Redface

""In her compelling debut, Bethany Hughes investigates the history of 'redface' in the US. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, this volume sheds light on colonial legacies of racial constructions and performativity."" (Ms. Magazine) ""Defines, clarifies, and critiques the practice of redface as it has sculpted the idea of 'Indian' in the United States' cultural imaginary since the nation's founding. Bethany Hughes deftly argues that theatrical redface – the construction of the Stage Indian – is predicated on the American fantasy of Indian disappearance and therefore denies Indigenous peoples present day agency, nationhood, and sovereignty. Redface illuminates an array of overlooked primary source materials by putting the disciplines of Native American studies, American Studies, and theatre studies into conversation with one another. Perhaps Hughes' greatest intervention is the opportunity she creates for her readers to confront how acceptance of the Stage Indian distorts and obscures the long history of Indigenous theatre and cultural sovereignty in the United States. Hughes' rigorous research and clarion analysis are made more potent through her performative writing, making Redface as enjoyable a read as it is important, as liberating as it is provocative."" (Courtney Elkin Mohler, author of Critical Companion to Native American and First Nations Theatre) ""Redface brilliantly engages the archive, pairing it with theoretical interventions in Indigenous Studies. Bethany Hughes challenges us to move beyond seeing redfacing as mere appropriation or simple racism and instead encourages us to consider it as a dynamic political practice that evolves over time. In this urgent text, she answers how we have come to know when we see an 'Indian.'"" (Mishuana Goeman, author of Mark My Words: Native Women Mapping Our Nations) ""Simultaneously broad and painstakingly detailed with regard to how it weaves the nuances of the many studies it builds upon. The depth of Bethany Hughes' research never stifles her vibrant voice, which draws in her readers with clarity, intimacy, analytical rigor, and—at times—delicious, sardonic wit. Redface is a compelling, enjoyable read."" (Christy Stanlake, author of Native American Drama: A Critical Perspective)