Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

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

14 reviews

goodthingsread's review against another edition

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4.0

I have mixed feelings on this book, though I did enjoy it. The heavy sarcasm that is liberally used throughout the book is entertaining at first. I get it, too; the history of indigenous peoples in North America in relation to whites/Canada/the USA is horrific and depressing and you need to use what methods you can to get through it. But by halfway through the seventh chapter (in a ten chapter book), I felt very much like the saltiness had run its course. I would much rather have had a more even mix of tongue-in-cheek dark humor with genuine dark history.

I had seen that the author was a professor (at one time) and with that in mind, the book reads more as a collection of lectures that were cleaned up and edited to work together as a narrative. I don't know if this is true or not, but the parts of the book that I didn't like would be explained by this theory. I started to grow tired with King's sarcasm when he decided to be condescending towards other Natives/tribes with regard to gambling. (He would much rather have given $15 charitably towards a clinic rather than the slot machine, but apparently he was forced into supporting this tribe through the casino.) Then, two chapters later, he speaks on how impressed he was that tribes with casinos had been using their profits to not only improve the reservations and buy stocks, but also to buy land and add that back into the tribes' trusts. It felt like one chapter had been written ten years before the latter.

My main complaint however was that by the end, what with the continual sarcasm and pessimistic read of history, I didn't feel any of the hope the book blurb tells me is here. In the final chapter, King says he wants to end on a hopeful note, so he asked some of his native friends for hopeful examples in the recent history of indigenous people in North America. But then, as he covers those examples, he finds the negatives in them and basically says that as great as these examples look, they will undoubtedly end poorly. ("The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is bad, actually, because this Canadian jurist has an authoritative view on American law and I personally don't see how it will work in the future.") He doesn't offer any solutions, suggestions, or better courses of action, not for native peoples or for white allies. It's just: "The government(s) will screw you. Don't trust them. Good luck but that won't help you."

I liked the book for the information and the view point, and it is well-written. But I can't say that I would recommend it without warning.

Also, I listened to the audiobook and Lorne Cardinal is an excellent narrator for the book.

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bark's review against another edition

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5.0

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musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

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3.75

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yellowcape's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Honestly the only reason I deducted a 1/2 ⭐️ is because it took me so long to get through but I must stress this is not at all the thought of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I just found it hard to find the time to read it in what has been a pretty hectic time for me personally. It is very well written and super readable. Coming from someone who has never successfully completed a work of non-fiction until today, that’s some pretty high praise. Just read it honestly it will open your eyes, enrage you, and educate you.

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lanid's review against another edition

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4.75

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ashareads's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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5.0

Title: The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America
Author: Thomas King
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: November 13, 2012

T H R E E • W O R D S

Timeless • Sharp • Truthful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, The Inconvenient Indian distills the insights gleaned from Thomas King's critical and personal meditation on what it means to be "Indian" in North America, 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S
I will openly admit it has taken me far too long to read The Inconvenient Indian as this is an important and essential non fiction book about Canadian history. Thomas King details systemic and long-standing injustices facing Indigenous people in North America for generations with clarity and wit.

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the physical book, and I cannot recommend this method more. King illuminates centuries of white colonization that has impacted Indigenous communities. It is accessible, meaning it easy to read and will inspire deep thought and reflection. It is a book for understanding. A book for learning. A book for moving into a better future together. There is something for everyone here.

The Inconvenient Indian was my second King book (my first non fiction) it is evident he is a gifted storyteller. The underlying tone is serious, yet King takes a insightful and playful approach in putting this important part of history out there. There is significant and deeper meaning to the words of the page. Simply a put this is a fantastic piece of Canadian literature and a must read for all.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone with a social conscience
• all Canadians
• book clubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Instead of trying to kill the Indian to save the child, North America might have gone into partnership with the various nation, and, together, they could have come up with an education plan that would have complemented Native cultures and, perhaps, even enriched White culture at the same time."

"We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others."

"It was a pleasant conversation, and, the more we talked, the more I felt as though I were talking to a bowl of Jello."

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