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Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and The Search for Indigenous Identity
Finalist for the 2026 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction
A Time Must-Read Book of 2025
An NPR Books We Love Most pick
A Tribal College Best Native Studies Book of 2025
From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing Indigenous people around the world.
Before Martha’s Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, journalist Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee weaves his own story and that of his family into a panoramic narrative of Indigenous life around the world. He takes us from the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard to the icy Alaskan tundra, the smoky forests of Northern California to the halls of the United Nations, and beyond. Along the way he meets activists fighting to protect their land, families clashing with their own tribal leaders, and communities working to reclaim tradition.
Together, these stories reject stereotypes to show the diversity of Indigenous people today and chart a way past the stubborn legacy of colonialism.
A Time Must-Read Book of 2025
An NPR Books We Love Most pick
A Tribal College Best Native Studies Book of 2025
From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing Indigenous people around the world.
Before Martha’s Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, journalist Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee weaves his own story and that of his family into a panoramic narrative of Indigenous life around the world. He takes us from the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard to the icy Alaskan tundra, the smoky forests of Northern California to the halls of the United Nations, and beyond. Along the way he meets activists fighting to protect their land, families clashing with their own tribal leaders, and communities working to reclaim tradition.
Together, these stories reject stereotypes to show the diversity of Indigenous people today and chart a way past the stubborn legacy of colonialism.
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Published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 16, 2025
this is a moving meditation on the legacy of colonialism and what it means for the Indigenous to belong and find home on this stolen land. i will never forget the personal and historical accounts Joseph Lee powerful shares in this monumental debut. i learned so much about Martha’s Vineyard, Northern California, and Alaska - the last of which is a place I hold particularly dear to my heart.
July 19, 2025
i honestly learned so much from this book and appreciate how the author managed to tell the history of his people while also incorporating very unique stories of his growing up. we didn’t learn very much the history of indigenous people in the US when we were younger so this was fascinating to learn about different areas of famous US land (Martha’s Vineyard) that was originally inhabited with a large indigenous population. i also enjoyed learning about the author’s experience growing up as a multiracial person in the US and how he leaned into his family and culture.
thanks to Atria for the free book!
thanks to Atria for the free book!
June 23, 2025
*I got this book through a Goodreads Giveaway as an advanced copy
Such a good book and completely blew my expectations away. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the memoir style and the connections to journalism. It is very apparent through the style of the book that the author is a journalist, but unlike other books where this is the case, it is not at all a bad thing. In fact, it enhanced the story because the author wrote detailed descriptions and accounts of the settings and events.
There were a couple of typos in the middle of the book that distracted somewhat from my reading, but other than that, I have no complaints.
I am currently living in Central MA, and I have never heard of the Native Americans in Martha’s Vineyard, so it was really eye-opening to read about the community. The author also brought in his experiences interviewing indigenous communities in other countries, which inspired me to write an essay on an indigenous community in Peru for my Latin American Politics class. Lastly, I loved how the author acknowledged all of the flawed systems that impact his life and commented on his relationship with each of them. It’s a powerful theme that runs throughout the book, and everyone can relate to it regardless of their identity.
Such a good book and completely blew my expectations away. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the memoir style and the connections to journalism. It is very apparent through the style of the book that the author is a journalist, but unlike other books where this is the case, it is not at all a bad thing. In fact, it enhanced the story because the author wrote detailed descriptions and accounts of the settings and events.
There were a couple of typos in the middle of the book that distracted somewhat from my reading, but other than that, I have no complaints.
I am currently living in Central MA, and I have never heard of the Native Americans in Martha’s Vineyard, so it was really eye-opening to read about the community. The author also brought in his experiences interviewing indigenous communities in other countries, which inspired me to write an essay on an indigenous community in Peru for my Latin American Politics class. Lastly, I loved how the author acknowledged all of the flawed systems that impact his life and commented on his relationship with each of them. It’s a powerful theme that runs throughout the book, and everyone can relate to it regardless of their identity.
September 7, 2025
I learned so much from this book. Most of it is set in Martha’s Vineyard, which is local to me, and I was shocked by how much of the information was completely new. It was eye-opening to realize just how much Native history has been erased from American history—even when it’s happening right outside your door. I really appreciated how Lee wove in his personal experiences with his Native identity while also highlighting the rich and diverse histories of Indigenous peoples around the world. This book definitely inspired me to dig deeper into the history of the land I live on.
May 5, 2025
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
As a non-native American, I appreciated the opportunity that author Joseph Lee provided for me to explore previously unrealized complexities when it comes to major issues of indigenous identity, sovereignty, and community, amongst other issues.
And as a born-and-raised New Englander, I also was honestly very thankful for the opportunity to learn so much about the Aquinnah Wampanoag - a native nation that has been existing right here in my home region that I was admittedly completely unaware about until I first picked up this book.
And in general, as someone whose education was almost dead silent on all things indigenous, I’m just appreciative in general for Nothing More of This Land and all that I was able to take from it.
As a non-native American, I appreciated the opportunity that author Joseph Lee provided for me to explore previously unrealized complexities when it comes to major issues of indigenous identity, sovereignty, and community, amongst other issues.
And as a born-and-raised New Englander, I also was honestly very thankful for the opportunity to learn so much about the Aquinnah Wampanoag - a native nation that has been existing right here in my home region that I was admittedly completely unaware about until I first picked up this book.
And in general, as someone whose education was almost dead silent on all things indigenous, I’m just appreciative in general for Nothing More of This Land and all that I was able to take from it.
Read
October 2, 2025A very personal memoir of Lee’s discovery of what it means to be a Wampanoag, indigenous. While I felt he talked around the questions or problems too much, I found Lee’s conclusions were insightful and helpful even for us non-indigenous folks. Being a third-generation Italian immigrant to the US, I am neither of my grandparents’ Sicily nor have the “blood quantum” of a New Englander, nevertheless, it is relationship, community, and problem-solving together that enriches my hometown, not how many generations any of us have lived here.
The blood quantum guide that many tribes still use to exclude tribespeople of “mixed race” is fascinating, repulsive, and instructive. Tribes such as the Cherokees had slaves. Later, those Freedmen while raised, grown into the native culture, were denied this native heritage. The exclusion has become more prolific with the creation of casinos , whose profits are often dispersed among enrolled tribe members. Greater disenrollment means greater profit for the remaining tribe members.
There’s a quote from Gabe Galanda, an attorney who has represented some Freedmen in their effort to remain part of a tribe, “ My biggest concern about the state of Indigenous Americans today is we are overtly consumed with economies and monies and individualism rather than relationships based in reciprocity and duty to one another, to land, to water, to air, to animals.”
This much could be said for all Americans. Galanda’s argument of abolishing disenrollment is that all members, even those with partial lineage, strengthen the tribe with individual and differing perspectives. That much could be said for maintaining a healthy immigration policy for the US, and encouraging open trade of people, goods, and culture.
The blood quantum guide that many tribes still use to exclude tribespeople of “mixed race” is fascinating, repulsive, and instructive. Tribes such as the Cherokees had slaves. Later, those Freedmen while raised, grown into the native culture, were denied this native heritage. The exclusion has become more prolific with the creation of casinos , whose profits are often dispersed among enrolled tribe members. Greater disenrollment means greater profit for the remaining tribe members.
There’s a quote from Gabe Galanda, an attorney who has represented some Freedmen in their effort to remain part of a tribe, “ My biggest concern about the state of Indigenous Americans today is we are overtly consumed with economies and monies and individualism rather than relationships based in reciprocity and duty to one another, to land, to water, to air, to animals.”
This much could be said for all Americans. Galanda’s argument of abolishing disenrollment is that all members, even those with partial lineage, strengthen the tribe with individual and differing perspectives. That much could be said for maintaining a healthy immigration policy for the US, and encouraging open trade of people, goods, and culture.
