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8 reviews for:
Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing
Simon Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, Paula Gunn Allen, Maurice Kenny, Sherman Alexie, MariJo Moore
4.13 AVERAGE
8 reviews for:
Genocide of the Mind: New Native American Writing
Simon Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, Paula Gunn Allen, Maurice Kenny, Sherman Alexie, MariJo Moore
4.13 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
I read this book many years ago. It's now been 22 years since it was published. Don't let that put you off - it is well worth the read, and many things that were true then are still true now.
This is a collection of essays and poetry dealing with modern Native experiences. This is an older book, but many of the concerns have changed little. While each essay approaches the subject from its own perspective, some common themes are the challenges of urban Natives, dealing with stereotypes, the tension between urban and reservation Natives, finding a positive Native self-image in a world that wants to deny your existence, and the struggle to maintain language and tradition. The US and Canada attempted to systematically take away Native languages and culture through the institution of boarding schools, laws forbidding or limiting Native languages and customs, and whitewashed history. Mascots perpetuating unflattering stereotypes and movies that diminish the role of Natives or portray them as blood-thirsty savages add to the problems. Even the Declaration of Independence contains the phrase "merciless Indian savages." Treaties have been repeatedly broken, and Natives have been subjected to relocation, forced sterilization, livestock reduction, and imprisonment. Genocide of the Mind is the erasure of a people through repeated attacks on culture and self-image. This book really hits home for me because of family members who have had to tell people that they still exist as Natives and are not extinct. Modern Natives are working at finding the bridge between their traditions and modern life that allows them to be part of both. I do not have the perspective to give their thoughts justice here, and Natives are individuals with individual experiences. Their way of life is not to be hijacked by Hollywood or New Age practices that perpetuate chosen stereotypes. This book gives voice to many of these perspectives
This book brought me to tears and wretching. Still, I can't recommend this book enough to everyone I meet. It is so important we don't forget the reality and gravity of what was and still is the blatant disregard of Native American sovereignty and lives. This is an important part of American history that must be shared as much as possible.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
A real mix, but very solid overall, and often very powerful. There are admittedly a handful of essays scattered throughout the book where the authors try to fight generalizations with generalizations and racisms with racisms, but that kind of thing is both easy to fall into and also quite common when works are collected from a broad array of authors.
The poems by Maurice Kenny I thought were particularly hard-hitting and beautifully done.
The poems by Maurice Kenny I thought were particularly hard-hitting and beautifully done.
challenging
informative
reflective
From the back cover - "Genocide of the Mind is a moving and inspiring collection of essays that records the determination of people from over twenty-five different nations to bring the Native American experience into the 21st Century."
I read this not long after it was published in 2003 and revisited it this year (2021). I was a bit saddened but not really surprised at how relevant it still is. Issues around identity and how we express identity are still a reality for many of us in NDN Country. Concerns about the disappearance of many of our languages are even more urgent now than then. The Washington Football Team notwithstanding, there is still much work to be done around racist imagery and mascots used by athletic teams. Racism and stereotyping by the dominant culture and its media machine still abound as does a seemingly willful ignorance about the diversity of experience and expression that is Native America.
So this diverse collection of essays with some poetry mixed in still packs a punch. Like any compilation, it is a mixed bag for voice and style and your mileage may vary.
I read this not long after it was published in 2003 and revisited it this year (2021). I was a bit saddened but not really surprised at how relevant it still is. Issues around identity and how we express identity are still a reality for many of us in NDN Country. Concerns about the disappearance of many of our languages are even more urgent now than then. The Washington Football Team notwithstanding, there is still much work to be done around racist imagery and mascots used by athletic teams. Racism and stereotyping by the dominant culture and its media machine still abound as does a seemingly willful ignorance about the diversity of experience and expression that is Native America.
So this diverse collection of essays with some poetry mixed in still packs a punch. Like any compilation, it is a mixed bag for voice and style and your mileage may vary.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
There is a lot of diverse voices from different tribes in this book. It is hard to hear of the murder of so many Indians by whites, but it is very important that their history is not forgotten.