P
exhibitions that encourage non-Indians to see the
Indians’ work as art rather than just objects of eth-
nographic interest (see entry for MARCH 1941).
1936Autobiography of a Papago Woman is
published.
In the early 1930s, anthropologist Ruth Under-
hill, a student of Franz Boas (see entry for 1887),
began interviewing Maria Chona, an elder of the
Papago (now the Tohono O’odham), while gather-
ing information for an anthropological study of her
tribe. Speaking through an interpreter, Chona told
Underhill the fascinating story of her life, which
Underhill recognized as a book in itself.
From their conversations, Underhill crafts Au-
tobiography of a Papago Woman (later reissued as
Papago Woman). The book describes the life of a
strong woman who manages to satisfy her ambition
to become a medicine women while observing the
often constricting roles assigned to women among
the Papago. Owing to Chona’s compelling story and
Underhill’s mastery as a writer and an editor, Papago
Woman will become a landmark in both anthropo-
logical and Native American literature.
“You see, we have power. Men
have to dream to get power
from the spirits and they think
of everything they can—song
and speeches and marching
around, hoping that the spir-
its will notice them and give
them some power. But we
have power.... Can any warrior
make a child, no matter how
brave and wonderful he is?”
—medicine woman Maria Chona
in Autobiography of a
Papago WomanThe Indian Actors Association is
founded.
Affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild, the
leading union for film actors, the Indian Actors
Association is established in Hollywood. The or-
ganization protects the interests of Indian actors
by lobbying for better pay and benefits and by
encouraging casting agents to hire Indians to play
Indian roles. Among the association’s founding
members are star athlete Jim Thorpe (see entry for
SUMMER 1912) and writer and performer Luther
Standing Bear.D’Arcy McNickle’s The Surrounded is
published.
The Surrounded, the story of the struggles of an
Indian of mixed ancestry living on the Flathead
Indian Reservation, is published as the first novel
of Chippewa-Cree writer D’Arcy McNickle. Later
trained in anthropology, McNickle will help imple-
ment the Indian Reorganization Act (see entry for
JUNE 18, 1934) while working for the Bureau of
Indian Affairs. Decades later, he will also be instru-
mental in organizing the seminal conference of the
National Congress of American Indians (see entry
for JUNE 13 TO 20, 1961).May 1The Alaska Native Reorganization Act
extends the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA)
to Alaskan Natives.
By order of Congress, the Natives of Alaska were
excluded from the Indian Reorganization Act
(IRA) (see entry for JUNE 18, 1934), largely be-
cause unlike other Native groups they receive
government services from the Bureau of Educa-
tion in the Alaska territorial government instead
of from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. By extend-
ing the IRA’s provisions to Alaskan groups, the
Alaska Native Reorganization Act creates new fed-
erally funded programs for self-government and
economic development, thereby redefining the re-
lationship between Alaska’s Native population and
the U.S. government.