A Short History of Indians in Canada: Stories

by Thomas King

Winner of the McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year and the Aboriginal Fiction Book of the Year--a collection of twenty short stories told in Thomas King's classic, wry, irreverent, and allegorical voice.

Genres: Short Stories, Indigenous, Fiction, Canada, Humor, Literature, Satire

232 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2005

About the author

Thomas King was born in 1943 in Sacramento, California and is of Greek and German descent. He obtained his PhD from the University of Utah in 1986. He is known for works in which he addresses the marginalization of American Indians, delineates "pan-Indian" concerns and histories, and attempts to abolish common stereotypes about Native Americans. He taught Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and at the University of Minnesota. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. King has become one of the foremost writers of fiction about Canada's Native people.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

July 26, 11am ~~ Review asap.

noon-thirty ~~ I pretty much have no words for this collection of stories. They are funny, but they bite too. Especially when you get to the end of one and think about it for a minute.

Quoting from the book jacket:
"Thomas King is back in fabulous, fantastical form in this astonishing collection of new and classic tales. A comic tour de force, these twenty stories are a showcase for King's wholly original brand of imagination and wit. As King pokes a sharp stick into the gears of the native myth-making machine, he slyly exposes the raw underbelly of both historical and contemporary native-white relationships. Through the laughter, these stories shimmer brightly with the universal truths that unite us."

I plan to keep this volume handy and reread bit by bit before putting it in the bookcase. Some I want to simply enjoy again (such as Not Enough Horses) and others I want to see if I can follow along better than this first time around (The Baby In The Airmail Box, for example).

I have just two titles left in my Thomas King project, both are books I have not read before. I am taking a little break to read something else first, though. I am not quite ready to let go of these stories just yet.

[Lotuslulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas King's collection of tongue-in-cheek short stories inspired by the lives of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the US are satirical, political, uncomfortable, and hard-to-ignore. King takes on the societal whitewashing of the world in unexpected ways. From stories of white men collecting "indians" and dressing them in buckskins, to flocks of "indians" flying into the sides of buildings because they are disoriented by the bright lights of the city, King is making biting commentary on the modern world. He is a controversial figure, and his stories will make readers think because they are multi-layered and faceted. Teachers, there are stories in here for your senior level students that will open up dialogue about residential schools, ethnic-cleansing, compassion, privilege and more. These are worthwhile conversations in our modern society in a generation that is fast forgetting the realities of our first nations peoples.

[Taveri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories are powerful; some were lost on me; there was an uneveness in the derivery. "Where the Borg Are" was brilliant! That story alone was worth the whole book.

[zippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a good book and I loved most of the stories in it. It was dark and humorous. I would've given it a 5 star rating but I genuinely didn't get some of the stories. Thomas King has a really great style of story telling that I truly enjoy.

My fav stories from the book:
The Baby in the Airmail Box
Coyote and the Enemy Ailens
Fire and Rain
States to Avoid
Not Counting the Indian, There Were Six

It definitely was the best "short stories" book I read - up there with Kafka.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so good. like most tom king books it keeps kicking you in the ass long after you have stopped reading it. brillant.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant collection by Thomas King - my favourites are Coyote and the Enemy Aliens, Where the Borg Are and Another Great Moment in Canadian Indian History

[Evonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly difficult read. Mr. King's angry tone did nothing to make me want to listen to his arguments. I'm not suggesting his arguments or his anger are wrong, or unfounded. The book was informative and instructional but it left me feeling like I am personally responsible for wrongs done to First Nations people, and that I, as a Caucasian, should be ashamed, and should feel shame.

Perhaps he didn't intend that; perhaps I'm projecting feelings out there where King didn't intend for me to pick them up. But still, it took the whole darn summer to read this book, and I spent whole afternoons being resentful. I had to wrestle through that resentment for most of the book.

