Author Topic: The authentiicity and reliability of author Mari Sandoz  (Read 5569 times)

Offline Leonard

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The authentiicity and reliability of author Mari Sandoz
« on: December 29, 2009, 04:30:15 am »
Is anyone familiar enough with Mari Sandoz to comment on her authenticity and reliability?  Two books of hers that I'm interested in are
Crazy Horse, The Strange Man of the Oglalas  and Cheyenne Autumn.  The 2nd and 3rd editions of Crazy Horse, The Strange Man of the Oglalas have an introduction by Vine Deloria Jr., which seems like a pretty good endorsement.  There are so many ndn biographies and autobiographies "as told to ______ " written by non-natives which turn out to be biased, slanted, or plain dishonest that I've grown cautious.   
Thanks, Leonard

Offline educatedindian

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Re: The authentiicity and reliability of author Mari Sandoz
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2009, 02:44:53 pm »
I think of her like Angie Debo or Helen Hunt Jackson, a committed advocate for Natives at a time there were few of them. Pretty much any biography of Natives is going to be at least a bit distorted because biography is not really a Native form. Any distortions are not intentional or malicious though. Sandoz did her best to be extremely accurate. She did as much if not more research than many historians.

Some articles
http://www.csc.edu/news/story.csc?article=4918
http://www.marisandoz.org/about.html

Offline Leonard

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Re: The authentiicity and reliability of author Mari Sandoz
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2009, 04:33:49 am »
Much appreciated.  Thanks for the links, too.

Offline 04-2106-johanna

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Re: The authentiicity and reliability of author Mari Sandoz
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2010, 07:22:43 pm »
At chadron state college in chadron nebraska they have a fine arts building named after her.  they would probally know about what you are asking.  i can get you the phone number.