When asked what Native Literature is, Thomas King, a Cherokee Indian said, "Perhaps our simple definition that Native literature is literature produced by Natives will suffice for the while providing we resist the temptation of trying to define a Native."

Although the rich diversity of Native cultures in the Americas makes it impossible to speak in a general, universalizing way about "things Indian," many believe that one can speak broadly of a worldview common to the indigenous peoples of the hemisphere.

Scholars, both Native and non-Native, have attempted to delineate the components of this worldview and discuss its importance both for Native literature and for Native community in general.

Michael Dorris, Modoc Indian, once said that a requisite for Native literature is a reflection of "'a shared consciousness, an identifiable world-view."

Today, it seems there is indeed such a thing as Native American literature, and it is found most clearly in novels written by Native Americans about the Native American experience.

For, in spite of the fact that Indian authors write from very diverse tribal and cultural

backgrounds, there is to a remarkable degree a shared consciousness and identifiable worldview reflected in novels by American Indian authors, a consciousness and worldview defined primarily by a quest for identity.

Divided into numerous cultural and language groups, native North Americans practice many different religions and customs. However, there are some perspectives on their place in the universe that many native American groups have shared and continue to share.

Although individual Indians today vary in the extent to which they follow tribal traditions, their worldviews and values continue to reflect those of their ancestors. It follows that the literatures they produce would reflect such worldviews and values.

Georges Sioui, a Huron Indian describes the "mentality" of Natives as shaped by the attachment to ancestral values.

James Treat, a Creek Indian, refers to "foundational native values such as holism, equality, respect, harmony, and balance," as part of a world view that differs from mainstream cultures.

Their literature demonstrates the importance of living in harmony with the physical and spiritual universe, the power of thought and word to maintain this balance, a deep reverence for the land, and a strong sense of community.

It also reflects four features common in North American Indian religions and which are reflected in their literature. These include: a shared notion of cosmic harmony; emphasis on experiencing directly powers and visions; and a common view of the cycle of life and death.