Ray Young Bear

Ray A. Young Bear (born 1950) is a Native American poet and novelist of the Meskwaki tribe.

Life
He was born in Marshalltown, and grew up on the Meskwaki Tribal Settlement, in Iowa. He was encouraged to learn English by his maternal grandmother, and he began to translate his poems into that language. His work was first published in 1968.

Writing
He writes about the dislocation of contemporary Native Americans who are pulled by two different cultures. He has written some prose fiction, but says that "all his writing is merely experiments with words" (Kratzert 1998). His novels, starting with Black Eagle Child (1992), describe his youth through the character of Edgar Bearchild. They combine first-person narrative, letters, religious imagery, and poetry. He often switches between English and the Meskwaki language to express himself more fully.

Poetry

 * Grandmother (1975)
 * Winter of the Salamander (1980)
 * The Invisible Musician (1990)
 * The Rock Island Hiking Club (2001)

Fiction

 * Black Eagle Child (1992)
 * Remnants of the First Earth (1996)