This book is considered a milestone in ethnology that some believe inaugurated the literary and anthropological genre of Native American autobiographical narrative. The author of this milestone was the ethnologist Paul Radin, who was drive by his desire to describe the Winnebago culture to us “just as they were. It is an extraordinarily vivid text that immerses us in the cultural world of this ethnic group by describing the experiences of one of the tribe members in a context of profound change and social transformation. Radin’s aim was to capture the emotional world as the Native American saw it, whilst trying to eliminate any interference from the ethnographer and using colloquial language.
El llibre que el lector té a les mans ha estat considerat una fita de l’etnologia que inaugurà per alguns el gènere —literari i antropològic— de narratives autobiogràfiques dels indis americans. L’etnòleg Paul Radin, amb el seu característic esperit de mostrar-nos la cultura del winnebago “tal com ells i elles eren”, va ser l’artífex d’aquesta fita. Es tracta d’un text extraordinàriament vívid que ens endinsa en el món cultural d’aquest grup ètnic a partir de l’experiència d’un dels seus individus, en un escenari de profunds canvis i transformacions socials. L’objectiu de Radin va ser copsar el món emocional d’un indígena americà des del seu propi punt de vista, intentant eliminar les interferències de l’etnògraf i mantenint el llenguatge col·loquial. This book is considered a milestone in ethnology that some believe inaugurated the literary and anthropological genre of Native American autobiographical narrative. The author of this milestone was the ethnologist Paul Radin, who was drive by his desire to describe the Winnebago culture to us “just as they were. It is an extraordinarily vivid text that immerses us in the cultural world of this ethnic group by describing the experiences of one of the tribe members in a context of profound change and social transformation. Radin’s aim was to capture the emotional world as the Native American saw it, whilst trying to eliminate any interference from the ethnographer and using colloquial language.