July 30, 2025
Just finished, “Nothing More of This Land,” an incredible memoir and analysis of the history of the Aquinnah Wampanoag on Martha’s Vineyard and beyond. Weaving personal stories of trying to find identity, with meticulously researched history, Lee discusses how the Aquinnah have fought (and still are fighting) for their sovereignty and cultural and linguistic identity. Readers take a journey through the Aquinnah Wampanoag creation story, to the first contact with European colonists, the relatively slow development of MV itself and its modern assumption as an entirely white, wealthy tourist destination. How this has impacted Aquinnah people and community, and the broader, complex effort for Indigenous sovereignty worldwide. (PS. I grew up in MA my whole life, spent time on the Cape, volunteered with Mashpee Wampanoag organizations, visited and volunteered with Aquinnah Wampanoag folks and am just learning this history now. It’s embarrassing! We have to do better down to our local schools and communities to teach more accurate history)!
Read
December 18, 2025I am familiar with Martha’s Vineyard the way many people are…it is the vacation destination of the extremely wealthy. It is also the home of Gay Head Lighthouse, and I am a lighthouse aficionado. I thought I knew a good amount about the island, but I was mistaken. I never knew anything about its Native American history.
In this book Joseph Lee takes the reader to Martha’s Vineyard, where his family owns land and where he spent many summers working in his parent’s souvenir shop. He also takes us to Alaska and Northern California, outlining some of the enormous hurdles indigenous people face while trying to keep or reclaim their land. The US Federal Government did not make it easy. From Martha’s Vineyard to Alaska, and throughout the US, this was, and still is, an insurmountable battle.
I always knew a little bit about the injustices Native Americans faced. In my defense, albeit a feeble one, the subject was never taught 50 / 60 years ago when I was in school. In fact, the subject was avoided entirely. I have taken an interest recently, I’m learning a great deal, and I highly recommend this book.
In this book Joseph Lee takes the reader to Martha’s Vineyard, where his family owns land and where he spent many summers working in his parent’s souvenir shop. He also takes us to Alaska and Northern California, outlining some of the enormous hurdles indigenous people face while trying to keep or reclaim their land. The US Federal Government did not make it easy. From Martha’s Vineyard to Alaska, and throughout the US, this was, and still is, an insurmountable battle.
I always knew a little bit about the injustices Native Americans faced. In my defense, albeit a feeble one, the subject was never taught 50 / 60 years ago when I was in school. In fact, the subject was avoided entirely. I have taken an interest recently, I’m learning a great deal, and I highly recommend this book.
July 24, 2025
I had heard this author, Joseph Lee, interviewed on NPR as he spoke about being Aquinnah Wampanoag. In doing my genealogy I discovered I am a descendant of the Wampanoag people (Quadequina Chief Wampanoag 11th great grandfather) so I was excited to read this book. I learned many things and I'm grateful I bought his book so I can refer back to it as I continue researching my ancestors.
Read
October 8, 2025A well-researched exploration of the utility and limitations of federal recognition and tribal sovereignty, both nationally and internationally, and an affecting personal reflection on what it means to be Indigenous in America.
December 27, 2025
This was an audiobook! I liked the way it was written and narrated and I learned a lot :)
February 23, 2026
Drawing on his upbringing as a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on Martha’s Vineyard, an ancestral homeland now known as a wealthy tourist destination, Lee reflects on the lasting effects of colonization and displacement. Through personal narrative and reporting from Indigenous communities in the United States and beyond, he explores how Native peoples are preserving culture, asserting sovereignty, and redefining what it means to be Indigenous in the modern world.
Joseph Lee is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, a federally recognized Native American tribe located on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
I enjoued this alot and found it interesting. It is very detailed about different tribes and their tribal bands and identity card policies and constitutions. As a white european I was glad I had previously read The Indian Card by Carrie Lowry Schuelttpelz, as it gave me a foundation and certain familiarity with the idea of Blood Quantum in America and identity cards. This felt like a glimpse inside this world of Indian Councils and conflicting identities, looking both at himself and globally at other indigenous communities. It provides you with a good sampling of how several Indian tribes in North America govern themselves and see tribal identity and how this is different outside the US.
This was done so well!
Quotes:
“This was all part of a disastrous federal policy known as allotment, which was codified by the 1887 General Allotment Act. Allotment removed Indian land from collective, sovereign ownership and made it privately owned by individual people. Like they did in Gay Head, many immediately sold their land to avoid paying impossibly high taxes or were swindled out of it by opportunistic settlers.”
“I had no understanding of what Wampanoag identity or culture could look like separated from the island.”
“In June 1975, Steven Spielberg's laws, which was filmed largely on Marthas Vineyard, hit theaters across the country and was an instant, recond breaking success. Jaws, which famously used Vineyard locals as extras in the film, set a number of firsts. It was the first major movie to be filmed on the ocean, the first film to gross over $100 million at the box office, the first to take advantage of TV advertising, and was widely regarded as the movie that set the trend for decades of summer blockbusters. I was surprised to learn that before Jaws and a few other hits, the summer was considered the quiet season for movie releases. The Vineyard was picked as a filming location in part because of its relatively shallow beaches, but also because of the isolated, almost eerie feeling that producers felt on the island. Ironically, the movie would help to change that.
Jaws helped to catapult Martha's Vineyard into a place that thousands of people wanted to visit every summer. The film's impact has not faded with the years. Today, nearly fifty years after Jaws first premiered, there are tours on the island of filming locations. A bridge that featured in the movie is still known as "the Jaws bridge." Every local saying they were an extra has become a running joke. I remember watching Jaws as a kid and thinking how cool it was that such a famous movie was filmed on the Vineyard. I liked recognizing places I knew in the movie. It never occurred to me how much Jaws had shaped the island, rather than the other way around.”
“So in a strange way, the restrictions from the pandemic led to the best access for off-island tribal members in our history. In the couple years since then we've seen not just the predictable increase in participation from off-island members, but also from those on the island. Even people who liveon the island used to have to drive up to forty-five minutes to get to a council meeting. Now, they can tune in to a meeting while they cook dinner. Once again, we still don't fully know how these changes are going to affect the tribe going forward. But they showed both me and the tribe that we don't have to live on our land to be part of major decisions. That's both exciting and a little scary — Wampanoags who live off-island have always been able to influence what happens on the island, but these new developments are increasing that ability.”
“In 1934, the US passed the Indian Reorganization Act, which repte-sented an end to the allotment era, where Indigenous land was divided into private parcels. The IRA, as it came to be known, also provided a chance for tribes to gain federal funding and support if they agreed to the terms of the IRA, which included adopting new constitutions. Nearly two hundred tribes across the country voted in favor of the IRA, and many adopted constitutions at least partially based on the government's model.
While the IRA constitutions gave tribes structure and funding, they were far from perfect. A rough approximation and simplification of the US constitution, the IRA constitutions were, at best, a bit of an awkward fit for many tribes. "While the U.S. Constitution is a unique reflection of the country's traditions, culture and values, IRA and IRA-influenced constitutions are foreign, boilerplate documents that often conflict with pre-colonial tribal traditions of recognizing, organizing and allocating governance," wrote Eric Lemont, a research fellow at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, in 2002.”
“In 2015, representatives from dozens of communities in the Peruvian Amazon established the Autonomous Terricorial Government of the Wampis Nation, the first autonomous Indigenous territory in the country. Until that moment, Indigenous land in Peru was held only by individual communities or villages, rather than a regional government responsible for a contiguous territory. Unlike the US, Peru does not have a process for federal recognition of tribes. In fact, most countries around the world do not.
Instead of waiting for Peru to recognize their rights to sovereignty and self-determination, the Wampis simply did it themselves. Altogether, the Vampis Nation, as it has come to be called, consists of about fifteen thousand people spread across 1.3 million hectares, an area around the size of the entire state of Connecticut. The territory is located in northern Peru, by the border with Ecuador, and includes some of the world's most biodi-verse primary forests. This is land that the Wampis have lived on and managed since time immemorial.
