Mountain Wolf Woman Criticism
Mountain Wolf Woman, born in 1884 in East Fork River, Wisconsin, is a significant figure in American literature, especially known for her autobiography, Mountain Wolf Woman, Sister of Crashing Thunder (1961). A member of the Thunder Clan of the Winnebago tribe, she provides a vivid and authentic portrayal of Winnebago history and customs through her evocative life story. This work is notable for its success in preserving cultural identity within a Native-White literary collaboration, as observed by Nancy Oestreich Lurie, who encouraged Mountain Wolf Woman to share her narrative.
Mountain Wolf Woman's life reflects the dynamic interplay of tradition and personal agency. Despite limited formal education due to frequent relocations and an arranged marriage, she pursued her studies and ultimately divorced and remarried within the tribe, raising a large family. Her collaboration with Lurie began in the late 1950s and involved recording her story first in Winnebago, then in English, ensuring the authenticity of her voice as noted by Melissa Hearn. Her autobiography encompasses not only personal experiences but also broader themes of Winnebago society, including gender roles and cultural practices.
The critical reception of Mountain Wolf Woman, Sister of Crashing Thunder emphasizes its contribution to understanding Winnebago culture and the challenges of rendering indigenous stories into English. Lurie's detailed efforts to maintain the narrative's integrity underscore the importance of cultural continuity and accessibility, as highlighted by Gretchen M. Bataille and Kathleen Mullen Sands. The work is particularly valued for addressing an intended Native American audience and preserving Mountain Wolf Woman's perspective, a testament to the enduring power of personal and cultural history in literature, as discussed in Hertha Dawn Wong.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Mountain Wolf Woman, Sister of Crashing Thunder: The Autobiography of a Winnebago Indian
(summary)
An American educator, editor, and critic, Lurie was adopted into the Winnebago tribe as an adult and was considered a niece of Mountain Wolf Woman. At Lurie's urging, Mountain Wolf Woman began the process of telling her life story. In the first part of the following excerpt, taken from the preface to Mountain Wolf Woman, Lurie discusses the composition of the autobiography, her relationship with and impressions of Mountain Wolf Woman, and Mountain Wolf Woman's adherence to Winnebago customs. In the second part of the excerpt, which is taken from one of Lurie's appendices to the book, she relates the events surrounding Mountain Wolf Woman's death.
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Culture Change and Continuity: A Winnebago Life
(summary)
Bataille and Sands are both American critics, educators, and editors who specialize in Native studies. In the following excerpt, they survey Mountain Wolf Woman's life, work, and heritage.
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Iterative Score from a Singulative Motif: Mountain Wolf Woman's Song of Herself
(summary)
In the essay below, Hearn discusses the existence of rhetorical devices, particularly the use of an iterative narrative style, in Mountain Wolf Woman, which she describes as 'a series of teaching stories' about Winnebago history, customs, and beliefs.
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Susan Gardner (essay date October 1992 & February 1993)
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'And Here I Am, Telling in Winnebago How I Lived My Life': Teaching Mountain Wolf Woman
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Gardner discusses the literary aspects of Mountain Wolf Woman. Mountain Wolf Woman, Sister of Crashing Thunder enjoys an unusual popularity for academic texts; it has been continuously in print for 31 years. Reasons for its enduring reputation include the upsurge of interest in American Indian literature and women's studies.
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'And Here I Am, Telling in Winnebago How I Lived My Life': Teaching Mountain Wolf Woman
(summary)
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Literary Boundary Cultures: The Life Histories of Plenty-Coups, Pretty-Shield, Sam Blowsnake, and Mountain Wolf Woman
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Wong discusses the creation of Mountain Wolf Woman's autobiography and the volume's focus on family, education, and marriage.
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Mountain Wolf Woman, Sister of Crashing Thunder: The Autobiography of a Winnebago Indian
(summary)