68 pages • 2 hours read
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272
Book • Nonfiction
North America • Contemporary
2012
Adult
18+ years
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King explores the tumultuous history of Indian-White relations in North America, blending storytelling with historical analysis to critique cultural representations, government policies, and ongoing racial tensions. King examines the impact of myths, stereotypes in media, and policies like removal, assimilation, and allotment, while addressing issues of sovereignty and land disputes. The book discusses cultural and systemic challenges faced by Native peoples, driven by historical and contemporary injustices.
Informative
Contemplative
Mysterious
Melancholic
Humorous
Thomas King's The Inconvenient Indian delves deeply into the history and ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples in North America. Reviewers praise King's witty, candid writing and thorough research, which elegantly blends humor and sharp criticism. Some consider the narrative style meandering, which may detract from its academic rigor, but overall, it is widely lauded for its engaging and thought-provoking content.
Readers who appreciate nuanced, humorous, and thought-provoking examinations of history and culture, similar to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, will enjoy Thomas King's The Inconvenient Indian. Those with interests in Indigenous perspectives and social justice narratives will find this work compelling and insightful.
Pocahontas
A member of the Powhatan tribe, who became well-known after being kidnapped by settlers, converting to Christianity, and traveling to Europe. Her story, particularly her supposed relationship with John Smith, has become a legendary narrative.
Louis Riel
A leader of the Métis people in Canada, Riel led efforts against the Canadian government's unauthorized attempts to take Métis land. He became a martyr and legendary figure after being executed following the failure of a Métis rebellion.
General Custer
A US military general known for his role in the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, where he was defeated by Lakota warriors. His death has been romanticized in American culture as "Custer’s Last Stand."
James Earle Fraser
An American artist known for his sculpture End of the Trail, which has become an iconic image of Indigenous people in American culture with its depictions widely reproduced.
Richard Pratt
An army captain known for founding the residential school system to assimilate Indigenous youth into white culture, believed that children should be separated from their communities to adopt Western customs.
Andrew Jackson
The seventh president of the United States known for passing the Removal Act in 1830, which forcibly moved Indigenous tribes from their Eastern homelands to Western territories. The act led to the notorious relocation known as the "Trail of Tears."
272
Book • Nonfiction
North America • Contemporary
2012
Adult
18+ years
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