The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

In discussing Indigenous representations in American culture, King uses the concept of a simulacrum, which King defines as “something that represents something that never existed” (54). How are representations of Indigenouss a simulacrum? How do these false representations impact real Indigenous people’s lives?

In the Prologue, King explicitly states that he does not intend to write a traditional book of history. How does The Inconvenient Indian differ from typical historiography, and how does this writing style help King make his arguments about the history of Indigenous-white relations?

In Chapter 9, King argues that relations between Indigenous and white people in North America can be boiled down to one key issue: “Whites want land” (216). Use examples of historical events from the book to analyze the role that land has played in the conflicts between Indigenous and white people.