Campus Connection

UWL professor emeritus pens book providing insight on American Indians

Throughout his 28-year teaching career at UW-La Crosse, Professor Emeritus Kent Koppelman met a lot of students and heard a lot of stories. But, the stories his student Ben Blue shared with him were unique — special enough to inspire Koppelman to write a book about them. “I liked every story he told me,” explains Koppelman. “He had such a range of experience and had met so many people.” That’s why Koppelman sat down with Blue, a pseudonym required by the publisher, and a tape recorder to capture the stories of a Ho-Chunk who represents what many contemporary Native Americans have faced. “His experiences are pretty common for American Indians,” Koppelman says. “It’s especially a story Indian men can relate to.” The result was a 232-page book, “My Name is Not Chief: The Life of an American Indian.” It begins in Blue’s early years spent in rural Wisconsin Dells before he moved to Los Angeles. In California, he’s introduced to alcohol and drugs, which led to his downward spiral during his high school and early adult years. Eventually, the family returns to Wisconsin. When his mother dies, Blue returns to Los Angeles and the earlier addictions, pushing him into even deeper poverty. After making a serious commitment to sobriety, Blue finds a job, goes to college, gets married and becomes a father. He finally explores his native Ho-Chunk identity and gains a passion to work with teachers and communities to address stereotypical images of Indians living in today’s society. Koppelman says Blue was encouraged to attend UWL and, eventually, rediscover himself. “It’s UWL that sets him on the path to rediscovering himself as Ho-Chunk Native American.” This is Koppelman’s seventh book, and one of his favorites because of Blue’s compelling stories. His other books include diversity issues, textbooks and coping with grief. One of his books, “Understanding Human Differences,” is widely used across the U.S. and has even been translated into Chinese. Koppelman retired in 2007 after 28 years of teaching at UWL to work on publishing more books. Koppelman and Blue will hold a book signing for “My Name is Not Chief: The Life of an American Indian” at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 30, at Pearl Street Books, 323 Pearl St. It is available in hardback, paperback and e-book. Find out more at www.mynameisnotchief.com. If you go— Who: Authors Kent Koppelman and Ben Blue What: Book signing for “My Name is Not Chief: The Life of an American Indian” When: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 30 Where: Pearl Street Books, 323 Pearl St. Book details: www.mynameisnotchief.com.