A review by tinyd26
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

In recent years, I've had a very hard time staying focused and engaged when reading non-fiction. It says a lot that this is the first non-fiction book I've managed to finish in years. I'd imagine if I had a better attention span for the genre, I would have flown through it. And really, considering the amount of detail packed into this modest volume, it is a quick read. King has infused this book with a generous amount of humor (largely sarcasm), which makes it quite engaging, not least of all by countering the gravitas of the subject matter. That being said, King seems to be a BIG fan of lists. I have to admit, I did a good amount of skimming through these after the first few, knowing that I would not retain all the names, anyway. 

King is extremely upfront from the outset that while he respects academic pursuit and includes (a lot of) history here, he is not unbiased, and also includes a good number of more personal anecdotes and less verifiable historical stories. If you're looking for strictly hard-boiled, fact-based history, this isn't the place to get it. But for me the mix of verified history, anecdotes, discussion, and humor worked well. The book is accessible and readable while providing plenty of gut-punchingly impactful information about the history of the relationship between First Nations and North American governments. 

This book was just what I needed to spur me to read more about (it also references plenty of other books which are now on my TBR) the history, struggles, and perspectives of indigenous populations.


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