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Indian No More
Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?
Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
November 12, 2019
A lovely book, really well-done. I love that four indigenous women came together for its creation. While my family doesn't have experience with termination, as an Urban Native, I could relate to a lot of what the protagonist experiences.
January 15, 2021
I'm sad it's over, so happy I read it, and grateful I got to share it with my students. Very powerful story that gave me a lot to think about, especially how the US government has negatively impacted Native Americans. I highly recommend reading this book, learning more about the history in our country, and being a part of the change!
July 24, 2021
3.75 stars. Even though this is a fictional story, it is based on the author's real life experience of being removed from her Indian reservation home to live in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. Regina worries that she will lose her Umpqua heritage and no longer be an Indian. Can she be both Indian and American?
What I loved about this story is how Regina breaks the stereotypes that her new friends and classmates have about Indians by telling them the truth about life on the rez. Along with the reader, Regina learns that you're heritage will always be your heritage; the government cannot take it away from you.
What I loved about this story is how Regina breaks the stereotypes that her new friends and classmates have about Indians by telling them the truth about life on the rez. Along with the reader, Regina learns that you're heritage will always be your heritage; the government cannot take it away from you.
January 26, 2021
I really liked the book and wish that it didn't end.
December 12, 2019
The voice of the Native American is conspicuously absent from middle grade fiction. This book is important. It tells the story of a little girl who leaves the reservation that has been her home when the federal government decides her Umpqua tribe no longer exists. Her Chich (grandmother) declares them to be "Indian no more." Set in 1957, this #ownvoices book is a window into a piece of our history for children and adults and has been vetted by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR). Includes a glossary of Chinuk Wawa words used in the book, definitions, photos from the main author's life, and more. . . Read this and hear the voice of the Umpqua tribal history.
March 24, 2020
I have to be honest and say that I did not know anything at all about the Indian Termination Policy which ended the Federal government's recognition of the sovereignty of Native American tribes, including all support services, and the dissolution of reservations. Native Americans were now supposed to live "like Americans" and relinquish all tribal life, culture, and traditions. In 1954, Congress passed Public Law 588, The Western Oregon Termination Act, terminating 61 tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. Aside from the loss of services, it meant the loss and sale of reservation land. Now, if you had the money, you could buy the land you had been living on at an inflated price; if you didn't have the money, you were required to leave. But wait! The 1956 Federal Relocation Program promised those who left the reservation good jobs, schooling, housing in an urban area so that they could really live "like Americans."
For 10-year-old Regina Petit, this law means she is no longer Indian, no longer part of the Umpqua tribe because now there would be no Umpqua tribe or Grand Ronde reservation anymore as far as the government is concerned. And since her family doesn't have the money to buy the land they have lived on, it means moving to South Central Los Angeles with her father, mother (who is actually Portuguese), younger sister Peewee, and her beloved Chich (grandmother). But it also means leaving behind a way of life, relatives, friends, and the cemetery where her Chup (grandfather) had recently been buried.
The promised house is run down, the furniture is old, but the schooling promised her father was
good. Regina is especially pleased that there is indoor plumbing, including an indoor toilet. The neighborhood is diverse, and the first kids that Regina and Peewee meet are two African Americans siblings Addie and Keith Bates. The sisters have never seen black people before, and their new friends have never seen Native Americans before. At first disappointed that Regina and Peewee aren't like the stereotype of "Indians" they have seen on TV or in the movies, they still becomes friends and spend the summer playing together and learning about each other, along with two Cuban brothers, Anthony and Philip Hernández.
The move to Los Angeles has left Mrs. Petit sad and angry, and she just wants to go back home. Chich tries to make the best of it, using her sewing skills to help the family out, and continues to tell her tribal stories to the girls so they never forget they are Umpqua. But they are also introduced to customs like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Regina loves Halloween at first, after all, it's free candy, but a particularly disturbing incident involving white teens throwing eggs at her, Peewee, Addie and Keith while yelling the N-word spoils the pleasure she had found.
Indian No More was an eyeopening book for me. I went to school in NYC at a time when nothing was taught about the history of Native Americans and when they did come up, it was all very stereotypical. Regina's struggles with retaining her Umpqua identity and somewhat assimilating into life in Los Angeles offer readers lots of everyday details about what that was like there and on the reservation.
