Cherokee Thoughts: Honest and Uncensored

by Robert J. Conley

Gaming and chiefing. Imposters and freedmen. Distinguished novelist Robert J. Conley examines some of the most interesting facets of the Cherokee world. In 26 essays laced with humor, understatement, even open sarcasm, this popular writer takes on politics, culture, his people’s history, and what it means to be Cherokee. Readers who think they know Conley will find an abundance of surprises in these pages. He reveals historical information not widely known or written about, such as Cherokee Confederate general Stand Watie’s involvement in the infamous Reconstruction treaty forced upon his people in 1866, and he explains his admiration for such characters as Ned Christie and Henry Starr, whom some might consider criminals. From legendary figures Dragging Canoe and Nancy Ward to popular icons like Will Rogers to contemporary “Cherokee Wannabes”—people seeking ancestral roots whether actual or fanciful—Conley traces the dogged persistence of the Cherokee people in the face of relentless incursions upon their land and culture. “Cherokees are used to controversy,” observes Conley; “in fact, they enjoy it.” As provocative as it is entertaining, Cherokee Thoughts will intrigue tribal members and anyone with an interest in the Cherokee people.

Genres: Nonfiction

212 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2008

About the author

Robert J. Conley was a Cherokee author and enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, a federally recognized tribe of American Indians. In 2007, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas.

Reviews

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert J. Conley was a writer of historical fiction seeking to portray Cherokees accurately. Before starting on his fiction, I read this as an introduction - a collection of personal, opinionated, and humorous essays on Cherokee history and culture. Found these provocative, educational, and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Pandaduh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In these essays, Conley makes a blunt case that critiques the Cherokee Nation historically and as it functions today, among other topics, offering more observations than ways it could change. He's a storyteller by nature, so if you'd like to delve into Cherokee history some of theses would be a great place to start! It made me want even more for Hollywood to focus on Antebellum and Civil War stories of the Cherokees. Also, Cherokee outlaws! The arguably racist/Confederate beginnings of the Cherokee Nation are ripe for complex storytelling. We need a movie on John Ross!

[Charlotte Piwowar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a struggle to get through. I decided to read it because I was going on a service trip to learn about the Cherokee Nation, and there are not too many books written about the Cherokee people. This one looked like a good bet because it is a series of short essays about a whole range of topics impacting Cherokees and Native Americans, culture, history, politics...everything. While there is interesting information in the book, it's really not written very well, making it difficult to stay engaged and focused. He includes a lot of his opinion--which, in all fairness, he notes in the introduction that this is only reflective of his voice--but he doesn't really back it up with much fact other than that's how he has perceived history. Maybe a chapter here and there would worth reading if you are interested in that particular topic, but overall would not recommend the book as a whole.

[Jonna Higgins-Freese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might be useful for those unfamiliar with Native American perspectives. Conley's writing is sometimes clunky. One lovely phrase: "We have a reverence for a particular place because of our knowledge of or sense of what was there before, and our connection with the past gives us a reason for being, a sense of belonging, and a feeling for, if not real knowledge of, our origins. It defines us. It tells us who we are. Madness is, I think, a broken link. The chain that links us back holds the anchor for our sanity." (129)