We welcome two special guests to the Thomas Jefferson Hour this week for an out-of-character discussion about Jefferson’s policies towards Native Americans. Joining us are the independent filmmaker Steven Lewis Simpson and author Kent Nerburn. We talk about Simpson's recent film adaptation of Nerburn’s book, Neither Wolf nor Dog, and about Jefferson’s long shadow when it comes to the United States' conduct regarding American Indians.
Steven Lewis Simpson, at 18, was the youngest fully-qualified stockbroker and trader in Britain. By 22, Simpson had moved to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. He is now a writer, producer, and director, as well as the owner of Roaring Fire Films. You can read his full bio here. Visit Roaring Fire Films to sign up for the Neither Wolf nor Dog movie mailing list, or stay up to date with the movie's Facebook page.
Kent Nerburn is the author of more than a dozen books, including Neither Wolf nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder, Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce: The Untold Story of an American Tragedy, and most recently, Voices in the Stones: Life Lessons from the Native Way. He was born, raised and resides in Minnesota. You can learn more about Kent Nerburn here, follow him on Facebook, or read his bibliography which includes links to purchase his books.
Further Reading:
- Neither Wolf nor Dog by Kent Nerburn
- Kent Nerburn on the Thomas Jefferson Hour in 2011: #944 Nerburn
- Kent Nerburn on St. Paul Neighborhood Network in 2013
- NPR: David Bald Eagle, Lakota Chief, Musician, Cowboy And Actor, Dies At 97
The most amazing thing about Thomas Jefferson is that he embodies both the soaring aspirations of the American Dream and the incomprehensible paradoxes of our identity. Nobody ever pitched our national experiment so high.
Read this week's Jefferson Watch essay, "Republicans in Buckskins".
What Would Jefferson Do?
Tune in to your local public radio or join the 1776 Club to hear this episode of What Would Thomas Jefferson Do?
Clay Jenkinson speaks with David Swenson about the ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore and her work with the Lakota in the Dakotas beginning in 1911. David has spent the last year working on The Densmore Repatriation Project, re-cataloging and restoring her wax cylinder recordings.
At Standing Rock in 1911, Frances Densmore met with dozens of tribal elders and recorded traditional songs on wax cylinder. Densmore documented this work in her book Teton Sioux Music which became a touchstone for learning about Lakota/Dakota culture. The Densmore Repatriation Project reintroduces the songs with new recordings made by contemporary Native singers.
The Densmore Project’s website: lakotasongs.com
The Densmore Project on YouTube
KX News: Re-introducing Lakota Songs