Michael Dorris facts for kids

Michael Anthony Dorris (January 30, 1945 – April 10, 1997) was an American novelist and scholar. He was the first person to lead the Native American Studies program at Dartmouth College. Some of his well-known books include the novel A Yellow Raft in Blue Water (1987) and his true story book The Broken Cord (1989).

The Broken Cord won an award in 1989. It was about his adopted son, who had fetal alcohol syndrome. This condition can cause serious health and developmental problems in children. His book helped people understand the widespread issues caused by this problem. It even helped convince the government to pass laws. These laws made sure there were warnings about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Michael Dorris was married to another author, Louise Erdrich. They had a family with six children. They sometimes worked together on their writing. They separated in 1995, and he passed away in 1997.

Early Life and Education

Michael Dorris was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents were Mary Besy and Jim Dorris. His father passed away before Michael was born. Michael was raised by his mother, who worked as a secretary for the Democratic Party. Other family members also helped raise him.

When he was young, Michael spent summers with his father's relatives. These relatives lived on reservations in Montana and Washington state.

Michael Dorris went to Georgetown University. He earned his first degree in English and Classics in 1967. Later, he got a master's degree in anthropology from Yale University in 1971. For his studies, he worked in Alaska. He looked at how offshore oil drilling affected Native Alaskan communities.

Dartmouth College and Family

In 1972, Michael Dorris helped start the Native American Studies department at Dartmouth College. He became its first leader. This was during a time when Native American people were working hard for their rights.

In 1971, he became one of the first single men in the United States to adopt a child. His adopted son, Reynold Abel, was a 3-year-old Lakota boy. Reynold was later diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome. Michael wrote about his experiences caring for his son in his 1987 book, The Broken Cord. He adopted two more Native American children, Jeffrey Sava and Madeline Hannah. They also likely had developmental challenges.

In 1975, he wrote a book called Native Americans: Five Hundred Years After. It had his words along with photographs by Joseph C. Farber. He received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellow in 1977 for his work. In 1980, he took his three adopted children to New Zealand for a year.

After returning to the United States in 1981, he married Louise Erdrich. She is a writer with Anishinaabe, German-American, and Métis heritage. They had met earlier when she was a student at Dartmouth. After they married, Louise adopted Michael's three children. They also had three daughters together: Persia, Pallas, and Aza.

Michael and Louise often helped each other with their writing. They even wrote romance stories together under the name Milou North. They did this to earn extra money. Their family lived in Cornish, New Hampshire.

Writing Career

While teaching at Dartmouth, Michael Dorris often helped other students. He also helped remove the college's old "Indian mascot," which many people found offensive. In 1985, his family moved to Northfield, Minnesota for a year.

After his book The Broken Cord became very successful in 1989, Michael Dorris stopped teaching. He became a full-time writer. In 1991, his oldest son, Reynold Abel, passed away after being hit by a driver. Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich later divorced in 1996.

Works

• Native Americans Five Hundred Years After (with photographer Joseph Farber, 1975)
• A Guide to Research on North American Indians (with Mary Byler and Arlene Hirschfelder, 1983)
• A Yellow Raft in Blue Water (1987)
• The Broken Cord: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the Loss of the Future (1989)
• The Crown of Columbus (with Louise Erdrich, 1991)
• Route Two and Back (with Louise Erdrich, 1991)
• Morning Girl (1992)
• Working Men (1993)
• Rooms in the House of Stone (1993)
• Paper Trail (essays, 1994)
• Guests (1995)
• Sees Behind Trees (1996)
• Cloud Chamber (1997)
• The Window (1997)
• The Most Wonderful Books: Writers on Discovering the Pleasures of Reading, edited (1997)

See also

• Native American Renaissance
• Native American Studies