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Alvin M. Josephy Jr.

アルヴィン・M・ジョセフィ・ジュニア

Alvin M. Josephy Jr.

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1915-05-18 (Woodmere, New York, U.S.)
Died
2005-10-16 (Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.) age 90
Nationality
American
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
historian, journalist, editor, screenwriter
Active Years
1934-2005
Affiliations
Western History Association
Memberships
Western History Association
Influenced By
Influenced
Native American policy advocates and tribal leaders, Nez Perce studies and movements for cultural survival

Awards

Bronze Star Medal
1944
Organization: United States Marine Corps
Result: 受章
Col. Heinl Memorial Award (1982)
1982
Work: Article "Iwo Jima"
Organization: Col. Heinl Memorial
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest

1965 historical non-fiction

A comprehensive history of the Nez Perce tribe and their interactions during the opening of the American Northwest.

Native American historyland and sovereigntycolonial encounters

Now That the Buffalo's Gone

1982 non-fiction (case studies)

Case studies of contemporary Native American issues such as water rights, sovereignty, and religion.

contemporary Native issuessovereigntyresource conflicts

Red Power: The American Indians' Fight for Freedom

1971 documentary history

A documentary history chronicling the American Indian activist movement.

activist movementsrights restorationpolitics

500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians

1994 illustrated history

An illustrated, comprehensive introduction to the histories of North American indigenous peoples; accompanied a television series.

comprehensive historycultural representationeducation
Adaptations
  • [television series] 500 Nations (1994)

A Walk Toward Oregon

2000 autobiography

An autobiographical account of Josephy's life, experiences in the West, and journey as a historian.

memoirWestern historyrecollection

Bibliography

  • The Long and the Short and the Tall (1946)
  • The Patriot Chiefs (1961/1962)
  • Chief Joseph's People and Their War (1964)
  • The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest (1965)
  • The Indian Heritage of America (1968)
  • The Artist Was A Young Man (1970)
  • Black Hills, White Sky (1978)
  • On the Hill (1979)
  • Now That the Buffalo's Gone (1982)
  • The Civil War in the American West (1991)
  • 500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians (1994)
  • Red Power: The American Indians' Fight for Freedom (1999, rev. ed.)
  • A Walk Toward Oregon (2000)
  • Nez Perce Country (2007, condensed version)

Adaptations

  • 500 Nations (television series)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
narrative, research-based historical non-fictionemphasis on primary sources and oral histories
Recurring Motifs
centering Indigenous perspectivesland and sovereigntycultural preservation and revival

Legacy

Alvin Josephy was regarded as a leading non-Native writer on Native American history in the late 20th century; his scholarship and advocacy, especially on the Nez Perce and federal Indian policy, left a lasting impact. His personal collections are housed at the Josephy Center and the Knight Library at the University of Oregon.

Museums

  • Josephy Center for Arts and Culture Joseph, Oregon, U.S.
  • The Alvin M. and Betty Josephy Library of Western History and Culture Joseph, Oregon, U.S.

Academic Societies

  • Western History Association

Archives

  • Papers held at the Knight Library, University of Oregon
  • Alvin M. and Betty Josephy Library (Josephy Center)

In Popular Culture

  • 500 Nations television series (tied to his book)

Quotes

  • "the leading non-Indian writer about Native Americans"
    Source: New York Times reviewer Herbert Mitgang (1982)

Trivia

  • Served as a combat correspondent with the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII and received the Bronze Star.
  • Married to Elizabeth "Betty" Peet for 56 years; she died in 2004.
  • Owned a ranch in Joseph, Oregon and hosted a camp for Nez Perce children.
  • His papers are held at the Knight Library (University of Oregon) and the Josephy Library.