But the Peruvian government still does not recognize the Wampis Nation as a singular, united entity. According to Wampis leaders, this is at least in part because a legally recognized Wampis Nation is a threat to Peruvian state interests. The nation was formed primarily as a response to resource extraction and the ongoing colonization of their territory: oil pipelines and wells, in particular.”
“"When we self-declared our autonomous government, we only formalized and wrote down for outsiders to under-stand, but it was just a formalization of an ancient process," Nayap said.
That phrasing stuck with me, that what they had done was not for them, but for outsiders.”
“In other words, officially forming the Wampis Nation changed very lit-tle, if anything, in the day-to-day lives of its citizens. But what it gave them was a united front, an organized mechanism to advocate for their rights to the Peruvian government and the rest of the world. Historically their lack of that legal unity had allowed outside forces to exploit them and their land. In the past, corporations or government officials would approach one community and get their permission to do something, sometimes by tricking them.”
“Silas's frustrated question reminded me of what Matthew Fletcher said, that you earn sovereignty by governing-managing the land, in this case —better than anyone else. To Silas, sovereignty was about the land, not necessarily tribal politics.
"I think a huge step in the right direction in order to gain our sovereignty back is to do what we used to do: manage our lands, live off the land, you know, respect the land," he told me. "Sovereignty has a huge part in more than just government, like being able to just manage that Aboriginal territory the way that it used to be."”
“In 1988, the federal government passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), a law that created three classifications of gaming allowed on Indian land. Class I is traditional Indian gaming and is not regulated by IGRA. Class II, which includes high stakes and electronic bingo, became legal on Indian land regardless of state laws against it.
Class III gaming includes all other types of traditional casino gambling, like blackjack, poker, and slot machines. Class II does require approval from local governments.
In 1992, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe in Connecticut built the first Native-owned Vegas-style resort casino, the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Foxwoods would soon generate billions of dollars in profits. Suddenly, almost every tribe wanted a casino. In 1996, tribal casinos generated over $5 billion in gross gaming revenue. Today, there are many examples of successful tribal casinos around the country. These casinos can bring jobs, money, and opportunity to tribal communities. Tribes often use casino profits to invest in education, culture, public safety, health, and infrastructure proj-ects. Some also send out direct payments to tribal members. But there are also many smaller tribal casinos that do not bring in millions of dollars.
And there are plenty of tribes with no gambling operations at all.”
“Calista is one of thirteen Alaska Native Corporations that were all created in 1971 by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which gave the ANCs forty-four million acres and $900 million. In re-turn, the tribes and ANCs had to give up all land claims in Alaska. Because of this system, those forty-four million acres are owned by these private, for-profit corporations, rather than by federally recognized tribes. ANCs, which are run by Indigenous boards of directors, provide dividends to shareholders, along with scholarships, cultural programs, and other community benefits. It's a complicated arrangement. Individual tribes have local governing authority, but don't own the land. To make matters even more confusing, there are also regional and local corporations.
During our conversations, several elders mentioned that they felt like they were playing catch-up with tribes in the lower forty-eight states in terms of asserting sovereignty. The ANCs had all the money, land, and power. Tribes were small and extremely resource-limited. I remember feeling surprised that they would say that. In some ways, I always thought that the later a tribe was colonized, the more sovereign they would probably be, since they had more years to live under their own systems and rule without colonial interference. But like I had seen in the Klamath Basin, there was no linear way to measure the impact of colonialism.
In Alaska, the new system disrupted a way of life that had existed for countless generations by putting most of the land and resources into the for-profit system. And so tribes had little power and little recourse.”
“These conversations helped me develop a more nuanced way of looking at Indigenous identity as something dynamic, ever-changing and adapting.
Indigenous work can look like academic research, language revitalization, activism, and so much more. But the goals are the same. There are so many different ways to do and to be. I just needed to find ways to let myself embrace and embody that complexity. Indigenous identity is rooted in the past, in our ancestors, our land, and our communities. Bur that doesn't mean that is all that it is. It is also about how we choose to engage with it going forward.”
Joseph Lee is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, a federally recognized Native American tribe located on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
I enjoued this alot and found it interesting. It is very detailed about different tribes and their tribal bands and identity card policies and constitutions. As a white european I was glad I had previously read The Indian Card by Carrie Lowry Schuelttpelz, as it gave me a foundation and certain familiarity with the idea of Blood Quantum in America and identity cards. This felt like a glimpse inside this world of Indian Councils and conflicting identities, looking both at himself and globally at other indigenous communities. It provides you with a good sampling of how several Indian tribes in North America govern themselves and see tribal identity and how this is different outside the US.
This was done so well!
Quotes:
“This was all part of a disastrous federal policy known as allotment, which was codified by the 1887 General Allotment Act. Allotment removed Indian land from collective, sovereign ownership and made it privately owned by individual people. Like they did in Gay Head, many immediately sold their land to avoid paying impossibly high taxes or were swindled out of it by opportunistic settlers.”
“I had no understanding of what Wampanoag identity or culture could look like separated from the island.”
“In June 1975, Steven Spielberg's laws, which was filmed largely on Marthas Vineyard, hit theaters across the country and was an instant, recond breaking success. Jaws, which famously used Vineyard locals as extras in the film, set a number of firsts. It was the first major movie to be filmed on the ocean, the first film to gross over $100 million at the box office, the first to take advantage of TV advertising, and was widely regarded as the movie that set the trend for decades of summer blockbusters. I was surprised to learn that before Jaws and a few other hits, the summer was considered the quiet season for movie releases. The Vineyard was picked as a filming location in part because of its relatively shallow beaches, but also because of the isolated, almost eerie feeling that producers felt on the island. Ironically, the movie would help to change that.
Jaws helped to catapult Martha's Vineyard into a place that thousands of people wanted to visit every summer. The film's impact has not faded with the years. Today, nearly fifty years after Jaws first premiered, there are tours on the island of filming locations. A bridge that featured in the movie is still known as "the Jaws bridge." Every local saying they were an extra has become a running joke. I remember watching Jaws as a kid and thinking how cool it was that such a famous movie was filmed on the Vineyard. I liked recognizing places I knew in the movie. It never occurred to me how much Jaws had shaped the island, rather than the other way around.”
“So in a strange way, the restrictions from the pandemic led to the best access for off-island tribal members in our history. In the couple years since then we've seen not just the predictable increase in participation from off-island members, but also from those on the island. Even people who liveon the island used to have to drive up to forty-five minutes to get to a council meeting. Now, they can tune in to a meeting while they cook dinner. Once again, we still don't fully know how these changes are going to affect the tribe going forward. But they showed both me and the tribe that we don't have to live on our land to be part of major decisions. That's both exciting and a little scary — Wampanoags who live off-island have always been able to influence what happens on the island, but these new developments are increasing that ability.”
“In 1934, the US passed the Indian Reorganization Act, which repte-sented an end to the allotment era, where Indigenous land was divided into private parcels. The IRA, as it came to be known, also provided a chance for tribes to gain federal funding and support if they agreed to the terms of the IRA, which included adopting new constitutions. Nearly two hundred tribes across the country voted in favor of the IRA, and many adopted constitutions at least partially based on the government's model.
While the IRA constitutions gave tribes structure and funding, they were far from perfect. A rough approximation and simplification of the US constitution, the IRA constitutions were, at best, a bit of an awkward fit for many tribes. "While the U.S. Constitution is a unique reflection of the country's traditions, culture and values, IRA and IRA-influenced constitutions are foreign, boilerplate documents that often conflict with pre-colonial tribal traditions of recognizing, organizing and allocating governance," wrote Eric Lemont, a research fellow at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, in 2002.”
“In 2015, representatives from dozens of communities in the Peruvian Amazon established the Autonomous Terricorial Government of the Wampis Nation, the first autonomous Indigenous territory in the country. Until that moment, Indigenous land in Peru was held only by individual communities or villages, rather than a regional government responsible for a contiguous territory. Unlike the US, Peru does not have a process for federal recognition of tribes. In fact, most countries around the world do not.
