January 21, 2015

Michelle M. Jacob -Yakama Rising: Indigenous Cultural Revitalization, Activism, and Healing

The Yakama Nation of present-day Washington State has responded to more than a century of historical trauma with a resurgence of grassroots activism and cultural revitalization. This path-breaking ethnography shifts the conversation from one of victimhood to one of ongoing resistance and resilience as a means of healing the soul wounds of settler colonialism. Yakama Rising: Indigenous Cultural Revitalization, Activism, and Healing argues that Indigenous communities themselves have the answers to the persistent social problems they face. This book contributes to understanding Indigenous social change by articulating the premise that grassroots activism and cultural revitalization are powerful examples of decolonization.
In the impassioned voice of a member of the Yakama Nation, Michelle Jacob, PhD, presents a volume that is at once intimate and specific to her home community but that also advances theories of Indigenous decolonization, feminism, and cultural revitalization. Jacob’s theoretical and methodological contributions make this work valuable to a range of students, academics, tribal community members, and professionals and an essential read for anyone interested in the ways that grassroots activism can transform individual lives, communities, and society.
Dr. Jacob is Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies & Affiliated Faculty, Sociology, at the University of San Diego; and Director, Center for Native Health & Culture, Heritage University, Toppenish, Washington