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47 pages 1 hour read

Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2012

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Book Brief

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Deborah A. Miranda

Bad Indians

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2012
Book Details
Pages

217

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

California • Various Decades

Publication Year

2012

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Bad Indians by Deborah A. Miranda intricately merges historical documentation with personal memoir to recount the devastating impact of Spanish missionization on California’s Indigenous populations, including her Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen ancestors. The narrative spans from the late 18th century to the present, highlighting systemic brutality, cultural erasure, and the enduring legacy of colonial violence. Sensitive topics include child rape, traumatic violence, and abuse.

Melancholic

Emotional

Contemplative

Informative

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

4.4

1,750 ratings

84%

Loved it

12%

Mixed feelings

3%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Bad Indians by Deborah A. Miranda offers a poignant fusion of memoir, history, and poetry, vividly portraying the impact of colonization on California's Native peoples. Reviewers laud its emotional depth and scholarly rigor, though some note its fragmented structure can be challenging. Despite this, it remains a powerful, necessary read, rendering silenced voices with compelling clarity.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Bad Indians?

Readers who appreciate Bad Indians by Deborah A. Miranda are often engaged with Native American history, feminist perspectives, and memoirs that intertwine personal narrative with cultural critique. Fans of Leslie Marmon Silko's Storyteller or Louise Erdrich's The Round House will find Miranda's blend of autobiography and historical documentation resonant.

4.4

1,750 ratings

84%

Loved it

12%

Mixed feelings

3%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

217

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

California • Various Decades

Publication Year

2012

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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