Instead of waiting for Peru to recognize their rights to sovereignty and self-determination, the Wampis simply did it themselves. Altogether, the Vampis Nation, as it has come to be called, consists of about fifteen thousand people spread across 1.3 million hectares, an area around the size of the entire state of Connecticut. The territory is located in northern Peru, by the border with Ecuador, and includes some of the world's most biodi-verse primary forests. This is land that the Wampis have lived on and managed since time immemorial.
But the Peruvian government still does not recognize the Wampis Nation as a singular, united entity. According to Wampis leaders, this is at least in part because a legally recognized Wampis Nation is a threat to Peruvian state interests. The nation was formed primarily as a response to resource extraction and the ongoing colonization of their territory: oil pipelines and wells, in particular.”
“"When we self-declared our autonomous government, we only formalized and wrote down for outsiders to under-stand, but it was just a formalization of an ancient process," Nayap said.
That phrasing stuck with me, that what they had done was not for them, but for outsiders.”
“In other words, officially forming the Wampis Nation changed very lit-tle, if anything, in the day-to-day lives of its citizens. But what it gave them was a united front, an organized mechanism to advocate for their rights to the Peruvian government and the rest of the world. Historically their lack of that legal unity had allowed outside forces to exploit them and their land. In the past, corporations or government officials would approach one community and get their permission to do something, sometimes by tricking them.”
“Silas's frustrated question reminded me of what Matthew Fletcher said, that you earn sovereignty by governing-managing the land, in this case —better than anyone else. To Silas, sovereignty was about the land, not necessarily tribal politics.
"I think a huge step in the right direction in order to gain our sovereignty back is to do what we used to do: manage our lands, live off the land, you know, respect the land," he told me. "Sovereignty has a huge part in more than just government, like being able to just manage that Aboriginal territory the way that it used to be."”
“In 1988, the federal government passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), a law that created three classifications of gaming allowed on Indian land. Class I is traditional Indian gaming and is not regulated by IGRA. Class II, which includes high stakes and electronic bingo, became legal on Indian land regardless of state laws against it.
Class III gaming includes all other types of traditional casino gambling, like blackjack, poker, and slot machines. Class II does require approval from local governments.
In 1992, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe in Connecticut built the first Native-owned Vegas-style resort casino, the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Foxwoods would soon generate billions of dollars in profits. Suddenly, almost every tribe wanted a casino. In 1996, tribal casinos generated over $5 billion in gross gaming revenue. Today, there are many examples of successful tribal casinos around the country. These casinos can bring jobs, money, and opportunity to tribal communities. Tribes often use casino profits to invest in education, culture, public safety, health, and infrastructure proj-ects. Some also send out direct payments to tribal members. But there are also many smaller tribal casinos that do not bring in millions of dollars.
And there are plenty of tribes with no gambling operations at all.”
“Calista is one of thirteen Alaska Native Corporations that were all created in 1971 by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which gave the ANCs forty-four million acres and $900 million. In re-turn, the tribes and ANCs had to give up all land claims in Alaska. Because of this system, those forty-four million acres are owned by these private, for-profit corporations, rather than by federally recognized tribes. ANCs, which are run by Indigenous boards of directors, provide dividends to shareholders, along with scholarships, cultural programs, and other community benefits. It's a complicated arrangement. Individual tribes have local governing authority, but don't own the land. To make matters even more confusing, there are also regional and local corporations.
During our conversations, several elders mentioned that they felt like they were playing catch-up with tribes in the lower forty-eight states in terms of asserting sovereignty. The ANCs had all the money, land, and power. Tribes were small and extremely resource-limited. I remember feeling surprised that they would say that. In some ways, I always thought that the later a tribe was colonized, the more sovereign they would probably be, since they had more years to live under their own systems and rule without colonial interference. But like I had seen in the Klamath Basin, there was no linear way to measure the impact of colonialism.
In Alaska, the new system disrupted a way of life that had existed for countless generations by putting most of the land and resources into the for-profit system. And so tribes had little power and little recourse.”
“These conversations helped me develop a more nuanced way of looking at Indigenous identity as something dynamic, ever-changing and adapting.
Indigenous work can look like academic research, language revitalization, activism, and so much more. But the goals are the same. There are so many different ways to do and to be. I just needed to find ways to let myself embrace and embody that complexity. Indigenous identity is rooted in the past, in our ancestors, our land, and our communities. Bur that doesn't mean that is all that it is. It is also about how we choose to engage with it going forward.”
September 25, 2025
I love stories that show me another view of something that I’ve seen or heard of all my life
August 11, 2025
Somewhere between memoir and reported subject & I’m not sure exactly where it lands. I would have loved a bit more of a strong push in either direction— but maybe existing in this liminal, hybrid space is exactly the point :) full of really vivid history and details about a place I have come to love & so many helpful perspectives and new framing for how to think about indigenous issues more expansively. Also the ending scene of Joseph clamming is so tranquil and beautiful
December 18, 2025
Most of us know Martha’s Vineyard as a vacation destination—a summer haven for the wealthy, celebrity, and political elites of the Northeast. For Joseph Lee and his family, however, the Vineyard is their home. It’s not necessarily where they live—Lee himself, in fact, has also been a summer visitor for most of his life—but it’s the land of the Aquinnah Wampanoag, their Indigenous tribe, which farmed the island, fished its waters, and lived next to its red clay cliffs long before John Belushi or Bill Clinton showed up.
Lee wrestles with his own relationship to Martha’s Vineyard, as well as that of the greater Aquinnah Wampanoag community, in his new nonfiction book, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. Growing up, Lee says, “The only frames I had for understanding Native history were absence and genocide.” Stories of Indigenous tribes slaughtered and driven off their land in the western United States didn’t fit with the Wampanoag’s history, which was more about a gradual dispersal as tribal members (including Lee’s great-grandfather) left the island. As a result, there is a Wampanoag diaspora within the United States—and the risk that those who remain on Martha’s Vineyard can be thought of as the “real” Wampanoag, while others are somehow lesser. Lee pushes back against this inferred hierarchy, noting that “Moving from the island in search of opportunity is not a deviation or departure from Wampanoag identity, it is a part of it.”
Still, it has sometimes been difficult for Lee and other Aquinnah Wampanoag who live elsewhere to participate fully in tribal politics or maintain connections with a community and culture deeply rooted in Martha’s Vineyard. For decades, Wampanoag governance took place in-person at meetings on the island, and there was a lack of transparency that frustrated and distanced those who could not attend. Only the Covid-19 pandemic forced a change, as the tribe (after some initial reluctance and technical difficulties) scrambled to organize virtual sessions that could, in turn, include anyone who wished to participate. “In a strange way,” Lee observes, “the restrictions from the pandemic led to the best access for off-island tribal members in our history.” Aquinnah Wampanoag who had grown apart from the tribe could now reconnect through a conscientious and inclusive use of technology.
Lee explains for non-Indigenous readers of Nothing More of This Land the ins and outs of how sovereign tribes operate within the United States, sometimes comparing policies here with those in other countries to show alternative possibilities. Despite this big-picture element, the heart of his work lies in Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head), the Indigenous town at the eastern tip of Martha’s Vineyard where his grandparents opened a souvenir shop that Lee’s parents now operate. Working in the shop, Lee reflects on “the many sacrifices that tourism and colonialism demand of us,” grappling with the performance of Indigenous identity for outsiders that has provided his family’s livelihood for multiple generations. Summer visitors to the Vineyard like the charm of having the Aquinnah Wampanoag there and will talk a good game about respecting their ties to the land—until that land’s value proves too irresistible to ignore. (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for example, wound up in a protracted legal battle with the Wampanoag over the rights to a slice of beachfront located on her 340-acre property.) Such conflicts don’t just affect tribes living near up-market real estate like the Wampanoag, Lee notes. “The price might fluctuate from place to place, but the more I learn about other tribes and indigenous nations, the more I realize that we’re all dealing with the same issue. Everyone wants our land, no matter where it is or what condition it is in.”
