N Scott Momaday dead: Pulitzer-winning giant of Native American stories and House of Dawn author, dies aged 89

N Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel House Made Of Dawn is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature, has died aged 89. Momaday died on Wednesday (January 24) at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, publisher HarperCollins announced. He had been in failing health.

Momaday’s editor, Jennifer Civiletto, said in a statement: “Scott was an extraordinary person and an extraordinary poet and writer. He was a singular voice in American literature, and it was an honour and a privilege to work with him. His Kiowa heritage was deeply meaningful to him and he devoted much of his life to celebrating and preserving Native American culture, especially the oral tradition.”

Published in 1968, House Made of Dawn tells the story about a World War II soldier who returns to his Native community in rural New Mexico and grapples with the challenges of readjusting. The book delves into Momaday's personal conflicts between ancestors' traditions and the opportunities and dangers of the outside world, drawing from his upbringing in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico.

Speaking on a 2019 PBS documentary about his dual upbringing, he said: "I grew up in both worlds and straddle those worlds even now. It has made for confusion and richness in my life." During the time of the novel's release, works by Native American authors were not widely acknowledged. However, despite scepticism, a New York Times reviewer recognised the excellence of Momaday's book, challenging stereotypes about Native Americans' creative capabilities.

In 1969, Momaday made history as the first Native American to win the fiction Pulitzer Prize, marking the beginning of a literary movement that influenced subsequent authors like Leslie Marmon Silko, James Welch, and Louise Erdrich. His impact reached diverse admirers, from poet laureate Joy Harjo to film stars Robert Redford and Jeff Bridges.

Throughout his career, Momaday taught at prestigious universities, contributed as a commentator for NPR, and lectured globally. His literary repertoire expanded with over a dozen works, ranging from Angle of Geese and Other Poems to novels such as The Way to Rainy Mountain and The Ancient Child. Momaday emerged as a prominent advocate for the beauty of traditional Native life, drawing from stories passed down by his parents and grandparents.

In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded Momaday the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to celebrating and preserving Native American art and oral tradition. His honours included the Pulitzer Prize, an Academy of American Poets prize, and the 2019 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Momaday was married twice, most recently to Regina Heitzer. He had four daughters, one of whom, Cael, died in 2017. He was born Navarre Scott Mammedaty, in Lawton, Oklahoma, and was a member of the Kiowa Nation. His mother was a writer, and his father an artist. After spending his teens in New Mexico, he studied political science at the University of Mexico and received a master’s and PhD in English from Stanford.