English Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2023

Publication Source

Native American and Indigenous Studies

Abstract

Alexander Posey (1873–1908) was a Creek humorist, journalist, editor, and poet who crafted his Fus Fixico letters to help fellow Creeks negotiate upheavals wrought by allotment, dissolution of their tribal government, and Oklahoma’s impending statehood (which ultimately incorporated Indian Territory). While validating his people’s varied perspectives with a culturally responsive approach to literary persuasion, Posey nudged readers toward positions he thought best for Creek cultural continuance and economic survival. The letters’ dialogic structure—inclusive of diverse political perspectives—validated his people’s community-oriented values and was more persuasive than prescriptive. Posey utilized four overlapping rhetorical strategies in his literary approach to political activism: satire and repetition to critique the delay of allotment deeds; illustrative logic to argue against U.S. assimilationism; and appeals to civic inclusion to protest settlers’ hobbling of Indigenous Peoples’ political agency and autonomy. Critical attention to Posey’s use of these strategies illuminates his vision for Creek futurity as engaging with a politics of recognition while grappling with its limitations.

Inclusive pages

28-59

ISBN/ISSN

2332-1261 Print; 2332-127X Online

Publisher

University of Minnesota Press

Volume

10

Issue

1

Peer Reviewed

yes

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