World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Jamake Highwater

ジャメイク・ハイウォーター

Jamake Highwater

Aliases: Jackie Marks / J. Marks / J Marks
Pen Names: Jamake Highwater（Pen name used while presenting himself as Native American in his writings）, J. Marks（Byline used after moving to New York）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-02-13 （Los Angeles, California, United States）
Died
2001-06-03 （Los Angeles, California, United States） age 70
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism (ancestry)
Residence History
Los Angeles (birth and later residence) → San Francisco (1954–1967; dance company activity) → New York City (around 1969—)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Journalist, Choreographer, Dance company director, Documentary host
Active Years
1954-2001
Influenced
Discussions in Native American literary studies and criticism (often cited as a cautionary example)

Education

North Hollywood High School
Country: United States
High school attendance is recorded; claims of college degrees or a PhD by age 20 are undocumented

Awards

Newbery Honor
1974
Work: Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey

1973 Children's literature

A children's novel weaving Native American stories and myths into a coming-of-age narrative.

IdentityMythComing-of-age

The Primal Mind: Vision and Reality in Indian America

1981 Non-fiction (cultural studies)

Observations and essays on Native American culture and spirituality; served as the basis for a PBS documentary.

Native cultureSpiritualityRepresentation
Adaptations
  • [Documentary (television)] The Primal Mind (1984)

The Sun, He Dies: A Novel About the End of the Aztec World

1980 Historical novel

A historical novel centered on the end of the Aztec world.

Civilizational declineHistory

Bibliography

  • Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey (1973)
  • Rock and Other Four Letter Words (1968) (record)
  • The Sun, He Dies (1980)
  • The Primal Mind: Vision and Reality in Indian America (1981)
  • Shadow Show: An Autobiographical Insinuation (1986)

Adaptations

  • TV documentary 'The Primal Mind' (PBS, 1984)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Narrative-driven children's proseEssayistic non-fiction on ethnic culturesPoetic and mythic descriptions
Recurring Motifs
Search for identityMyth and ritualConnection to nature

Health

  • Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction)
    2001
    Died of a heart attack in 2001; cause of death

Legacy

Jamake Highwater (born Jackie Marks) published numerous children's books and non-fiction and became widely known as a presenter of Native American culture. However, his false claims of Native ancestry—exposed in 1984—sparked major controversy. Scholars and Native communities criticized his misrepresentation and the grants and influence he obtained, though some of his works have continued to be used in educational contexts.

Archives

  • New York Public Library (Jamake Highwater papers)

In Popular Culture

  • Gerald Vizenor's novel 'The Trickster of Liberty' includes a character (Homer Yellow Snow) said to be inspired by Jamake Highwater

Quotes

  • "the greatest mystery of my life is my own identity."
    Source: Shadow Show: An Autobiographical Insinuation (1986)

Trivia

  • Birth name Jackie Marks.
  • From around 1969 he presented himself as Jamake Highwater and claimed Cherokee ancestry; those claims were exposed in 1984.
  • The children's book Anpao received a Newbery Honor.
  • Through the Primal Mind Foundation he received federal grant money; his claimed Native identity was a subject of controversy.
  • His attorney blocked access to his papers for at least 50 years.