Larry Emerson, Dine (Navajo) said this about Hillerman:
"Tony Hillerman privileged & authorized himself to write about Navajos & in doing so appropriated, re-imagined, and recreated "Hillerman Navajos" at the expense of Diné realities. Hillerman created a new domain [read dominion] of knowledge while cashing in at the same time."I met Larry a few years ago when he was a post doctoral fellow here with us (American Indian Studies, University of Illinois). Consider his words "...at the expense of Dine realities." Hillerman wrote mysteries that sold well, but what do his books do for the people he wrote about? Glancing at the titles, it is clear he liked writing about sacred aspects of the Dine people, but what are the Dine realities Emerson refers to? You might read Navajo news media to get a sense of their realities, the things they contend with. Here's some sites to read:
Navajo Nation (tribal website)
Navajo Times.
Navajo Hopi Observer
