Sun Chief: The Autobiography of a Hopi Indian

by Don C. Talayesva, Robert V. Hine, Leo W. Simmons

The story of Don C. Talayesva, the Sun Chief, who was born and reared until the age of ten as a Hopi Indian, and then trained as a white man until he was twenty. Although torn between two worlds and cultures, he returned to Hopiland and readopted all the tribal customs. This is his autobiography, written for Leo Simmons, a white man who was a clan brother.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Native American, Anthropology

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1945

Reviews

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography of a Hopi man who lived from 1890 into the 1940s. This book was cutting-edge at the time -- a "psychobiography" or examination of patterns someone's life events as a way of understanding his or her personality. It did bother me that the editor, Leo Simmons, approached Talayesva as an example of social "maladjustment," and that he sometimes coerced him into talking and writing about tribal knowledge. But I have given this book a high rating anyway because there are a lot of teachable themes in it -- different responses to assimilation and industrial society; various ways manhood is defined and operationalized; and how relationships between family members evolve over time. The book is so detailed that you feel like Talayesva is a next-door neighbor -- his autobiography is a wonderful gift to anyone who seeks to understand Native Americans as individuals in the early 20th century.

[Amanda Pagano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very eye-opening autobiography in the world of the Hopi. It was assigned for my cross-cultural psychology class and while the length made it stressful to finish I'm glad it was introduced to my life. I know various things about Native Americans from history classes and I know of their mistreatment. This book gives you a view into the Native American, Hopi in particular, life from the perspective of Don Talayesva. The reader is able to follow his activities from birth and by doing so actions that occur out of context make a lot of sense because throughout the book one is given the basis of the Hopi culture and their beliefs. I believe it is helpful to learn about different cultures in our world, especially one so close to our home in the United States Even if their rituals and beliefs clash with your own you should be able to appreciate that their aim is the same, at least in Don's case, to be good people.

[Danita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though the title of the book suggests it's an autobiography, only a third of the book is in the Sun Chief's own words. And his part is written very roughly with abrupt transitions. My first thought was it read more like a pioneer person's diary and when I read the other two thirds I found out that Don indeed wrote his story this way (but without dates). It just rambles on from one scene to the next without giving the reader any warning of subject change.

The other two thirds of the book is on research about Hopi people's traditions, religion and tribal relationships to each other.

Over all, once I got into reading this book I thought it was fascinating to learn about how this tribe lives, their experiences and belief systems. At times some of the experiences were written with such great detail it became, for me, monotonous and a chore to read through to the end. After a while the symbolism and rituals are repeated so often that the significance of them becomes less important.

I guess over all, even with some of the writing being tedious, I did learn quite a bit about the Hopi people and their Sun Chief.

[Chrystal Mars-Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis was a great book. I read it for a college class a number of years ago. I am going to reread this book. It it not often that we get to read autobiographies of Native peoples. I get mixed emotions when I read them, being native myself. I'll write a new review when my memory is refreshed ater rereading this one.

[Tom Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography of a Hopi Indian. He's a down-to-earth guy who does no boasting and tells all. Seemed quite real to me.

[Calypso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comment peut-on ressentir de la nostalgie envers un peuple que l'on n'a jamais connu?

L'œuvre de Don C. Talayesva est bien plus qu'un livre d'ethnologie. C'est un roman porteur d'une légèreté de vivre dans des conditions extrêmement dures, une constante quête du bonheur et démontre surtout, la force de l'attachement de l'auteur aux traditions hopi.

Son style peut être qualifié de naïf ou d'enfantin. Pour ma part, j'opterais plutôt pour le mot réaliste. Talayesva dit les choses telles qu'elles sont, sans détour ni enjolivures, même si la vérité n'est pas toujours ce que l'on veut entendre. Pourtant, il épice chacune de ses phrases avec une malice, une joie de vivre et de rire unique au peuple hopi.

Pour ma part ce livre m'a convaincu. La culture du bonheur des hopi devrait sérieusement être pris en considération par les occidentaux.

[Don Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much that I've read it 5 times over the past 40 years and will again. One of the few firsthand accounts of a Native that doesn't suck up to white presumptions. Don is whipsmart, funny, bawdy, sometimes cruel, and always a wonderful writer. I can almost smell the cedar smoke and corn when I read him.

[Ricky Foos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A landmark into my researches into Arizona natives during my college years. Specifically this is a autobiography of a Hopi.

[gia-an · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for class, it was decent
went into great detail about daily life, insanely detailed memory
i probably would have enjoyed it a lot more had i not been required to read it

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sun Chief is the autobiography of a Hopi Indian who was sent to boarding schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The schools were designed to strip as much of the Indian out of the student, a sad chapter that many in America don't know. In this book, we follow Don C. Talayesva's life. He goes to the schools, learns English, but returns to Hopiland rejecting most of the white culture he was taught. He lived through and witnessed the great Oraibi split, and he maintained his identity as a traditional Hopi throughout his adult life. In the process he made many friends among the whites, all while maintaining his own identity. There is a lesson for people in the 21st century, if we listen. Don C. Talayesva

[Trista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange one to consume. The question of what Don Talayesva did or didn't give away to the museums (not to mention his editor...) of protected and sacred Hopi ways of life is an interesting one and Don still tries to argue his innocence.

It would have been nice to have Don's journals as they were. At all times what is detailed of ritual and common practices of Hopi life should be consumed with the awareness that Don's story is not exactly the one being read.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having gone to Hopiland, courtesy of the Brookline Education Foundation, I learned SO much more about the Hopi culture to teach young children. Then I read Sun Chief. This is all you want to understand about the Hopi culture as an ADULT. Wow! It uncovers the "layers" of the Hopi traditions, celebrations, and lifestyle. NOT FOR CHILDREN.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic life history/autobiography of an early 20th century Hopi leader, with all the problems associated with Anglo anthropologists 'collecting' First Nations' stories, revealing the things they shouldn't, and betraying in the name of 'science' - but with it an exceptional piece of work 'from the native's point of view' (as Clifford Geertz would have described it).

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give up! This book is slow, choppy, and repetitive.
I wish it wasn't. The actual content is fascinating, but I just can't get into it. Every chapter is a slog through lists of people whose names I won't remember because they're never mentioned again. There's a level of detail that would be admirable if it wasn't so dickensian & dense.
I am officially marking "Sun Chief" DNF.

[Brandon Willis]

This book was very informative, both on how to write autobiographies, but also about the culture of Hopi Indians. This could be very useful if I decide to incorporate this information in a literary journalistic piece

[Gramscracker · Rating 3 out of 5]

INTERESTING

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite books. I need to make time to reread it.

[Morgan Moumouris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonfiction book, incredibly enlightening and heartbreaking about American Hopi Indians. Read for multicultural class

[Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it for class in college. Interesting. Long-winded.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in Anthropology and still remember some of it. It was an eye-opener.