Charles Alexander Eastman [Ohiyesa] (February 19, 1858-January 8, 1939)

Charles Eastman is, without a doubt, the best known of the early Native American authors. He produced nine monographs (an additional two are modifications of former texts) as well as a great number of articles that appeared in a wide range of major U.S. magazines. His works have been translated into French, German, Danish, and Russian; a few of his books have been reprinted several times, the most recent editions appearing in the 1990s. Aside from his notoriety as a writer, Eastman was also held up by the reformers of the late nineteenth century as a paragon of the “successful” Native American. His education was exceptionally thorough, and he held various important government positions in the course of his life. On the other hand, Eastman has occasionally been criticized as an unreliable source, whose writings contain many inaccuracies and comply with popular stereotypes.