Front matter includes a map of the Pacific Coast tracing the route Regina and her family traveled, and a Glossary of Umpqua words and pronunciations. Back matter includes a list of important Definitions, an Authors's Note with photographs by Charlene Willing McManis, whose story this really and who sadly passed away in 2018, and a Co-Author Note by Traci Sorell.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss+
For 10-year-old Regina Petit, this law means she is no longer Indian, no longer part of the Umpqua tribe because now there would be no Umpqua tribe or Grand Ronde reservation anymore as far as the government is concerned. And since her family doesn't have the money to buy the land they have lived on, it means moving to South Central Los Angeles with her father, mother (who is actually Portuguese), younger sister Peewee, and her beloved Chich (grandmother). But it also means leaving behind a way of life, relatives, friends, and the cemetery where her Chup (grandfather) had recently been buried.
The promised house is run down, the furniture is old, but the schooling promised her father was
good. Regina is especially pleased that there is indoor plumbing, including an indoor toilet. The neighborhood is diverse, and the first kids that Regina and Peewee meet are two African Americans siblings Addie and Keith Bates. The sisters have never seen black people before, and their new friends have never seen Native Americans before. At first disappointed that Regina and Peewee aren't like the stereotype of "Indians" they have seen on TV or in the movies, they still becomes friends and spend the summer playing together and learning about each other, along with two Cuban brothers, Anthony and Philip Hernández.
The move to Los Angeles has left Mrs. Petit sad and angry, and she just wants to go back home. Chich tries to make the best of it, using her sewing skills to help the family out, and continues to tell her tribal stories to the girls so they never forget they are Umpqua. But they are also introduced to customs like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Regina loves Halloween at first, after all, it's free candy, but a particularly disturbing incident involving white teens throwing eggs at her, Peewee, Addie and Keith while yelling the N-word spoils the pleasure she had found.
Indian No More was an eyeopening book for me. I went to school in NYC at a time when nothing was taught about the history of Native Americans and when they did come up, it was all very stereotypical. Regina's struggles with retaining her Umpqua identity and somewhat assimilating into life in Los Angeles offer readers lots of everyday details about what that was like there and on the reservation.
Front matter includes a map of the Pacific Coast tracing the route Regina and her family traveled, and a Glossary of Umpqua words and pronunciations. Back matter includes a list of important Definitions, an Authors's Note with photographs by Charlene Willing McManis, whose story this really and who sadly passed away in 2018, and a Co-Author Note by Traci Sorell.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss+
January 7, 2024
CWs:
I’m very glad the author chose someone to finish this book before she died, because this story needed to be told and I’m grateful to all the people who worked so hard to make this a finished book.
It’s a semi-autobiographical story about something I didn’t know anything about before this. Between the 1940s-1960s the federal government would tell certain Native American tribes that their tribes were terminated and were no longer recognized by the government. This obviously had some horrible consequences, sometimes including being forcibly removed from their homelands by the Indian Relocation Act (yeah, f*ck that) of 1956.
In 1954, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde were terminated, and that’s where the story begins. What follows is a story of protagonist Regina trying to hold onto her identity even when she is moved from her homeland, her people, and no longer technically considered Native American. In this new community, she wants to hold onto their traditions, but it seems like her dad just wants them to assimilate and let go of what makes them Native American.
I loved this as a coming-of-age story. There wasn’t much of an overarching plot that I can remember, but I don’t mind that much. It’s made special by being grounded in family history and personal experiences.
I’m very glad the author chose someone to finish this book before she died, because this story needed to be told and I’m grateful to all the people who worked so hard to make this a finished book.
It’s a semi-autobiographical story about something I didn’t know anything about before this. Between the 1940s-1960s the federal government would tell certain Native American tribes that their tribes were terminated and were no longer recognized by the government. This obviously had some horrible consequences, sometimes including being forcibly removed from their homelands by the Indian Relocation Act (yeah, f*ck that) of 1956.
In 1954, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde were terminated, and that’s where the story begins. What follows is a story of protagonist Regina trying to hold onto her identity even when she is moved from her homeland, her people, and no longer technically considered Native American. In this new community, she wants to hold onto their traditions, but it seems like her dad just wants them to assimilate and let go of what makes them Native American.
I loved this as a coming-of-age story. There wasn’t much of an overarching plot that I can remember, but I don’t mind that much. It’s made special by being grounded in family history and personal experiences.