And you know what? Truly? That's all I remember of it. If I had to say what the gist of this was it would be this: Canada (the government and all the people who benefitted from the government) should be ashamed of themselves because of their historical abuse of First Nations people. I can't argue with that, but I couldn't give you any more details. I don't recall anything that hinted of forgiveness, reconciliation, moving forward to heal, hoping to grow strong together, wanting to be in a good relationship with "us". Very Us vs Them.

Perhaps I should revisit it now, and perhaps I'd have a wholly different experience. Don't know. And won't. Am not going to read this book again.

However, I gave it a four star rating because I think it shifted something in my understanding of me and how I feel, what I think, or believe, about racial tension.

[Priyam Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a lot! Thomas King's exceptionally well-written book tells the story of the strifes faced by Indigenous people in North America in a superbly creative manner. It manages to cover a broad range of topics, and I especially enjoyed how the various literary devices King used to educate the reader on history. The devices are subtle, sometimes they are easy to miss, but they pack an extra punch once you, as the reader, realize the true message being told.

I enjoyed some stories more than others, personally, I was awed by Coyote and the Enemy Aliens. If you are Canadian, you should read this book along with some of King's other works i.e. The Inconvenient Indian. At the very least, check out the story I mentioned earlier if you are unable to get your hands on the entire book.

[Carlie Van Amerongen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read Thomas King's novels, you have to read his stories. His particular style lends itself so well to short fiction, and his stories cover a broad range of characters and settings from the magical to the strange to the poignant. This is an anthology I'll return to again and again.

My favourite story was Coyote and the Enemy Aliens.

[Avory Faucette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from a friend. Excellent humor writing from a Native author, a lot of absurdity and some of it's depressing, but true to life.

[CECILIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

A Short History of Indians in Canada by Thomas King was an impactful series of short stories about the Indigenous peoples of Canada. I quite enjoyed many of the stories and found the satirical humour to be engaging. King is an absolute genius and I found myself wanting to annotate and analyze every sentence he wrote. The stories were thought-provoking and definitely worth the read.

**This was assigned reading for my AP English class**

[Electra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je continue le challenge #maiennouvelles avec ce recueil de nouvelles signées Thomas King. J’en parle évidemment très vite !
Read for the challenge dedicated to reading short stories in May. Glad to have read King again.

[kewl · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book. my brother believed some of the stories were exaggerations but upon closer examination the bone-chilling realization you are left with is that the depressingly comedic narratives before you mirror reality more than you initially thought. the absurdism can get a bit much sometimes but none of it hinders enjoyment and the writing is very nice. personal favourite stories were "The Closer You Get To Canada, The More Things Will Eat Your Horses" and "Rendezvous".

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection. It is fully of witty satire and some great creativity. I find it difficult to give ratings to short story collections, since some stories I enjoyed more than others, so it's tough to rate them all as a whole. I will say that "Where the Borg Are" was definitely one of my favourites. But overall, there were no stories in this collection I really disliked. I would definitely recommend to any fan of short stories, or anyone wanting to see what Thomas King's writing is like.

[Karalee Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, short stories, not my thing, but these are truly surreal – or, sadly, maybe just allegories. They are variously funny, touching, thought-provoking, melancholy, and darkly absurd. The Coyote story is told in the lovely rhythms, sentence structure and vocabulary of an indigenous story teller. Many of the stories don’t end well, or are open-ended.

I think my favourite is The Closer You Get to Canada, the More Things Will Eat Your Horses. Possibly because I can identify with the old farts (to quote Katherine Hepburn), especially Mrs. Winchester with her walker and her bright pink dress. I wonder if Margaret Atwood had any influence on the theme?

[Arin Goswami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only books we should be reading about individual/marginalized identities are probably those that have been written by those that belong to that identity. This is a great collection of short stories regarding the Indigenous experience in North America, written by an incredible Indigenous writer. I'd recommend reading pretty much everything he's written, especially "The Inconvenient Indian".

