God Is Red: A Native View of Religion

In the first of three Afterwords, Shown Harjo describes how God is Red “enthralled, inspired, and edified Native nationalists” (275) on release. Harjo credits Deloria’s intelligence and activism, buoyed by the way his work has been vindicated by history. Harjo also explains the activist context in which God is Red was published. With so much of the United States focused on the unfolding of the Watergate scandal, “the rest of the world seemed to miss God is Red altogether” (277).

At the same time, many Indigenous activists were risking their lives and freedom in a number of protests which were similarly ignored by the mainstream. Harjo mentions how the shop at the “then-named Custer National Battlefield” (279) was prevented from stocking books by Indigenous authors due to the protests from “Custer buffs” (280). Deloria’s earlier work Custer Died for Your Sins changed this, signifying the gradual changes brought to society by activists. A new recognition of Indigenous beliefs and cultures was slowly sweeping the country.

Harjo credits Hank Adams and other National Indian Youth Council activists as people Deloria trusted in his fight for Indigenous rights. Harjo describes how they encouraged Deloria to run for election in the organization. She provides details of the protests and movements they worked on together. She mentions Deloria’s private discussions of his military service, which he claimed to have been “his vision quest” (288).

Harjo writes about Uytpama Natitayt, also known as Ancient One or Kennewick Man, whose “human remains were ‘discovered’ in 1996” (291) near Kennewick, Washington. While many scientists professed an “anti-Native pseudoscientific theory” (291) that the remains belonged to a European who was killed by Indigenous, Deloria was part of a team who campaigned for the Indigenous remains to be buried in proper fashion. The Indigenous activists were eventually vindicated, leading to the remains being buried in 2017.

Harjo describes Deloria’s meticulous research process for God is Red, in which he won the trust of many tribes to share their religious beliefs and secrets. After the publication of God is Red, activists sought out politicians to sponsor Indigenous rights. Against them, Thomas Foley fought hard against many of their campaigns and Harjo notes that the activists successfully “worked for Foley’s defeat, even though it meant election of his opponent, a wingnut” (299).

Harjo closes by describing how Deloria’s work could “grab audience and reader attention” (302) with speculative theories which made his work approachable and enjoyable. She ends with a reference to an affectionate nickname which made Deloria laugh, in which he appeared on a parody of a Star Wars poster as “The Vine Delorian / Decolonizing Near You Soon” (303).