by David Treuer
Reservation life is about tragedy and resilience in large contexts and small. This book is complicated, but engaging. I get the impression that the author wrote this - in part - for his own understanding. Treuer tackles several heady subjects: the history of treaty rights, the complexities of the Indian justice system (his mother is a judge), the atmosphere of violence on reservations, the effect of casino cultural on both American culture and tribal cultural. Peppered throughout, he gives us intimate stories of his grandfather and his own childhood. Treuer also features other Natives' lives - some glorious as well as profoundly tragic. It's not an easy read - not cozy or comforting, but it's not entirely bleak either.
There is a lot to learn in these pages. I'm sure not everyone will accept Treuer's perspective, but I think this is a necessary read for American adults. It's necessary to understand how brutal the effects of white culture and the US Goverment were on tribes. And, more shockingly, how long these effects have lasted. Native culture is not a thing of the past, stuck in the days of cowboys and Indians. Here is how Treuer puts it while visiting a luxurious casino resort:
...it was clear that rather than living uninspected lives at the margins of American society, Indians have become part of the American fabric in ways no one could have guessed when gaming as we know it emerged in the 1980s. I was feeling proud of the Pechanga Band, the Morongo Band, the Seminole, and the others - proud of what they made against all odds. No one is untouched by Indian lives. I thought of what the tribal member told me about the gold course: it is good to look back at where you've been; you get some beautiful views.
You also get some strange ones.