Nothing More of This Land is a skillful blend of history, memoir, and current events—a deeply personal investigation into identity and community. Ultimately, Lee decides, “The way we think about Indigenous identity may shift from generation to generation, but what really matters is that we do what we can to ensure future generations have as many options as possible and a strong relationship with land and community.” Indigenous identity, in this sense, means more than carrying a tribal ID card. It requires active engagement with the community and culture and conscious decisions to share them with others and pass them on to the next generation.
Lee wrestles with his own relationship to Martha’s Vineyard, as well as that of the greater Aquinnah Wampanoag community, in his new nonfiction book, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. Growing up, Lee says, “The only frames I had for understanding Native history were absence and genocide.” Stories of Indigenous tribes slaughtered and driven off their land in the western United States didn’t fit with the Wampanoag’s history, which was more about a gradual dispersal as tribal members (including Lee’s great-grandfather) left the island. As a result, there is a Wampanoag diaspora within the United States—and the risk that those who remain on Martha’s Vineyard can be thought of as the “real” Wampanoag, while others are somehow lesser. Lee pushes back against this inferred hierarchy, noting that “Moving from the island in search of opportunity is not a deviation or departure from Wampanoag identity, it is a part of it.”
Still, it has sometimes been difficult for Lee and other Aquinnah Wampanoag who live elsewhere to participate fully in tribal politics or maintain connections with a community and culture deeply rooted in Martha’s Vineyard. For decades, Wampanoag governance took place in-person at meetings on the island, and there was a lack of transparency that frustrated and distanced those who could not attend. Only the Covid-19 pandemic forced a change, as the tribe (after some initial reluctance and technical difficulties) scrambled to organize virtual sessions that could, in turn, include anyone who wished to participate. “In a strange way,” Lee observes, “the restrictions from the pandemic led to the best access for off-island tribal members in our history.” Aquinnah Wampanoag who had grown apart from the tribe could now reconnect through a conscientious and inclusive use of technology.
Lee explains for non-Indigenous readers of Nothing More of This Land the ins and outs of how sovereign tribes operate within the United States, sometimes comparing policies here with those in other countries to show alternative possibilities. Despite this big-picture element, the heart of his work lies in Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head), the Indigenous town at the eastern tip of Martha’s Vineyard where his grandparents opened a souvenir shop that Lee’s parents now operate. Working in the shop, Lee reflects on “the many sacrifices that tourism and colonialism demand of us,” grappling with the performance of Indigenous identity for outsiders that has provided his family’s livelihood for multiple generations. Summer visitors to the Vineyard like the charm of having the Aquinnah Wampanoag there and will talk a good game about respecting their ties to the land—until that land’s value proves too irresistible to ignore. (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for example, wound up in a protracted legal battle with the Wampanoag over the rights to a slice of beachfront located on her 340-acre property.) Such conflicts don’t just affect tribes living near up-market real estate like the Wampanoag, Lee notes. “The price might fluctuate from place to place, but the more I learn about other tribes and indigenous nations, the more I realize that we’re all dealing with the same issue. Everyone wants our land, no matter where it is or what condition it is in.”
Nothing More of This Land is a skillful blend of history, memoir, and current events—a deeply personal investigation into identity and community. Ultimately, Lee decides, “The way we think about Indigenous identity may shift from generation to generation, but what really matters is that we do what we can to ensure future generations have as many options as possible and a strong relationship with land and community.” Indigenous identity, in this sense, means more than carrying a tribal ID card. It requires active engagement with the community and culture and conscious decisions to share them with others and pass them on to the next generation.
February 19, 2026
This was a great exploration of many topics important to a wide range of Indigenous people, mostly in the US, but some outside the US, within the lens of Lee's own personal journey. He's a journalist and a writer so he knows how to pose a question and understand an answer that was very helpful to explaining things to me. One thing that resonated was the chore of learning a language out of context. But at least the language is being preserved in some form. It's nearly impossible to "save" a language once its truly native speakers have moved on, and under the crush of a powerful other culture, but many Indigenous people are trying it. In fact, it was jarring to read this so soon after finishing Arkady Martine's somber examination of identity in the face of colonialism of her fictional Teixcalaanli Empire series. It made so much sense when Lee observes that enslavers wanted more slaves, so with African Americans it was the "one drop rule", but Whites wanted Indian land, so with Indians it was blood quantum measurements. He was good at showing the many sides of issues within Native communities, all thrust upon them by the thumb of a colonialist power. At the end he depicted some changes that might happen as younger people who did not experience the pressure to achieve federal recognition reexamine identity. As a writer, he had some nice passages. I especially liked his retelling of the story of Moshup and his whale hunting. Also his description of the Kuskokwim River area in Alaska:
"The sun had just risen, casting faint orange ribbon across the pale blue sky. Low bunches of clouds hung over the horizon. Rather than obstructing the view or spoiling the sunrise they seemed to add extra canvas for the beautiful scene. The growing morning light dipped and poked its way through the clouds while the yellow glow grew brighter and brighter as the sun rose. Below us, even frozen and immobile, the Kuskokwim river was a mighty sight. I could immediately see how this one river sustained an entire region, providing food transportation and so much more. Winding its way through the tundra in a broad curve, the river was covered in ice and snow that looked rippled, almost soft from the air. Here and there I could see snow machine tracks cutting through the river but I didn't see any people. On either side of the river there were countless tributaries and lakes, some of them circled by dark trees, others blending in with the snowy tundra ground around them. The entire landscape seemed to be snow - scattered trees and frozen water all the way to the horizon. About halfway through the flight the pilot nudged me and pointed past my shoulder to a few moose standing in a small clearing. After that I began noticing small clusters of moose every few moments. The giant animals looked tiny from the sky. I wondered what smaller wildlife I wasn't able to see from the plane."
"The sun had just risen, casting faint orange ribbon across the pale blue sky. Low bunches of clouds hung over the horizon. Rather than obstructing the view or spoiling the sunrise they seemed to add extra canvas for the beautiful scene. The growing morning light dipped and poked its way through the clouds while the yellow glow grew brighter and brighter as the sun rose. Below us, even frozen and immobile, the Kuskokwim river was a mighty sight. I could immediately see how this one river sustained an entire region, providing food transportation and so much more. Winding its way through the tundra in a broad curve, the river was covered in ice and snow that looked rippled, almost soft from the air. Here and there I could see snow machine tracks cutting through the river but I didn't see any people. On either side of the river there were countless tributaries and lakes, some of them circled by dark trees, others blending in with the snowy tundra ground around them. The entire landscape seemed to be snow - scattered trees and frozen water all the way to the horizon. About halfway through the flight the pilot nudged me and pointed past my shoulder to a few moose standing in a small clearing. After that I began noticing small clusters of moose every few moments. The giant animals looked tiny from the sky. I wondered what smaller wildlife I wasn't able to see from the plane."
August 11, 2025
I don't know much about Martha’s Vineyard, other than it sounded like a place rich people go for vacation, the well-known "Chappaquiddick incident" with Ted Kennedy, etc. I think I had a classmate or co-worker who mentioned going only because a rich friend/acquaintance had invited them and/or they had family who worked the tourist season, etc. So I had even less knowledge of the Aquinnah Wampanoag.
Lee is a journalist with a story of how he lived and grew up in the shadow of all of this. He has a mixed ancestry (including Japanese, Chinese, European, African) and it was interesting to read about his family's story and how he got here, weaving it into the history of Martha's Vineyard, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, and his own journal of learning and understanding what it means to be Indigenous in what is now known as the United States. He also discusses what it can look like for other peoples in other situations and other Native/Indigenous peoples in the US. (From Alaska's governance system to casinos, etc.) He also looks at what it is in a non-US perspective.
Overall I thought it was a mixed bag: it is at its strongest in the earliest chapters when it focuses on him and his family, Martha's Vineyard, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, etc. Lee's discussions about sovereignty, disenrollment, etc. and his own thoughts about various topics are sprinkled throughout as he does his own research and reporting as a journalist and those parts were the best. When he talks about other peoples and their situations/struggles/experiences it is still good but it also felt a bit more like a journalism exercise + the marketing made it seem like it was about his specific experiences.
