Ogimawkwe Mitigwaki: Queen of the Woods

Simon Pokagon was a talented writer, advocate for the Pokagon Potawatomi community, and tireless self-promoter. In 1899, shortly after his death, Pokagon s novel Ogimawkwe Mitigwaki (Queen of the Woods) only the second ever published by an American Indian appeared. It was intended to be a testimonial to the traditions, stability, and continuity of the Potawatomi in a rapidly changing world. Read today, Queen of the Woods is evidence of the author s desire to mark the cultural, political, and social landscapes with a memorial to the past and a monument to a future that included the Pokagon Potawatomi as distinct and honored peoples.

This new edition offers a reprint of the original 1899 novel with the author s introduction to the language and culture of his people. In addition, new accompanying materials add context through a cultural biography, literary historical analysis, and linguistic considerations of this unusual text. Notes, bibliography.