Laura "Minnie" Cornelius Kellogg was an eloquent and fierce voice in early twentieth-century Native affairs. An organizer, author, playwright, performer, and linguist, Kellogg worked tirelessly for Wisconsin Oneida cultural self-determination when efforts to Americanize Native people reached their peak. She is best known for her extraordinary book Our Democracy and the American Indian (1920), as a founding member of the Society of American Indians, and activism for the Haudenosaunee land claims. In an era of government policies aimed at assimilating Indian peoples and erasing tribal identities, Kellogg advocated a transition from federal paternalism to self-government. She stood against the further loss of land, which she considered vital for keeping Native nations together and for securing economic security and political autonomy for tribal peoples. A controversial figure, alternately criticized and supported by her contemporaries, Kellogg's work has always been claimed by Haudenosaunee people and scholars, though it has not been available to a broader audience. Kristina Ackley and Cristina Stanciu have addressed this oversight in this comprehensive book, which includes Kellogg's writings, speeches, photographs (some never published before), Congressional testimonies, and coverage in national and international newspapers of the time. In an extensive and well-researched introduction and annotations, they show how Kellogg's prescient thinking makes her one of the most bold and compelling Native intellectuals of her time.