Still, it is very good and it is definitely a good read. Sometimes books like this throw too much research (which can be good and bad but for a book like this the amount felt just right) but I appreciated that this was not an information dump but rather case studies in some ways to contrast what different peoples/nations/tribes experience. If you're familiar with some of these issues you'll know that there is additional reporting out there that you can look into for more information.
Glad I read it, think it's a good and readable (not academic and not too "journalist" as I don't really care for many books written by people who are journalists first) and I'd recommend it overall. I got it at he library but wouldn't have minded if I waited for a paperback version.
Lee is a journalist with a story of how he lived and grew up in the shadow of all of this. He has a mixed ancestry (including Japanese, Chinese, European, African) and it was interesting to read about his family's story and how he got here, weaving it into the history of Martha's Vineyard, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, and his own journal of learning and understanding what it means to be Indigenous in what is now known as the United States. He also discusses what it can look like for other peoples in other situations and other Native/Indigenous peoples in the US. (From Alaska's governance system to casinos, etc.) He also looks at what it is in a non-US perspective.
Overall I thought it was a mixed bag: it is at its strongest in the earliest chapters when it focuses on him and his family, Martha's Vineyard, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, etc. Lee's discussions about sovereignty, disenrollment, etc. and his own thoughts about various topics are sprinkled throughout as he does his own research and reporting as a journalist and those parts were the best. When he talks about other peoples and their situations/struggles/experiences it is still good but it also felt a bit more like a journalism exercise + the marketing made it seem like it was about his specific experiences.
Still, it is very good and it is definitely a good read. Sometimes books like this throw too much research (which can be good and bad but for a book like this the amount felt just right) but I appreciated that this was not an information dump but rather case studies in some ways to contrast what different peoples/nations/tribes experience. If you're familiar with some of these issues you'll know that there is additional reporting out there that you can look into for more information.
Glad I read it, think it's a good and readable (not academic and not too "journalist" as I don't really care for many books written by people who are journalists first) and I'd recommend it overall. I got it at he library but wouldn't have minded if I waited for a paperback version.
September 7, 2025
In Nothing More of This Land, Joseph Lee, a mixed-race journalist and member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe investigates the ways various tribes operate in terms of their daily activities, tribal government, and methods of inclusion. Lee aims to see what it means to be indigenous at this point in history. Is it a connection to native land that attaches someone most closely to their community? Or is it carrying important tribal values close to the heart no matter where one goes? And while Lee does scrounge up some insights from time to time, his answers about tribal identity overall are disappointing.
Lee’s own struggles with his native identity provide some of the more fascinating portions of the book. He spent some time growing up at Aquinnah in Martha’s Vineyard, which is the original home of a branch of the Wampanoag but also a place for vacation homes for the super wealthy. Lee didn’t live there most of the year and also wasn’t rich, which left him feeling adrift from both worlds. Additionally, he would work in his family's gift shop. Since tourists wanted what they believed to be a traditional Indian experience, he would have to play up the stereotypical aspects of the culture to make sales, which alienated him even further.
He also raises some provocative questions about tribal identity more broadly. For instance, the federal government’s criteria for legitimating tribes is arbitrary and prone to yielding different answers to the same questions at different points in time. As Lee pointedly puts it, “It is strange being blamed for things that were done to you because you were Indian and then being told that because those things happened, you’re not Indian anymore.” The government’s determining tribal status is a vestige of colonialism. If you ask many tribal elders, they will tell you that paperwork means little. Instead, action and active leadership are what give a tribe real sovereignty.
But for as many questions as Lee raises about identity, he never provides a new paradigm to understand it. And even if the concept of identity is a flawed one, he offers no real alternative to it. What he does offer in the end, through several chapters of tribal comparisons, is that identity and community are complex. Each tribe has its differences, yet there are similar tensions that run through all of them. This is nice, but I was hoping for something more profound.
Lee’s own struggles with his native identity provide some of the more fascinating portions of the book. He spent some time growing up at Aquinnah in Martha’s Vineyard, which is the original home of a branch of the Wampanoag but also a place for vacation homes for the super wealthy. Lee didn’t live there most of the year and also wasn’t rich, which left him feeling adrift from both worlds. Additionally, he would work in his family's gift shop. Since tourists wanted what they believed to be a traditional Indian experience, he would have to play up the stereotypical aspects of the culture to make sales, which alienated him even further.
He also raises some provocative questions about tribal identity more broadly. For instance, the federal government’s criteria for legitimating tribes is arbitrary and prone to yielding different answers to the same questions at different points in time. As Lee pointedly puts it, “It is strange being blamed for things that were done to you because you were Indian and then being told that because those things happened, you’re not Indian anymore.” The government’s determining tribal status is a vestige of colonialism. If you ask many tribal elders, they will tell you that paperwork means little. Instead, action and active leadership are what give a tribe real sovereignty.
But for as many questions as Lee raises about identity, he never provides a new paradigm to understand it. And even if the concept of identity is a flawed one, he offers no real alternative to it. What he does offer in the end, through several chapters of tribal comparisons, is that identity and community are complex. Each tribe has its differences, yet there are similar tensions that run through all of them. This is nice, but I was hoping for something more profound.
November 2, 2025
Joseph V. Lee blends memoir, history, and reporting to create a complex picture of what it means to be Indigenous.
Growing up, Lee spent summers on Martha's Vineyard, connecting with his Wampanoag heritage by learning the language and traditional skills. As he reckons with his identity as Wampanoag, Chinese, and Japanese, he looks to other tribes around the world to determine the unifying tenets of Indigeneity.
Most of the Indigenous memoirs I've read have been from tribes that were violently removed from their lands and forced into the West. Or First Nations. But I had never read a book where people were living on their original lands in the Northeast U.S. Being from Massachusetts, I appreciated seeing how a tribe lived, survived, and thrived in my state. Lee discusses how the Wampanoag were not forced to recognize blood quantum and how that gave him a different, more accepting and inclusive experience, than Black Cherokees (Freedmen), for example.
Lee's research enriched his personal narrative and helped to illustrate that Indigenous people are not a monolith. While they may have some of the same values, historical trauma, and goals, no tribe is exactly the same.
I also enjoyed when Lee detailed his growing involvement with the tribe. He discussed the challenge of keeping members who had moved involved in the political aspects of the tribe. His own severing from information informed that. COVID actually became a turning point as virtual meetings rose to prominence, more members were able to participate in tribal government, particularly important votes about a gaming facility.
I took my time reading this short book and I'm glad I took the time to savor it.
Growing up, Lee spent summers on Martha's Vineyard, connecting with his Wampanoag heritage by learning the language and traditional skills. As he reckons with his identity as Wampanoag, Chinese, and Japanese, he looks to other tribes around the world to determine the unifying tenets of Indigeneity.
Most of the Indigenous memoirs I've read have been from tribes that were violently removed from their lands and forced into the West. Or First Nations. But I had never read a book where people were living on their original lands in the Northeast U.S. Being from Massachusetts, I appreciated seeing how a tribe lived, survived, and thrived in my state. Lee discusses how the Wampanoag were not forced to recognize blood quantum and how that gave him a different, more accepting and inclusive experience, than Black Cherokees (Freedmen), for example.
Lee's research enriched his personal narrative and helped to illustrate that Indigenous people are not a monolith. While they may have some of the same values, historical trauma, and goals, no tribe is exactly the same.
I also enjoyed when Lee detailed his growing involvement with the tribe. He discussed the challenge of keeping members who had moved involved in the political aspects of the tribe. His own severing from information informed that. COVID actually became a turning point as virtual meetings rose to prominence, more members were able to participate in tribal government, particularly important votes about a gaming facility.
I took my time reading this short book and I'm glad I took the time to savor it.
