The Constitution of the White Earth Nation: A New Innovation in a Longstanding Indigenous Literary Tradition

Lisa Brooks · 2011 · Studies in American Indian Literatures

Summary. This essay examines the White Earth Nation Constitution as an innovation within indigenous literary traditions. The author traces how Gerald Vizenor and co-authors drew on centuries of indigenous constitutional literature—from the Popol Vuh through colonial petitions to contemporary fiction—to create a living text that uses irony and political critique. The constitution functions as a tool for imagining and inventing indigenous worlds through established literary and political methodologies.

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Brooks, L.. (2011). The Constitution of the White Earth Nation: A New Innovation in a Longstanding Indigenous Literary Tradition. Studies in American Indian Literatures. https://doi.org/10.5250/studamerindilite.23.4.0048

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  title   = {The Constitution of the White Earth Nation: A New Innovation in a Longstanding Indigenous Literary Tradition},
  author  = {Lisa Brooks},
  journal = {Studies in American Indian Literatures},
  year    = {2011},
  doi     = {10.5250/studamerindilite.23.4.0048},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.5250/studamerindilite.23.4.0048}
}

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AU  - Lisa Brooks
JO  - Studies in American Indian Literatures
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Details

DOI: 10.5250/studamerindilite.23.4.0048
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: indigenous-innovation, innovation-theory
Added: 2026-04-28