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A review by teej7
Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog
3.0
Mary crow dog writes this autobiography/memoir in an informal way which makes me curious to how Native Americans/Indians tell stories. It doesn’t make the book unreadable though, and it’s generally easy to follow. Generally speaking, I did enjoy the book and learned a lot about Indian customs and particularly Lakota traditions. She also shed a light on the ways of modern reservation life (modern at least in the last 50 years as the time most of the story takes place is in the 70's or prior).
Her writing can be a bit clonky at times? Which I assume is related to her lack of formal education (not saying that’s a bad thing) but at times it’s a little difficult to follow a story line? Because there really isn’t a straight forward one.
Important names and events are mentioned in the book before stories of them are told where I feel like it would just flow more seamlessly if she told it in more of a chronological order, sometimes when she does this it takes you out the story thinking, "wait didn’t she mention so and so earlier and mentioned that they died a tragic death and now we’re formally being introduced to the character knowing this?"
Being that I myself am a black woman with a vague understanding of my own Native ancestry, I couldn't help but wish for more of a link between shared experiences of Black folks and Native folks because many many many of the trials and tribulations she speaks of go hand in hand. Though I understand this is a book written by a Native woman for Native people or people interested. I would love to read something focusing on that. But that’s just me projecting...
Pg. 77 “....the blacks want what the whites have, which is understandable they want in, we Indians want out--”
This generalization.....chile... this is the problem I had with this book that I can’t let go. Crow dog, with all the hate she has for white people even she makes the point (several times in the book) that good white people exist and can show compassion, whatever. Now she doesn’t say partially “bad things” about black people, she gives credit where it’s due for the Black Panther Movement heavily inspiring the Red Power movement and even borrowing rhetoric, but why the generalization? Black people don’t want OUT? Of course we do. But where is there for us to go? Like natives. Our home was stripped from us, and we were forced to start a new in the US, our African ancestors looking at us judgmentally for how we’ve been shaped by the white man. But what else could we have done? Whites terrorized and killed many Natives and stole land, however they were not mass enslaved. It’s kinda like..which is worse? I don’t really know. I just know this conception she has of black people is entirely shaped of either media, and things heard. It’s very obvious. This is not me trying to discredit Mrs. Mary Crow Dog, I just find her choice of verbiage interesting.
Overall, a solid 3 star read.
Her writing can be a bit clonky at times? Which I assume is related to her lack of formal education (not saying that’s a bad thing) but at times it’s a little difficult to follow a story line? Because there really isn’t a straight forward one.
Important names and events are mentioned in the book before stories of them are told where I feel like it would just flow more seamlessly if she told it in more of a chronological order, sometimes when she does this it takes you out the story thinking, "wait didn’t she mention so and so earlier and mentioned that they died a tragic death and now we’re formally being introduced to the character knowing this?"
Being that I myself am a black woman with a vague understanding of my own Native ancestry, I couldn't help but wish for more of a link between shared experiences of Black folks and Native folks because many many many of the trials and tribulations she speaks of go hand in hand. Though I understand this is a book written by a Native woman for Native people or people interested. I would love to read something focusing on that. But that’s just me projecting...
Pg. 77 “....the blacks want what the whites have, which is understandable they want in, we Indians want out--”
This generalization.....chile... this is the problem I had with this book that I can’t let go. Crow dog, with all the hate she has for white people even she makes the point (several times in the book) that good white people exist and can show compassion, whatever. Now she doesn’t say partially “bad things” about black people, she gives credit where it’s due for the Black Panther Movement heavily inspiring the Red Power movement and even borrowing rhetoric, but why the generalization? Black people don’t want OUT? Of course we do. But where is there for us to go? Like natives. Our home was stripped from us, and we were forced to start a new in the US, our African ancestors looking at us judgmentally for how we’ve been shaped by the white man. But what else could we have done? Whites terrorized and killed many Natives and stole land, however they were not mass enslaved. It’s kinda like..which is worse? I don’t really know. I just know this conception she has of black people is entirely shaped of either media, and things heard. It’s very obvious. This is not me trying to discredit Mrs. Mary Crow Dog, I just find her choice of verbiage interesting.
Overall, a solid 3 star read.