Dr. David Heska Wanbli Weiden

David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation who strives to bring awareness about Native American literature, culture, history, and more into his classroom. His specialty in law and politics brings a new point of view within Indigenous studies, allowing us to understand the injustices Native Americans have faced by the U.S. Government. Currently working on a sequel to his bestselling book Winter Counts, Dr. Weiden continuously works on amplifying Indigenous voices both in mainstream media and in everyday life.

What made you pursue your current profession and what is the most fulfilling part of it?

Before I chose teaching 25 years ago, I was a licensed attorney in Colorado for a number of years. I did not find that to be the job I was best suited for, so I went back to school for teaching and earned my PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. I’ve never regretted that choice. The most fulfilling part about my job is certainly interacting with the students. When a class is going well and the students are really appreciating and understanding the material, it’s wonderful. I also enjoy helping students with their professional goals; I’ve helped students get into law school and graduate school and have been delighted to stay in touch with many of them. 

What inspired you to specialize in Native American Literature/Native American and Indigenous Studies? Why is it important to teach these topics to our students?

I’m an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation but grew up in Colorado. Our reservation is in South Dakota and my earliest memories involve visiting my family there. Naturally, I was drawn to issues involving Indigenous people, and especially fiction and nonfiction. For my M.F.A. degree in creative writing, I studied Native American fiction and literary theory at the Institute of American Indian Arts and I was able to focus on one particular area of Native literature for my thesis.

I believe it’s important to teach Native American studies, literature, culture, law, and politics, because Native Americans were the original people of this land, of course. But Indigenous people have a different way of thinking and looking at the world, which can provide a useful counterpoint to standard Western ideas and worldviews. I should also note that it’s important for Stony Brook students to know about the history of Indigenous people right here on Long Island, as well as learning about the current status of all of the Native people who are still here in New York. There’s a brand new program (and minor) in Native American and Indigenous Studies, and we have a community Steering Committee comprised of Native citizens from Long Island. In the new NAIS program, students can learn about Native history, art, culture, literature, and environmental justice. Students who’d like to learn more can check out the new website:  https://www.stonybrook.edu/nais/.

What is it like being a part of the Sicangu Lakota Nation? 

Native Americans have an important role in the U.S. because of our unique status as political entities as well as ethnic minorities. Many people don’t know that there are just under 600 sovereign Native nations within the boundaries of the United States. Because of this status, enrolled Natives are dual citizens:  citizens of their Native nation and of the United States. So, I’m a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation as well as an American citizen; this creates a sense of duality, not only in regards to citizenship but culturally as well. 

Are you currently working on any publications/research that you’d like to talk about?

Yes, I’m working on the sequel to my novel, Winter Counts. That novel was marketed as crime fiction, but was really a meditation on Native identity and an examination of the broken criminal justice system on reservations. I was fortunate in that the book received a fair amount of attention, both from readers and policymakers. I explore other issues in Wisdom Corner, the next book in the series. On the scholarly side, I have just written “Leonard Peltier’s Sun Dance,” an essay that will appear in The Cambridge Companion to American Prison Literature. It’s an examination of the Peltier case and a literary analysis of his memoir. Many believe that Leonard Peltier was a political prisoner and wrongly convicted for aiding and abetting murder on the Pine Ridge reservation in the 1970’s. He was just released from prison; President Biden commuted his sentence in the very last hour of his presidency. 

What has been the most impactful thing you’ve ever learned during your research?

The most impactful thing I’ve learned is there is a huge gap in knowledge among high school and college students when it comes to the status of Native Americans and how they’ve been treated by the U.S. government. When I started teaching Native American history and culture twenty years ago, I learned that many people do not understand that our religion and spirituality was made a federal crime until 1978. Until 1978, there could be a criminal conviction and prison sentence for any Native American who practiced our unique spiritual ceremonies. Students are always stunned to learn this. There are many other laws and policies regarding Native citizens that students are surprised to learn. My hope is that my teaching and writing can help to educate people as to the history and culture of Native peoples and hopefully bring about changes in law and policy.