Circe Sturm is among the most influential, innovative scholars of
Native American experience today. Becoming Indian examines the
phenomenon of race shifters sometimes derided as wannabes and fake
Indians who have claimed Native identity by the many thousands in
recent decades. It s a tricky, touchy topic, and yet one that Sturm
handles with characteristic empathy and insight. Her book gives us
a new understanding of the struggle over who will count as Native
American and the tangled politics of heritage, blood, and belonging
in twenty-first century America." —Orin Starn, author of Ishi s
Brain: In Search of America s Last Wild Indian
"Becoming Indian is an utterly absorbing study of Cherokee
associational life in the age of multicultural America. With her
engaging style and crystal clear understanding of complex race and
social relations, Circe Sturm unveils the intricate motivations of
individuals and groups with newly claimed Cherokee identities, as
well as the reactions to their claims by members of the three
federally recognized Cherokee nations. Sturm develops a novel
vocabulary and fresh conceptualizations to describe these racial
shifters and citizen Cherokees, revealing that while often at odds,
they do share common epistemological ground." —Tiya A. Miles,
University of Michigan
"Sturm...explores the identity politics of becoming Indian.
Sturm...offers thoughtful profiles of the various groups...who form
quasi-tribes. Insightful and thought provoking, this volume is
unique in its approach. Highly recommended." —C.R. Kasee, Choice,
Nov. 2011, vol. 49, no. 03
"The book examines the shifting politics of race and Indian
identity in the United States and reveals important insights
concerning the link between competing claims to indigenous identity
and tribal sovereignty." —Plains Anthropologist, vol. 57, no. 221,
2012
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