Communicating culture through leadership: One view from indian country

Generally speaking, both the practice and study of political leadership in the United States depend upon assumptions that are specific to the dominant culture. Yet the United States is, and always has been, an extraordinarily diverse nation. While scholars are taking the perspectives of previously marginalized communities increasingly into account, there is still much to be learned from the critiques and examples of those cultures. This paper seeks to contribute to our understanding of political leadership and its attendant communication by offering an analysis of the existing mainstream research and an explication of an opposing view, relying on Russell Means' speech, “For America to Live, Europe Must Die!” It is important to note that this is one perspective; it does not cover all alternatives to the mainstream, nor does it cover all possibilities of alternatives derived from indigenous sources. The essay concludes with a brief discussion of how we can profit by the inclusion of this view.