Returns: Becoming Indigenous in the Twenty-First Century

Clifford (history of consciousness, emeritus, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) has crafted a series of essays that complement and expand upon some of the cultural theories he developed in the two earlier books in this "trilogy," The Predicament of Culture (1988) and Routes (1999). The pieces in Returns explore indigenous roots and take an in-depth look at how native people in the 21st century are rediscovering their heritage and identity in their own unique ways. Clifford deftly examines two major themes—globalization and decolonization—and their complex impact on native lives. Some essays are largely theoretical in nature, while others deal with more specific cultural situations, such as the case of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq cultural revival on Kodiak Island, AK, which had its beginnings in the later decades of the 20th century. The author makes it clear that his writings originated at different times and in different contexts and do not represent a linear view of indigenous renewal.