There There

One of the most central themes of There There concerns the complexities of Indigenous American identity. Each of the novel’s 12 perspective characters illustrates a different facet of modern Indigenous identity, from Edwin’s conflict about being half-white, to Blue’s challenge of growing up in an adoptive family, to Orvil’s struggle to understand his heritage without information about his people’s history. Orange poses a larger question concerning how Indigenous Americans can find their place in a world that barely acknowledges that “real Native American boy[s…] still exist” (235). Early in the novel, Edwin describes the “double bind” for Indigenous Americans today: “If it isn’t pulling from tradition, how is it Indigenous? And if it is stuck in tradition, in the past, how can it be relevant to other Indigenous people living now, how can it be modern?” (77).

As the 12 characters move closer to the day of the Big Oakland Powwow, each questions their connection to tradition and modern relevance. When she is 11, Opal has a conversation with her teddy bear that illustrates more clearly how Orange views this tension: “Us bears, you Indians, we been through a lot. They tried to kill us. […] Sister, they slit all our throats” (51).