[Stephanie Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible satirical collection of political commentary and insight into the human condition. The last sentence of Haida Gwai is a stunning creation. short stories, satire, witty, moving, heart-wrenching.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read about half of this. Usually I love Thomas King's irreverence. But with this book I found myself asking, after reading a few of the stories, what was the point?

[Gayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Really only enjoyed three of the twenty stories.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. So many short stories to help consider life from the First Nations perspective. My favourite was Bad Men Who Love Jesus.

[Andy Dorsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be thrown off by the tongue-in-cheek title: this is not some dry academic study of First Nations people written by a dusty old white scholar to catalogue anthropological points of interest about "the vanishing Indian." It IS a short history of Indians in Canada, however, told through 20 short stories that juxtapose the familiar with the extraordinary in order to highlight the absurdity of the way native people are perceived and treated. Not every story hit home with me, but when one did, it left a mark.

The first story, which provides the title for the entire book, sets the tone with some shocking magic realism: Indians as birds, smacking into skyscrapers in Toronto at night. Just five pages long, ridiculous, and with little plot or characterization, this story expertly skewers a number of problems in the way white people perceive Indians:
1. They are not human but rather a part of the landscape -- "One of nature's mysteries. A natural phenomenon." Almost all of the natural history museums I went to as a kid had displays on local plants, animals, and Indians, and nobody but me seemed to find this strange.
2. They need help from white people -- "If we don't find them right away, they don't stand a chance." But in both the story and real life, the First Nations are only in the position of needing help due to the actions of the white people (represented in the story by the buildings of Toronto standing in the way of Indian flight patterns).
3. They are a spectacle, a rarity, and are disappearing or already out of sight -- "A Navajo! Don't normally see Navajos this far north" -- "By the time the commuters show up, you'll never even know the Indians were here." The continued existence of native peoples is often simply forgotten about, and when they are remembered, it's often in connection with a static image of their tribe around the time of European contact.

So short, so pointed, so poignant. This is interesting, harsh criticism delivered in a light and pleasing way.

The story that made the greatest impact on me, however, was the second one, "Tidings of Comfort and Joy." It again depicts an absurd world where Indians are literally reduced to subhuman (and strictly tribal) status, in this case collected by white people as a kind of lawn ornament. This one got me so much because King first eases into the story for a few pages, making the protagonist likeable. He enjoys the wintry Christmas season, he gives excellent gifts and remembers gratefully the ones he receives, and is even critical of the gap between rich and poor. And then wham, he collects Indians. King portrays this with all the normal trappings of a hobby, so that you are constantly on the edge of being able to relate to it. Yet the whole thing is horrifying and absurd. This story made me feel warm and cozy and sick to my stomach at the same time, and is the reason why I give this book five stars.

I won't give my half-baked analysis of every single chapter, but I would like to mention the story "Where the Borg are," which was the first thing to catch my eye while I was browsing the book at the library. I could so very well picture this story taking place -- a young boy making connections between the behavior of the Borg (and other Star Trek races) and the behavior of the Europeans upon arrival in Canada. For me this was both a new way to look at Canadian history, and a new way to look at Star Trek, and I'm grateful for both.

[Alanna McFall · Rating 4 out of 5]

13. A collection of short stories: A Short History of Indians in Canada by Thomas King

List Progress: 3/30

A truly good short story is one that can build a clear image or dynamic very quickly. The story needs to get you hooked near-immediately and say just enough to hit you hard and fast with that image. Thomas King is clearly a master of this artform. He is a prolific First Nations Canadian author who has been publishing since the 90’s, and this 2005 collection, A Short History of Indians in Canada, is sleek and polished. With approachable and conversational prose, King delivers singular images that stick with you and propel you through the book quickly.

Most of the stories, as implied by the title, are about Native Canadians and the issues they face in modern society, but the stories never feel the same. Some are intimate slices of life, like “The Dog I Wish I had, I Would Call It Helen” and “Haida Gwaii”, where other stories like “The Baby in the Airmail Box” and “Little Bombs” are truly absurd. Some stories are in the first person, others in the third person, and a couple are told in the second person, as if the reader is listening to an oral storyteller. It’s a great variety for a single collection and keeps it from feeling repetitive even when similar subject matters may be repeated.

