Literary Nonfiction. Native American Studies. Latino/Latina Studies. Philosophy. In INDIGENOUS QUOTIENT/STALKING WORDS, Gómez-Quiñones argues for readers to connect to the intellectual traditions of an ever-present American Indigenous civilization. With this new consciousness of lndigeneity, readers can better understand the intellectual and cultural heritage of all peoples in the Western hemisphere as a continuation of millennia of history and civilization. As such, Gómez-Quiñones demonstrates that Indigenous history is U.S. and Western hemisphere history and vice versa. A critical understanding of this is a necessary requirement for any useful understanding of the history of culture, politics, and economics in the Western hemisphere. Finally, Gómez-Quiñones's essays demonstrate the necessity of the fundamental Indigenous "belief in the interdependence of all life and life sources." This depicts the historic and present responsibility all humans have to each other and their environment.
This is a must read for people who are confused about their identity. Latino, Hispanic, mestizo, peon, etc have been thrust upon us like we don't have the ability to define ourselves. We have a history older than any European country and peoples. I hope we learn to appreciate what little we have left. Our ancestors left us great values and morals to live by and today the world is headed into another age of barbarism it seems. Hopefully we can learn we've never been barbarians.