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Three women are on the record with allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct against writer Sherman Alexie (Coeur d’Alene). More allegations could surface. Alexie issued a preemptive response to the allegations with a statement admitting “there are women telling the truth about my behavior” but also stating he has “no recollection of…threatening anybody or their careers.” It’s bringing up larger questions about sexual assault or harassment in Native America. What do the allegations against Alexie mean for his legacy? How do fans reconcile his alleged conduct with his body of work?
Guests:
Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) – independent photo journalist and writer
Deleana Otherbull (Crow and Northern Cheyenne) – executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women
Break Music: The Eagle (song) Black Eagle (artist) Flying Free (album)
Hi There:
I am reading Sherman Alexie’s book ‘You don’t have to say you love me’. It’s a great book.
Alexie should do better in terms of his personal behavior, and I hope he will moving forward. Just as his mother could have but did not. Hope he is wise enough to take advantage of this moment and grow.
I know this from personal experience.
Peace and Love,
Sue Macey
Sherman Alexie’s talent and work are beyond his personal problems. Just because he made some bad choices doesn’t mean I’m going to ban his books and future work. He didn’t rape anyone. He didn’t molest children. The players involved were all consenting adults. When you folloe a man back to his hotel room, you are givinh him some very zerious signals. When Mr. Alexie got the signal to stop, he did. Why is Native America Calling dipping into the muck? How can we, as an audience, trust that Native America Calling will uphold our Native community when it seems intent on raking through anf hrlping to bring down our scant but successful Native population? What Native artist would want to promote Native America Calling knowing that the news organization could turn around and feature a show like this on someone else in the future? We Natives support each other during times like these. Yes. Even the wayward get the help they need and we all move on. What Native America Calling is doing is not the Indian Way. Shame on you Native America Calling. Whose brilliant idea was this? Stay classy.
Kathryn, U just compared sexual assualt to bad choices… I have no words.., but that’s really some ignorant (stuff). Sexual assault is a crime not a bad choice.
I am a Jewish woman who has been incredibly moved by Sherman Alexie’s work — especially his memoir which was life-altering for me.. Oh my, brothers and sisters what a moment we are in. I wish that every survivor has a voice that is witnessed and honored deeply. I want justice and healing. I wish for greater exposure and readership to multiple, complex voices (I have already expanded my library, understanding that I had over-focused my own library on a singular voice). I also wish for new models of truth and reconciliation and accountability — something along the lines of the the TRC in S. Africa and more recently in Canada regarding First Nations and the residential schools. (This was done in Maine as well). I dream of men listening for countless hours about the effects of patriarchal power and abuse rather than defense. And, I dream of reading Sherman’s voice again about the complexities of “becoming a better man” with the same transparency and transporting power of his memoir. It is early in the unraveling. Thanks Native America Calling for modelling a new conversation.
Native people recognize nuance. We also recognize that even with success, we never have power. Sherman may have made unwanted advances, et al but I believe him when he says it was not leverage for a woman’s career. He caused pain, as he admitted on both sides, but I have yet to hear Litsa speak to the pain she caused by having an affair with him, essentially she assaulted his wife. She revels gleefully on social media with little regard. This is is an extremely sad moment, involving a voice of native people. I stand with the women that suffered his unwanted advances. I also stand for the body of work that Sherman provided despite his inner weaknesses. I do not stand for the wanton disconnect that Litsa displays daily on Twitter while not taking responsibility for her own actions and the pain she caused by participating in the affair.
This comment has nothing to do with sexual allegations, I am expressing great surprise that, when speaking of iconic Native American writers, the community seems to see Sherman Alexie as the one and only. What about Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Linda Hogan, N. Scott Momaday, James Welch,…….to name a few? These are people whose words have moved the world; native and otherwise, in positive and negative, but ever thought-filled ways!! Maybe a wider appreciation of what has already been written should be revisited.
Thanks for this thought provoking program.