This is a great collection and I would recommend reading the whole thing, but considering that a lot of King’s stories have been published in other works and anthologies as well, I’ll recommend my favorite individual stories:

“Tidings of Comfort and Joy”
“The Baby in the Airmail Box”
“Coyote and the Enemy Aliens”
“Where the Borg Are”
“States to Avoid”
“Rendezvous”
“Not Counting the Indian, There Were Six”

Even some of the heaviest subject material is rendered accessible with King’s writing, which is the key to getting the message of a short story across. This is my first introduction to Thomas King’s work, but I highly doubt it will be my last.

Would I Recommend It: Yes.

[Pankaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

King's acerbic wit and tongue-in-cheek allusions to the long prevailing tensions underlying indigenous peoples and the occupiers of their lands continues to shine. However, I found it difficult to fathom some of the narratives in this collection of stories. I might re-read a few to decipher them.

I would have given it a Five rating; however, due to the extra effort required on my (the reader's) part to "connect" with the author it is only reasonable that I "deduct" a couple of stars.

Still, as an avid fan of Thomas King and his efforts to bring indigenous stories to our attention, I believe this is another of his must-read books!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking (under the surface), all are excellent short stories by an excellent, insightful author. Well crafted short stories drop you into a situation with well-formed characters and keep you there just for a visit, and yet that small picture tells you so much. These stories do that with ingenuity, humour, satire, seriousness, wonder, and frustration in varying degrees.
Definitely read the "Interview" Margaret Atwood conducts with Thomas King in the back of the book -- hysterical! Two geniuses at work.

[Aaron White · Rating 5 out of 5]

King’s stories are often laugh out loud funny, which momentarily distracts you from the gut-punch point he is making. Whether he is describing migrating Natives who keep crashing into the sides of tall, glass buildings in Toronto, or a grandson discussing whether or not Europeans are the Borg, Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Vulcan, the Federation, or all of them altogether, King has a voice that allows him to cover really difficult topics in subversively acceptable ways. He also writes serious stories in this collection, not all of them centered around Indigenous characters, and many of them discussing the pain of broken families. This is a beautiful, funny and thought-provoking collection.

[Ann Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas King has a way with words and sarcasm to bring to light the ridiculous things people have done to the Inuit people. He turns the tables on a lot of the stories to show how ridiculous and unfair people have been in the lives of Inuit peoples. He is intelligent with his characters and brings to light the plight of things such as residential schools, taking of land, taking away rights, and other such travesties in order to help make awareness of the past. I love his truth and honesty in writing in a way that brings awareness in the unfairness in life.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up, thinking I was in for some comfortable humour & satire from a master. However, what I discovered is that this is a deeply weird book, full of short (and very short) stories that had me convinced that Thomas King must have written them under the influence of copious recreational pharmacology. There were a few stories that got me chuckling...but in the end, this simply left my head spinning, and wondering "what on earth did I just read?"

[Hubert Ricard · Rating 4 out of 5]

That is an exquisitely weird book. Thomas King brings us step by step into the mind of the native people of North America, slowly, often in an absurd or surrealistic way, sometimes with a pen dipped into strong acid, but always with humour and with the objective of presenting to us their vision of the world.

I especially enjoyed Tiding of Comfort and Joy and Where the Borg are. Keep your mind open when reading it. Not recommended for politically correct people.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Short History of Indians in Canada: Stories
Thomas King

This set of stories is told in jest with a great deal of hyperbole. It is meant to be taken with a great deal of salt. Mind you there are some underlying truths here and a great deal of animus.

[Ramona Jennex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A diverse collection of short stories- some poignant, others ironic and some downright cheeky. I was thoroughly entertained and at the same time recognized how brilliant Thomas King is a providing a good scolding to settlers. Bravo Thomas!