Explorations in Sights and Sounds
Orginal Publication Date
1992
Journal Title
Explorations in Sights and Sounds
Volume
12
Issue
ess/vol12/iss1
First Page
38
Last Page
39
Abstract
The search for an "untouched" Native voice in American Indian autobiography, both experientially and stylistically, has proven as elusive as the search for the "untouched" Native. In the case of A Yaqui Life, it is precisely the of the native author's interaction-personal, literary, military, economic, religious, and familial-that makes the work both fascinating and significant. So, too, the text as a product of the interactions between the various authors enhances its ethnographic and historic significance. In 1954, at the suggestion of the anthropologist W. C. Holden, the core of the work was penned by Rosalio Moises, a Yaqui who lived from 1896 until 1969. Holden's daughter, Jane Holden Kelley, later edited the text and amplified the material through interviews with Moisés concerning his written text. This personal chronicle thus bridges the gap between autobiography and ethnography.
Rights
Copyright, ©EES, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 1992