This document provides an overview of American Indian literature. It discusses the oral tradition of Native Americans and how their traditions were impacted by European colonization. It then summarizes some of the key early Native American authors who wrote about native rights and culture from the 19th to early 20th centuries such as Samson Occom, Yellow Bird, and Simon Pokagnon. The document notes that the late 1960s saw a renaissance in Native American fiction and poetry sparked by writers like N. Scott Momaday and James Welch. It discusses how authors in the 1970s like Louise Erdrich became major literary figures, helping give voice to indigenous histories and cultures.