December 31, 2025
SYNOPSIS
Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, Joseph Lee grappled with what it means to be an Indigenous person in the world today, especially as tribal land, culture, and community face new threats. Starting with the story of his own tribe, which is from Martha's Vineyard, Lee tackles key questions about Indigenous identity and the stubborn legacy of colonialism. Lee weaves his own story—and that of his family—with conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, and scholars from around the world about everything from culture and language to climate change and the politics of belonging. As he unpacks the meaning of Indigenous identity, Lee grants us a new understanding of our nation and what a better community might look like.
This is my last read of 2025, and what an important book this is. Author Joseph V. Lee combines his tribal history with his journalistic prowess, taking readers through the complex issues of indigenous identity and community. While most know Martha's Vineyard simply as a playground for the rich and powerful, Lee shows us the importance of this land to his family and how legal and financial battles are still unfolding there today. Lee also explores how other indigenous people around the world struggle with the same concerns and how these groups, working together, have found support. This timely memoir is one that I found engaging, informative, and deeply emotional, with Lee's writing bringing it all together beautifully. It is beyond past time for the world to come to terms with the damage that colonialism and racism have done to indigenous culture.
Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, Joseph Lee grappled with what it means to be an Indigenous person in the world today, especially as tribal land, culture, and community face new threats. Starting with the story of his own tribe, which is from Martha's Vineyard, Lee tackles key questions about Indigenous identity and the stubborn legacy of colonialism. Lee weaves his own story—and that of his family—with conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, and scholars from around the world about everything from culture and language to climate change and the politics of belonging. As he unpacks the meaning of Indigenous identity, Lee grants us a new understanding of our nation and what a better community might look like.
This is my last read of 2025, and what an important book this is. Author Joseph V. Lee combines his tribal history with his journalistic prowess, taking readers through the complex issues of indigenous identity and community. While most know Martha's Vineyard simply as a playground for the rich and powerful, Lee shows us the importance of this land to his family and how legal and financial battles are still unfolding there today. Lee also explores how other indigenous people around the world struggle with the same concerns and how these groups, working together, have found support. This timely memoir is one that I found engaging, informative, and deeply emotional, with Lee's writing bringing it all together beautifully. It is beyond past time for the world to come to terms with the damage that colonialism and racism have done to indigenous culture.
July 30, 2025
Joseph Lee's journalistic roots shine clear in this reflective exploration of Indigenous identity and what it means to be Native in the 21st century. Lee explores the effects of colonialism, especially on the tribal lands of the Aquinnah Wampanoag. Lee details how the structures of colonialism, the Kennedys (Onassis), and the movie Jaws gave way to luxury tourism, thus changing the property values and tribal members' ability to own/retain land. Lee takes a deep dive into the racism, sovereignty, systematic removal, and blood quantum and the ways these have affected our tribal communities and identities as Indigenous peoples.
This book is one of the most important books I have read as someone with mixed heritage- Irish/Scottish/Odawa. So often I have felt "less than" because the colonial structures of blood quantum exclude me from tribal enrollment. One of Lee's thought-provoking statements was about seeking external validation of his Indigenous identity which I have found that I have been also seeking. This book made me take a second to reflect on how colonization has infiltrated my own mind and how I have let that shape my own identity as an Indigenous woman. I am so grateful to have read this book and for Lee's generosity in sharing his own experience, as well as his exploration of other Indigenous nations.
Everyone should read this book!
This book is one of the most important books I have read as someone with mixed heritage- Irish/Scottish/Odawa. So often I have felt "less than" because the colonial structures of blood quantum exclude me from tribal enrollment. One of Lee's thought-provoking statements was about seeking external validation of his Indigenous identity which I have found that I have been also seeking. This book made me take a second to reflect on how colonization has infiltrated my own mind and how I have let that shape my own identity as an Indigenous woman. I am so grateful to have read this book and for Lee's generosity in sharing his own experience, as well as his exploration of other Indigenous nations.
Everyone should read this book!
May 27, 2025
Nothing More of This Land isn’t a light read, but it is such an important book that offers a unique and personal look into the struggles of an Indigenous tribe located in the area now known as Martha’s Vineyard. The author takes us through the challenges his tribe faces as they try to survive in a place where the cost of living has skyrocketed due to tourism, and average homes are selling for millions.
What makes the book really compelling is the author’s heartfelt argument for the rights of Indigenous people to not just survive but thrive in their ancestral lands, despite the economic forces at play. Lee shows that somewhere that may be seen as paradise by outsiders is grappling with issues such as gentrification, rising property prices, and the slow erasure of native communities.
This isn’t just a book about the past, it’s a powerful, urgent call for recognition and respect for Indigenous cultures and histories. If you’re looking to better understand the complexities of these issues and the fight to protect cultural heritage, this book is a must-read. It’s not just an eye-opening story, it’s a reminder of how important it is to support Indigenous communities and their right to shape their own future.
What makes the book really compelling is the author’s heartfelt argument for the rights of Indigenous people to not just survive but thrive in their ancestral lands, despite the economic forces at play. Lee shows that somewhere that may be seen as paradise by outsiders is grappling with issues such as gentrification, rising property prices, and the slow erasure of native communities.
This isn’t just a book about the past, it’s a powerful, urgent call for recognition and respect for Indigenous cultures and histories. If you’re looking to better understand the complexities of these issues and the fight to protect cultural heritage, this book is a must-read. It’s not just an eye-opening story, it’s a reminder of how important it is to support Indigenous communities and their right to shape their own future.
July 30, 2025
5.0 stars
Highly recommend
What a powerful and convicting book about the indigenous peoples around the world. Once the colonizers "visit" their land, it is all over for the Indigenous people and their former way of life. What was most shocking to me is that this is occurring all over the world and has been continuous.
This memoir discusses many issues about colonialism, sovereignty, the retaking of tribal lands, government recognition, as well as racism, xenophobia, and entitlement. Joseph doesn't pull any punches, but he writes in a way that makes it understandable.
The most fascinating part of this memoir is that Joseph interweaves his family stories to explain and understand his indigenous and non-indigenous ancestry. He is Cantonese (like my daughter), Japanese, and Aquinnah Wampanoag. Is he or is he not the American dream? That is for Joseph to answer long after I am gone.
This book is for you if you enjoy indigenous authors, indigenous history, indigenous books, or just want to read a non-whitewashed retelling of colonialism. Read this book to learn the truth!
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/...
Highly recommend
What a powerful and convicting book about the indigenous peoples around the world. Once the colonizers "visit" their land, it is all over for the Indigenous people and their former way of life. What was most shocking to me is that this is occurring all over the world and has been continuous.
This memoir discusses many issues about colonialism, sovereignty, the retaking of tribal lands, government recognition, as well as racism, xenophobia, and entitlement. Joseph doesn't pull any punches, but he writes in a way that makes it understandable.
The most fascinating part of this memoir is that Joseph interweaves his family stories to explain and understand his indigenous and non-indigenous ancestry. He is Cantonese (like my daughter), Japanese, and Aquinnah Wampanoag. Is he or is he not the American dream? That is for Joseph to answer long after I am gone.
This book is for you if you enjoy indigenous authors, indigenous history, indigenous books, or just want to read a non-whitewashed retelling of colonialism. Read this book to learn the truth!
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/...
July 17, 2025
Thanks Atria/One Signal Publishers for the gifted ARC book.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee, an Aquinnah Wampanoag writer, explores what it means to be Indigenous and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Lee’s writing is compelling. His combination of memoir and journalistic narrative from conversations with other Indigenous people across the globe provides a nuanced look at Indigenous life and a reminder that Indigenous people are not a monolith.
I would venture to guess that a sizable percentage of tourists to what is now called Martha’s Vineyard are unaware that the land was the Wampanoag people’s home, that their home was stolen, and the legacy of colonialism is still felt deeply today. Lee addresses how the island has become less and less affordable for tribal members and what community growth looks like when many live off-island.
There’s a lot thoughtfully packaged in these 200-something pages. Lee approaches complex issues with the insight needed to make them understandable, rightfully arguing that Indigenous people should not only be surviving but thriving on their lands. A central theme is the tendency of Indigenous people to be forward-thinking, striving to make things better for future generations.
