milton Oskison Writes of His Visit in EuropeAn Autobiographical Letter to Journalist Frederick S. Barde Part 2. FictionI Match You: You Match MeTookh Steh's MistakeA Schoolmaster's DissipationOnly the Master Shall PraiseWhen the Grass Grew LongThe Biologist's QuestI Saw an Eagle StrikeTo "Youngers' Bend"A Border Judge and His CourtWorking for FameThe Fall of King Chris"The Quality of Mercy"The Greater AppealThe Problem of Old HarjoYoung Henry and the Old ManKoenig's DiscoveryOut of the Night That CoversWalla Tenaka--CreekThe Apples of Hesperides, KansasThe Man Who InterferedThe Other PartnerThe Singing Bird Part 3. EssaysCherokee MigrationThe President and the Indian: Rich Opportunity for the Red ManThe Outlook for the IndianFriends of the IndianLake Mohonk ConferenceThe Need of Publicity in Indian Affairs
Remaining Causes of Indian DiscontentMaking an Individual of the IndianA Carlisle CommencementThe Indian in the ProfessionsThe Enduring Qualities of the IndianThe Little Mother of the PueblosAn Apache ProblemAcquiring a Standard of ValueArizona and Forty Thousand IndiansThe Closing Chapter: Passing of the Old IndianA Bigger Load for Educated IndiansIn Governing the Indian, Use the Indian!The New Indian Leadership Source Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
