Native American Mystery, Crime, and Detective Fiction Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Stoecklein, Mary Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 18:52:42 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624574 NATIVE AMERICAN MYSTERY, CRIME, AND DETECTIVE FICTION by Mary Stoecklein __________________________ Copyright © Mary Stoecklein 2017 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the GRADUATE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM IN AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2017 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Mary Stoecklein, titled Native American Mystery, Crime, and Detective Fiction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 7, 2017 Franci Washburn _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 7, 2017 Amy Fatzinger _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 7, 2017 Daniel Cooper Alarcón _______________________________________________ Date: April 7, 2017 Billy J. Stratton Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: April 7, 2017 Dissertation Director: Franci Washburn 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Mary Stoecklein 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am ever grateful to my committee chair, Dr. Franci Washburn, who was the inspiration for me to come to this program. As my instructor, advisor, mentor, and dissertation chair, you have taught me so much, and I know that I could not have achieved this accomplishment without your expert guidance, impeccable advice, and unwavering support. I also want to extend gratitude to Dr. Amy Fatzinger, who showed such enthusiasm for this project, and with whom I had many long conversations that helped me elucidate some of the ideas I was working out. Thanks also to Dr. Daniel Cooper Alarcón, for the thoughtful, thorough and friendly feedback. I also thank Dr. Billy J. Stratton for the opportunities to expand my scholarship and for being a part of my committee. To my parents, Rob and Ginger, who moved across the country to be with me during this journey, and who have supported me unconditionally my whole life, so that I could achieve my dreams. Thanks for teaching me that I am capable of accomplishing whatever I set my mind to and for also instilling in me the importance of critical thinking. Most of all, thanks for doing everything in your power to ensure that I have the best life possible; I am so lucky. Thank you also to my little brother, Robbie, who, throughout our lives, has provided so many moments of humor and laughter. I am so proud to have you as my sibling. To Papaw, whom I know would be so thrilled at this achievement; I wish you could be here to witness it. Finally, thanks to Nate, who was willing to leave his family and home to come with me on this adventure; such actions showed incredible dedication to supporting my goals. I literally could not have done this without you—from driving the U-Haul truck across the country to reading nearly every word I wrote over the past four years—your constant and selfless assurance has allowed me to flourish. 5 DEDICATION For Papaw 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………7 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………...8 I. HISTORICIZING NATIVE AMERICAN MYSTERY, CRIME, AND DETECTIVE FICTION: A CASE STUDY OF MEAN SPIRIT AND THE OSAGE ROSE…………………....29 II. VIOLENCE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN: ELEMENTS OF MYSTERY, CRIME, AND DETECTIVE FICTION IN ELSIE’S BUSINESS AND THE ROUND HOUSE...................................................................................................................59 III. MYSTERIES OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT IN LOUIS OWENS’S THE SHARPEST SIGHT AND BONE GAME………………………………………………………...91 IV. THE NOVELS OF TONY HILLERMAN AND THE FILMS OF CHRIS EYRE: EXAMINING SKINWALKERS AND A THIEF OF TIME………………………………….....124 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………155 APPENDIX A: NATIVE-AUTHORED MYSTERY, CRIME, AND DETECTIVE FICTION………………………………………………………………………………………..168 WORKS CITED………………………………………………………………………………..172 WORKS CONSULTED………………………………………………………………………..182 7 ABSTRACT Native American Mystery, Crime, and Detective Fiction examines a range of texts, most of them Native-authored, that utilize elements of a popular and accessible literary genre: the mystery, crime, and detective story. The examined texts convey how writers fuse tribally- specific cultural elements with characteristics of mystery, crime, and detective fiction as a way to, as I argue, inform all readers about Native American histories, cultures, and contemporary issues. Exploring how Native American writers approach the genre of mystery, crime, and detective fiction is critical, since it is a sub-genre of American Indian literature that has, to date, received little scholarly attention. This study considers eight novels and two made for TV movies that are either written by Native American writers, feature Native American characters and settings, or both. The novels and films that are analyzed represent a spectrum of mystery, crime, and detective stories: starting with the historical mysteries about the Osage Oil Murders presented by Linda Hogan and Tom Holm; to the calls to action regarding contemporary issues of justice, jurisdiction, and violence against American Indian women offered by Frances Washburn and Louise Erdrich; to the short series that invoke intricate questions about history and identity created by Louis Owens; and, finally, to Tony Hillerman’s immensely popular hard-boiled Navajo tribal policemen who are brought to the small screen by Chris Eyre, where the distinctions between Western and Indigenous conceptions of healing and spiritual belief are highlighted. These novels and films illustrate a range of American Indian mystery, crime, and detective fiction, and my analysis illuminates the ways in which these texts work to inform and transform readers in regard to issues that surround crime and justice within American Indian contexts. 8 INTRODUCTION In the personal statement I crafted for my application to the University of Arizona’s PhD program in American Indian Studies, I articulated my goal of conducting scholarship that gives American Indian literature the attention it deserves, and to do so in a respectful way that acknowledges the historical, political, and cultural facets that rest behind the creation of American Indian literature. I also set out with the intention to break the cycle I had experienced of never having read American Indian literature in my K-12, and even undergraduate, educational experiences, in order to ensure that future generations have a more informed exposure, and that Native-authored works are no longer marginalized. My journey has led me to the exploration of American Indian mystery, crime, and detective fiction, a specific sub-genre of American Indian literature that has, to date, received little scholarly or critical attention. The goal of this study aligns with the goal Louis Owens states for his book Other Destines, in which he writes, “This study is a modest attempt to further introduce novels by American Indian authors to the wider audience they deserve and to make readers more aware that for fiction about Indians they can go directly to Indian authors rather than to the immense American library of fiction about Indians by Euramerican writers” (22). While there are many mystery, crime, and detective novels about American Indians that are written by non-Native authors, so too are there mystery, crime, and detective novels written by American Indian authors. In order to fill the gap in the current scholarship, this study examines the characteristics of mystery, crime, and detective fiction written by American Indian writers. While there is much discussion on the legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of texts written by cultural outsiders vs. those written by cultural insiders, there is little research that actually examines the specific 9 characteristics of Native-authored mystery, crime, and detective fiction, and this dissertation explores a range of such texts, considering some of the common