Lee’s story and the stories of the other Indigenous people he includes are what we need to be reading to correct the skewed lessons we grew up with. I’m appreciative that he’s shared this with us and highly recommend picking up In Nothing More of This Land.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee, an Aquinnah Wampanoag writer, explores what it means to be Indigenous and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Lee’s writing is compelling. His combination of memoir and journalistic narrative from conversations with other Indigenous people across the globe provides a nuanced look at Indigenous life and a reminder that Indigenous people are not a monolith.
I would venture to guess that a sizable percentage of tourists to what is now called Martha’s Vineyard are unaware that the land was the Wampanoag people’s home, that their home was stolen, and the legacy of colonialism is still felt deeply today. Lee addresses how the island has become less and less affordable for tribal members and what community growth looks like when many live off-island.
There’s a lot thoughtfully packaged in these 200-something pages. Lee approaches complex issues with the insight needed to make them understandable, rightfully arguing that Indigenous people should not only be surviving but thriving on their lands. A central theme is the tendency of Indigenous people to be forward-thinking, striving to make things better for future generations.
Lee’s story and the stories of the other Indigenous people he includes are what we need to be reading to correct the skewed lessons we grew up with. I’m appreciative that he’s shared this with us and highly recommend picking up In Nothing More of This Land.
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July 18, 2025In "Nothing More of This Land, " Joseph V. Lee blends his own life story with those of Indigenous communities across the world, creating a powerful and personal read that will stick with readers for a long time.
Lee is a journalist and member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, and what makes this book stand out is how real and grounded it feels. Lee isn’t trying to speak for all indigenous people, but instead shows just how wide and varied Indigenous experiences truly are. He starts on Martha’s Vineyard, where his own tribe has deep roots, and takes readers on a global journey from Alaska to the UN and places in-between. Along the way, readers are able to meet people trying to hold on to their culture, fight for their land, and find their place in a world that often pushes them aside.
This book is not just a dry lesson in history; it’s truly honest, eye-opening, and feels deeply human. While Lee doesn’t shy away from hard truths, he does make room for hope, resilience, and pride. For readers seeking a better understanding of Indigenous identity and the real current issues facing these communities, "Nothing More of This Place" is a great place to start learning.
Lee is a journalist and member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, and what makes this book stand out is how real and grounded it feels. Lee isn’t trying to speak for all indigenous people, but instead shows just how wide and varied Indigenous experiences truly are. He starts on Martha’s Vineyard, where his own tribe has deep roots, and takes readers on a global journey from Alaska to the UN and places in-between. Along the way, readers are able to meet people trying to hold on to their culture, fight for their land, and find their place in a world that often pushes them aside.
This book is not just a dry lesson in history; it’s truly honest, eye-opening, and feels deeply human. While Lee doesn’t shy away from hard truths, he does make room for hope, resilience, and pride. For readers seeking a better understanding of Indigenous identity and the real current issues facing these communities, "Nothing More of This Place" is a great place to start learning.
October 23, 2025
Part memoir, part history, and part reflection on indigenous identity, Nothing More of This Land is a remarkable book. Joseph Lee grew up spending summers at his extended family's property in Aquinah, a Wampanoag community on the remote western edge of the island of Martha's Vineyard, where his parents at time also operated a souvenir shop. Martha's Vineyard is known for Jaws, the Kennedy family, and a Presidential vacation spot, a place where property values are soaring as it becomes a playground for the East Coast elite. Lee's book documents how the Aquinah Wampanoag persevere and try to maintain community even when the majority of the people (like Lee) no longer reside on the island. Lee also explores his own mixed identity which is a blend of Wampanoag, Japanese, and Chinese. Lee expands this exploration by meeting with indigenous people not just in other North American communities but in South America and Oceania. All in all, this feels like a very important book about what it means to be indigenous in the 21st century and how indigenous people can not just survive but thrive.
March 31, 2025
This was such an eye opening memoir, I learned so much. This is not a light read, this has so much information and gives a lot of insight to the author's community. It's insane the amount of history all those generations of people in his family have with being on the reservations and off island. I am first generation but the similarities of their experience and mine were mindblowing. The meetings for their community to come together, the need to keep a language alive because if not it'll die out that much sooner, as well as the feeling of otherness. This country was taken and because of the amount of people and the way this country was built, the history of this country is so complex. I knew that we were not getting the full story in school, we got a version of history but never the full thing. We need to read more diverse stories like this to get another piece of the puzzle that is the history of this country. Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2025
Nothing More of this Land is an incredible deep dive into Joseph Lee's research on and first hand experience with Indigenous identity and community. Lee focuses his storytelling around the history of the Aquinnah Wampanoag and introduces us to his experience growing up as part of this community. We are introduced to complex topics such as tribal sovereignty, land ownership, and tribal membership.
Lee's thoughts and experiences with these topics propel him to learn more about how other tribal communities in America wrestle with these issues as well as how they impact Indigenous populations all over the world.
I found this book to be incredibly informative and thought provoking. Lee illuminates the devastating impacts of colonialism on Indigenous populations across the globe, while also sharing an incredible message of hope and optimism for the future.
Thank you to Atria Books and Joseph Lee for the copy of this book I received through Goodreads Giveaways!
Lee's thoughts and experiences with these topics propel him to learn more about how other tribal communities in America wrestle with these issues as well as how they impact Indigenous populations all over the world.
I found this book to be incredibly informative and thought provoking. Lee illuminates the devastating impacts of colonialism on Indigenous populations across the globe, while also sharing an incredible message of hope and optimism for the future.
Thank you to Atria Books and Joseph Lee for the copy of this book I received through Goodreads Giveaways!
January 16, 2026
This account of Joseph Lee as part of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe on Martha's Vineyard is beautifully and thoughtfully written. While most are aware of the tragic impacts to the indigenous people of America as a result of colonization, there is a deep sadness to this story in learning the real and personal repercussions of loss of land, the nearly impossible climb to recover what is theirs, and the challenge to retain identity. Lee tells the story in such a touching and honest manner.
The inclusion of stories of the indigenous people Lee visited to learn more about their challenges and successes was a nice supplement to Lee's own experiences. While it is upsetting to know how challenging it is for these groups, Lee somehow retains a feeling of hope and optimism in his storytelling.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and found it to be well done and an easy listen. I would easily recommend this book to others.
The inclusion of stories of the indigenous people Lee visited to learn more about their challenges and successes was a nice supplement to Lee's own experiences. While it is upsetting to know how challenging it is for these groups, Lee somehow retains a feeling of hope and optimism in his storytelling.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and found it to be well done and an easy listen. I would easily recommend this book to others.
November 16, 2025
Maybe closer to 3.5 but the last couple part of the book won me over.
I’ve read a lot of indigenous books and while it’s not my fav but still good. The author spends a lot of time focusing on his exploration of his indigenous identity and his family’s experience with their land and the role they play in their tribe. At times it was a bit repetitive but it’s always important to hear people’s own journey and the repetition does make it hard to ignore the messages he tried to drive home.
My favorite part was when he explored similarities and unique experience from other indigenous groups (Bethel and Ryūkyū sound cool to visit and learn from). I also didn’t know really anything about Martha’s Vineyard so it was cool to learn about it through this POV. I also really liked learning about dams and indigenous land management versus government run. Very informative book overall :)
I’ve read a lot of indigenous books and while it’s not my fav but still good. The author spends a lot of time focusing on his exploration of his indigenous identity and his family’s experience with their land and the role they play in their tribe. At times it was a bit repetitive but it’s always important to hear people’s own journey and the repetition does make it hard to ignore the messages he tried to drive home.
My favorite part was when he explored similarities and unique experience from other indigenous groups (Bethel and Ryūkyū sound cool to visit and learn from). I also didn’t know really anything about Martha’s Vineyard so it was cool to learn about it through this POV. I also really liked learning about dams and indigenous land management versus government run. Very informative book overall :)
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