In 1969, during the beginnings of the historical Indian Movement, Deloria published "Custer Died for Your Sins," a book that would become a well respected tome that implored non-Indian Americans to revisit their beliefs about Native Americans and the history surrounding the culture.
Deloria continued to write more than twenty books, focusing on a number of issues vital to the Native American community. Deloria also spent many years teaching at universities in Arizona and Colorado.
Deloria's life experiences led him to create the revised version of "God is Red: A Native View of Religion," a book that had been first released in 1972.