God Made Alaska for the Indians by Ishmael Reed
"God Made Alaska for the Indians" is a collection of essays by Ishmael Reed that explores a range of cultural, political, and social themes through a distinctly multicultural lens. Reed, known mainly as an African American writer, also draws from his Native American heritage, providing a unique perspective on issues related to land rights and indigenous peoples, particularly the Sitka Tlingit Indians. The title essay highlights the complexities of the legal and political conflicts surrounding Alaskan land use, emphasizing the often-overlooked voices of Native communities and critiquing the insensitivity of both conservationist groups and corporate interests.
In addition to indigenous rights, Reed tackles topics such as racial identity, language, and cultural representation, challenging prevailing narratives and stereotypes. He addresses the intersections of race and masculinity, critiques societal attitudes towards African Americans, and reflects on the broader American art scene's diversity. Through his thought-provoking arguments, Reed calls attention to the importance of recognizing and celebrating the contributions of all cultural backgrounds in shaping American identity. This collection offers a rich commentary on the dynamics of race, culture, and power in the United States, making it a compelling read for those interested in social justice and multiculturalism.
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God Made Alaska for the Indians by Ishmael Reed
First published: 1982
The Work
God Made Alaska for the Indians, a collection of essays by Ishmael Reed, is a short book, but it manages to pack into its 130 pages many of the widely varied interests of one of the most interesting multicultural figures on the American literary scene. Reed is primarily thought of as an African American writer, but he is also much aware of his Native American ancestry. This dual viewpoint informs the title essay, a lengthy account of political and legal conflicts over the use of Alaskan lands. Reed sympathizes with the Sitka Tlingit Indians, but he realizes that the question is complicated, with other tribes opposing them.
Reed is, as always, critical of the white establishment, and he demonstrates that supposedly benign conservationist forces such as the Sierra Club can be as uncaring of the interests and customs of the indigenous population as any profit-maddened capitalist corporation. An afterword informs the reader that the Sitka Tlingits finally won.
“The Fourth Ali” covers the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks, late in Ali’s career. There is little description of the actual fight, and one learns little more than that Ali won. Reed emphasizes the fight as spectacle, describing the followers, the hangers-on, and Ali’s near-mythic role.
In the brief “How Not to Get the Infidel to Talk the King’s Talk,” Reed demolishes the theory that the supposed linguistic flaws of Black English keep African Americans from social advancement by pointing to the success of such verbally challenged European Americans as Gerald R. Ford and Nelson A. Rockefeller.
“Black Macho, White Macho” attacks some of the male-supremacist views Reed has been accused of holding, pointing out that such views are particularly dangerous in those with access to atomic weapons. “Race War in America?” makes some strong points about racial attitudes in the United States, in the then-pressing context of worry about the minority government in South Africa. In “Black Irishman” Reed, who has always refused to consider himself anything but an African American, looks at his Irish ancestry.
Perhaps the most interesting essay in the book is the last, “American Poetry: Is There a Center?” Reed recounts the controversies over a poetry center set up in Colorado by an Asian religious leader. The center’s supporters made claims that it represented a focal point of all that is good in American poetry. Reed replies with his uncompromising view that the genius of American art can be found in the works of all races and cultures.
Bibliography
Clark, Tom. The Great Naropa Poetry Wars. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Cadmus, 1980.
Martin, Reginald. Ishmael Reed and the New Black Critics. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988.