Vine Deloria, Jr.

Holly Boomer (National American University)
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Easily identified by only his first name, Vine Deloria, Jr., has achieved iconic status both in academia and in the American Indian community. He wasn't the first American Indian writer, but he was the most prolific and enduring writer about Indian issues. He was a modern warrior who used words as weapons. Born in 1933 and writing since the 1960s, Deloria shook up the establishment: government, academia, theologians, scientists, anthropologists and anyone else he came in contact with.

Deloria was born in Martin, SD, in March 1933. Martin is in the county of Bennett that at one time was part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. His father, Vine, Sr., served on the Pine Ridge as an Episcopal missionary priest. His immediate family were members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, but his

1876 words

Citation: Boomer, Holly. "Vine Deloria, Jr.". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 January 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1221, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1221 Vine Deloria, Jr. 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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