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josiereadseverything 's review for:
Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools
by Mary Annette Pember
“Medicine River” was a heavy but powerful book that explores the history leading to the development of Indian Boarding Schools, their atrocities, and the consequences in the present day. The book covers everything from the United States’ land theft and shoddy deals with Natives, to the erasure of the Native identity and the involvement of the Catholic church and Christian missionaries. Pember also shares personal stories of the conditions and impact that the boarding schools had on her family, particularly her mother and their relationship. Lastly, the book covers some legislation and steps that have been taken towards reparations. However, many of the proposals or efforts have fallen short or never delivered.
As a society, we cannot move forward without acknowledging our history and learning from it, especially in a dangerous time when many are working to erase or rewrite it. It’s ridiculous that the people who inhabited this land for centuries were only recently granted “US citizenship” in 1924. It wasn’t until the last five years that the US and Canadian governments and religious institutions began to acknowledge their role in Native erasure. There is an immense amount of work that needs to be done to help heal the extensive generational harm that was done to Natives.
Overall, this book provides important insight and is a good introduction to those who may not be familiar with the history of Indian Boarding Schools and their generational impact.
As a society, we cannot move forward without acknowledging our history and learning from it, especially in a dangerous time when many are working to erase or rewrite it. It’s ridiculous that the people who inhabited this land for centuries were only recently granted “US citizenship” in 1924. It wasn’t until the last five years that the US and Canadian governments and religious institutions began to acknowledge their role in Native erasure. There is an immense amount of work that needs to be done to help heal the extensive generational harm that was done to Natives.
Overall, this book provides important insight and is a good introduction to those who may not be familiar with the history of Indian Boarding Schools and their generational impact.