EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INDIANS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK (YOUNG READERS EDITION)

A plainspoken cultural guide for Natives and non-Natives alike.

This collection of short essays about Native Americans is comprehensive, equitable, and generous. Structured around questions that distinguished scholar Treuer (Ojibwe) encounters in his public talks, the book addresses a range of topics: sovereignty, politics, language, music, religion, gender and sexuality, and more. Responses to founding events in America’s history help counteract missing Native perspectives in school curricula. Written with a clear desire to heal misunderstandings and do away with stereotypes, the book uses photographs and anecdotes to illustrate the author’s lessons. This edition adapted for teens is also updated, with coverage of current events, including the Covington Catholic High School scandal at the Lincoln Memorial, the Black Lives Matters movement, the Dakota Access Pipeline protest, progress with removing Native sports team mascots, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The author’s tone is thoughtful as he asks readers to engage with challenging subjects: “All human beings have dark chapters in their personal histories. And all nations have dark chapters in theirs. Nobody should be stuck in shame. However, it is important for all countries and all individuals to examine dark chapters in order to learn from them and prevent them from reoccurring.” While driven by facts, the book becomes personal whenever elements of the author’s life peek through, giving readers a sense of his character and the commitment he brings to his work.

Wise, well-researched, and not to be missed.