"John Collier was the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1933 to 1945, during the New Deal era of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When Collier was first appointed to that post, he had a typical view that Indigenous cultures would die out as a result of “civilization” and “progress.”

However, after a decade learning from traditional peoples, particular the Pueblo nations and peoples of the Southwest—such as Taos Pueblo—Collier had an entirely new understanding and appreciation of Indian languages and cultures. Most importantly, he had achieved deep insight into the contributions that the traditional values of Indigenous peoples have made and have yet to make to the world.

In 1947, Collier's book Indians of the Americas: The Long Hope, was published by The New American Library. I have a “slightly abridged” 1954 version. A frontispiece to the book explains that Collier had discovered “in Indian society,” a “profound sense of living and a new hope.”"

Get the Story:
Steven Newcomb: John Collier and Indigenous Peoples’ Contributions to the World (Indian Country Today 1/28)