Gerald Vizenor is often called the most prolific and controversial writer of the American Indian literary renaissance that began in 1968. He has written nine books of poetry, a collection of short stories, seven novels, and eight books of nonfiction, mostly political and autobiographical essays. Among his awards are the 1983 Film in the Cities screenplay prize from the Sundance Institute for Harold of Orange (1984), which also won "Best Film" in the category of American Indian Films at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1984; the New York Fiction Collective Award (1986) and the American Book Award (1988) for Griever, An American Monkey King in China (1987); and the Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature from PEN-Oakland for Interior Landscapes: Autobiographical Myths and Metaphors (1990).

Gerald Vizenor's paternal ancestors were of mixed blood, Anishinaabe (the traditional tribe name that many Chippewa still prefer) and French Canadian. His Anishinaabe forebears were members of the Crane...