Acculturation of Amerindians: Assessment of 19th Century Native Indian Writers

The book presents a compelling interdisciplinary examination of how Amerindian identity was reshaped in the crucible of colonial contact in America. With a unique outlook grounded in acculturation theory, this study offers both a deeply personal and broadly cultural investigation into the turbulent experiences of Native Indian authors navigating two worlds. Through the lives and writings of Apess (Pequot), Boudinot (Cherokee), and Copway (Mississauga Ojibwe), Ms. Sharma reveals how 19th-century Native voices used literature as both a survival tool and a site of resistance. Their narratives—ranging from religious confessions to political tracts—unfold as acts of rhetorical sovereignty, asserting Native agency even in the face of relentless cultural dislocation. Amerindian acculturation was neither uniform nor absolute. Each author reflects a different adaptation strategy: Apess’s journey arcs toward reclamation of tribal identity; Boudinot, deeply embedded in the Cherokee political structure, ultimately finds himself estranged from both Native and Euro-American worlds; Copway, meanwhile, negotiates a fragile biculturalism that leads to tragic alienation.  What sets this work apart is its synthesis of literary analysis with cultural psychology, history, and Amerindian studies. It positions Native literature not merely as testimony but as dynamic intervention—bearing witness to colonial trauma while envisioning pathways to cultural continuity. This book offers critical insight into the legacy of colonization and the enduring strength of Native voices. It is a vital contribution to our understanding of how identity, resistance, and storytelling intersect in the shaping of Indigenous modernity.