Elizabeth Cook-Lynn Biography

Elizabeth Cook-Lynn (born "Elizabeth Irving" in 1930 at Government Hospital) is an editor, essayist, poet, novelist, and member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. She is considered to be outspoken in her views about Native American politics, particularly in regards to tribal sovereignty. For instance, she has often been quite critical of authors putting forth tenuous claims to Native/Indigenous ancestry with the purpose of advancing their own careers, and has reflected on the negative implications that these "tribeless" authors have, not only on Native Studies as a discipline, but also in the development of economic and social life of Native nations.