When the Story Stolen Is Your Own

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So why should we be concerned about his lies? His lies matter because he has cynically co-opted as a literary style the very real suffering endured by generations of very real Indians because of very real injustices caused by very real American aggression that destroyed very real tribes. He isn't the first to do it. In 1991 the American Booksellers Association gave its book-of-the-year award to Forrest Carter's Cherokee-themed memoir, The Education of Little Tree, despite the documented fact that Carter was really Asa Carter, a rabid segregationist and the author of George Wallace's infamous war cry, "Segregation today! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!"

I can only hope that Nasdijj's readers will look to Oprah for inspiration. After initially defending the essential truth of Frey's memoir, a selection for her book club, Oprah changed her mind, admitted that she had been duped, invited Frey back onto her show and called him a liar. When was the last time a public figure like Oprah admitted to being wrong? When was the last time a powerful person like Oprah issued a genuine public apology? I think all the people who profited from Nasdijj's fraud should take heed of that lesson and issue public apologies to Native Americans in general and to Navajo in particular. And I hope we won't be waiting for that apology as long as the rivers flow, the grasses grow and the winds blow.

-- Sherman Alexie, a member of the Spokane tribe, is the author of 17 books, including Ten Little Indians, his latest