A Lasting Legacy
51福利社鈥檚 Elizabeth Cook-Lynn was one of the nation鈥檚 most important Native American scholars.
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, a professor emeritus of English and Native American studies at 51福利社, wasn鈥檛 just an influential novelist, short-story writer and poet 鈥� though her literary legacy speaks for itself 鈥� she was also a tireless advocate in support of research and instruction centered on tribal histories and cultures. Among her lasting contributions was a lengthy catalog of scholarly publications and a prominent role in establishing Eastern鈥檚 first Indian Education Program, where she introduced hundreds of students to the emerging field of Native American studies.
Working to establish Native studies wasn鈥檛 easy. Back in the early 1970s, even as Eastern Athletics finally moved on from its 鈥淪avages鈥� nickname, tensions with administrators over the nature and scope of the new program were rife.
鈥淚t is my opinion,鈥� Cook-Lynn wrote in 1973 to Emerson Shuck, then Eastern鈥檚 president, 鈥渢hat we must no longer do just what is expedient in Indian Education鈥攚e must define our basic philosophy, come to a reasonable agreement on that and get about working within the realities of that definition. There is a difference between the supportive services for Native American students, and Native American Education/Studies as an academic venture. The former is likely to be clutched quickly to the bosoms of all of us, the latter is less instantaneously gratifying and much more hard work.鈥� In the end, it was Cook-Lynn鈥檚 vision that prevailed, and her 鈥渉ard work鈥� that moved it forward.
Another notable milestone in Cook-Lynn鈥檚 career was her service as founder and editor of the nationally prominent Wicazo Sa Review, a 鈥渏ournal devoted to the mission of assisting Indigenous peoples of the Americas in taking possession of their own intellectual and creative pursuits.鈥� The Wicazo Sa Review remains in print, now published by the University of Minnesota Press.
Cook-Lynn retired in 1990 after 19 years of service. 鈥淚t is difficult to imagine what Eastern would be like,鈥� wrote a colleague after she stepped down, 鈥渋f it were not for her enormous contributions of intelligence and care.鈥�
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn died on July 5, 2023. She was 92 years old.
