Erdoes, Richard

   American coauthor of a number of biographies (or partial autobiographies) of significant Native Americans, including John Lame Deer and Leonard Crow Dog, along with a number of other relevant books such as his collection of “trickster tales.” In an epilogue to Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions (coauthored with Lame Deer, 1972), Erdoes narrates his “first encounter with the American West” and his early acquaintance with Indians. These demonstrate that experiences of numinous nature and gregarious, humorous people are at the core of Erdoes’s work. In contrast with the collaboration between Nicholas Black Elk and John Neihardt, Erdoes is explicit about his motivations and creative role.