Vine Deloria Jr.
Scholar, Author & Indigenous Rights Thinker
1933–2005 · Standing Rock Sioux / United States
Changed how law, religion, history, and sovereignty were debated through a distinctly Indigenous intellectual framework.
The Full Profile
Vine Deloria Jr., Scholar, Author & Indigenous Rights Thinker, changed how law, religion, history, and sovereignty were debated through a distinctly Indigenous intellectual framework. Vine Deloria Jr., a Standing Rock Sioux scholar and writer, became one of the most influential Native intellectuals of the 20th century. His books challenged stereotypes, federal Indian policy, and academic treatment of Native peoples. His work helped shape modern discussions of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, religion, and Indigenous knowledge. 'Custer Died for Your Sins' (1969) demolished a century of stereotypes with a wit that made it unignorable, and 'God Is Red' reframed the national debate on Native religion and knowledge; the modern era of tribal self-governance bears his fingerprints everywhere.