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

English language

Published Nov. 23, 2012

ISBN:: 978-0-385-67405-8

(1 review)

The Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history - in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America. Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other. In the process, King refashions old stories about historical events and figures, takes a sideways look at film and pop culture, relates his own complex experiences with activism, and articulates a deep and revolutionary understanding of the cumulative effects of ever-shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands.

This is a book both timeless and timely, burnished with anger but tempered by wit, and ultimately …

The Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history - in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America. Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other. In the process, King refashions old stories about historical events and figures, takes a sideways look at film and pop culture, relates his own complex experiences with activism, and articulates a deep and revolutionary understanding of the cumulative effects of ever-shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands.

This is a book both timeless and timely, burnished with anger but tempered by wit, and ultimately a hard-won offering of hope - a sometimes inconvenient but nonetheless indispensable account for all of us, Indian and non-Indian alike, seeking to understand how we might tell a new story for the future.

1 edition

Vincent Mousseau reviewed The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

Review of 'The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book is a fascinating look into the history of Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. From the very beginning, the author's refusal to choose to limit himself to the colonial borders of these states is telling, and it is deeply rooted in an Indigenous worldview. It is an essential read to understand the territories on which we as settlers live and how we can move forward in solidarity with Indigenous communities, informed by the past and how we can build a just future.