About Don C. Talayesva
Lived 1890 – 1985 (aged 94–95). Don C. Talayesva was an American autobiographer and traditional leader or chief.
Don Chuka Talayesva (1890–1985) was a Hopi who is noted for his autobiography, written in conjunction with Yale University anthropologist Leo Simmons, describing his life until 1940. Talayesva was born with the name Chuka in Old Oraibi, Arizona, and grew up until the age of ten in a traditional Hopi manner, but then spent ten years largely in European culture before making a full return to the Hopi way. It has been suggested that Simmons method of interviewing may have led Talayesva to reveal more than he entirely felt comfortable doing and this aspect has been an element of discussion concerning him. In the field of anthropology he was referred to as "the most documented man".
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Don C. Talayesva's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Don C. Talayesva?
Hopi writer
When was Don C. Talayesva born?
Don C. Talayesva was born in 1890 in Navajo County.
When did Don C. Talayesva die?
Don C. Talayesva died in 1985.
What was Don C. Talayesva's occupation?
Don C. Talayesva was an autobiographer and traditional leader or chief.
What nationality was Don C. Talayesva?
Don C. Talayesva was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don C. Talayesva. https://biography.guide/don-c-talayesva/
MLA: "Don C. Talayesva." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-c-talayesva/.
Chicago: "Don C. Talayesva." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-c-talayesva/.
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