Embracing Fry Bread:Confessions of a Wannabe

Description

When he was out playing Indian| enacting Hollywood-inspired scenarios| it never occurred to the child Roger Welsch that the little girl sitting next to him in school was “Indian.” A lifetime of learning later| Welsch’s enthusiasm is undimmed| if somewhat more enlightened.
In “Embracing Fry Bread” Welsch tells the story of his lifelong relationship with Native American culture| which| beginning in earnest with the study of linguistic practices of the Omaha tribe during a college anthropology course| resulted in his becoming an adopted member and kin of both the Omaha and the Pawnee tribes.
With requisite humility and a healthy dose of humor| Welsch describes his long pilgrimage through Native life| from lessons in the vagaries of “Indian time” and the difficulties of reservation life| to the joy of being allowed to participate in special ceremonies and developing a deep and lasting love of fry bread.
Navigating another culture is a complicated task| and Welsch shares his mistakes and successes with engaging candor.
Through his serendipitous wanderings| he finds that the more he learns about Native culture the more he learns about himself–and about a way of life whose allure offers true insight into indigenous America.