Scan barcode
lindssilva's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
The book is incredibly informative and works to dismantle systemic racism and stereotypes that First Nations, Métis and Inuit people face in Canada. It is not meant to be read in one sitting, but requires time for digestion and contemplation. It does read dry in many places and is redundant in others. It would appeal to an adult audience who already holds knowledge or interest in historical and contemporary relations that have existed and still exist between the Crown, Canada and Indigenous Nations.
siobhanward's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
fast-paced
5.0
This book felt well-written and honest. I kind of thought it was going to be more tongue-in-cheek humor, but it was such an informative read. I learned a lot, mostly about how little has changed. This was written back in 2014 - and so little has changed since then. We still have the same problems in Canada and no real progress has been made, so that was pretty stunning to realize.
ilovegrassjelly123's review against another edition
3.0
Super slow paced ... Very informative I laughed a bit
jasmineehare's review against another edition
3.0
I would say this is a book that all settler Canadians should read, but I feel that it borrowed too heavily from The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King for me to give it that distinction. The excerpt on the back cover of Peace Pipe Dreams, the joke about about Tolkien and "One word to rule them all and in political correctness bind them"? Yeah, pretty much that exact same joke is on page 83 of The Inconvenient Indian. The books are similar in other regards, although Dennis does cover different territory; he delves more deeply into treaties and current day conditions on reserves, which I appreciated. The writing wasn't particularly strong; the humour wasn't very funny, so this ended up being much more of a straight-up nonfiction look at Indigenous-settler relations, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I definitely learned quite a bit, and would probably still recommend it (although I would recommend Thomas King first!).
booksandyarniness's review
4.0
The author's relaxed tone and dry wit makes the busting of stereotypes less volatile and more an opportunity to understand just how nonsensical some of the things out there are. At the same time, you get a good understanding about how belief in these stereotypes has shaped Canadian policy for the worse. 4.5 stars
annabunce's review
4.0
This book is excellent. While previously I was recommending "Inconvenient Indian" Thomas King to people who were interested in developing a better understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada/North America, I think this book will be the one I recommend first. Humorous and EXTREMELY accessible, this is the book you could recommend to your offensive uncle and he'd probably enjoy it. Great read, even for someone who has a good knowledge base on Indigenous issues.