Want to read
January 21, 2021I loved this book it had me think deeply about what happened to Regina and her family. Even though it's over I was great while it lasted.
August 10, 2021
I appreciate the plot, accuracy, and messages in this book. I just wish the characters were more fleshed out and brought to life. Writers of YA historical fiction seem to struggle to balance the task of telling the history with also writing realistic, whole, lively characters that would appeal to readers.
Read
January 26, 2021Indian no more was exciting, sad, and at some parts it made me feel angry. It was so cool reading it and i hope to read it again some day.
January 26, 2021
This is a good book. I think that it makes you think a lot when you read it and makes things very interesting. If you like books that make you think deeply this is the book for you!
January 27, 2021
I think this was a great book about shining a light on the problems Natives face.
May 3, 2022
I liked that this raises awareness and teaches what it was like to be Native American in the 1950s, but the story was very thin. The author's notes and photos in the back are a great addition and make the book more meaningful. Read for my local library challenge, category: a book by or about indigenous peoples.
January 26, 2021
I liked it it was a tough time for Regina though If you read this though I so much recomend you to read this it was so good and fantastic.
August 29, 2019
Reviewed from an ARC.
Basing this story on her own tribal experience, the late Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis tells the moving story of what it was like to grow up Indian in the time just before Civil Rights was enacted in our country.
It is 1957 and the United States Government has enacted a law that decrees the Umpqua Tribe no longer exists. This action forces everyone on the Grand Ronde Tribe’s reservation, including Regina Petit and her family, to relocate. Her father signs up for the federal Indian Relocation Program, so they move to Los Angeles. Regina experiences a whole new world – one filled with kids of many races who have never met an Indian -- and faces racism for the first time.
Opening with the attention-grabbing statement, “Before being terminated, I was Indian.”, McManis offers readers a peek into life as it was in the 1950’s, both from the viewpoint of a Native American and as an “American”. McManis describes death customs of the Umpqua and what it was like to hunt for dinner, then prepare it to eat. She compares Regina’s Indian school on the reservation with the public school she attends in L.A. She describes the Petit house, comparing it with the neighbor’s house. McManis makes several incidents of racism experienced by Regina and her family come vividly to life. (Be advised that the N word is used a couple of times in context.) McManis also includes small details about the 1950’s that ground this work in that time period, for example: describing that the TV tubes were all over the floor from their disassembled TV set. She includes not only snippets of stories told by Chich to make a point or ground the story in the culture, she also includes Chinuk Wawa words used on the rez in family conversations (translating in the text on occasion for clarity).
The book includes a map of the family’s trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and a glossary of Chinuk Wawa terms commonly found in the text in the front of the book. In the back is a Glossary, Author’s Note with photos, Co-Author’s Note (Unfortunately, McManis passed away while this book was being published; Traci Sorrell, enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, completed it.), Editor’s Note, and text for the folk tale “The Beaver and the Coyote”. It is noted that the beautiful cover on the ARC is by Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota, Mohegan, Muscogee Creek).
This book shines a light on many injustices dealt to modern-day Indians – termination of tribes, forced migration to cities, and racism and prejudice experienced even though they have followed “the rules” and customs of white men. Chich (Regina’s grandmother) very eloquently states, “I want you to enjoy the (Halloween) carnival with your friends, but I want you to respect your family and culture, too.” As a result of this year in L.A., Regina discovers that “different” doesn’t mean wrong, rather, different just means different.
McManis has shared a story similar to her very own – one that is incredibly important for young people to hear today. What a shame that her voice will be heard no more. I would have liked to hear more...
Highly Recommended for grades 5-8.
Basing this story on her own tribal experience, the late Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis tells the moving story of what it was like to grow up Indian in the time just before Civil Rights was enacted in our country.
It is 1957 and the United States Government has enacted a law that decrees the Umpqua Tribe no longer exists. This action forces everyone on the Grand Ronde Tribe’s reservation, including Regina Petit and her family, to relocate. Her father signs up for the federal Indian Relocation Program, so they move to Los Angeles. Regina experiences a whole new world – one filled with kids of many races who have never met an Indian -- and faces racism for the first time.
Opening with the attention-grabbing statement, “Before being terminated, I was Indian.”, McManis offers readers a peek into life as it was in the 1950’s, both from the viewpoint of a Native American and as an “American”. McManis describes death customs of the Umpqua and what it was like to hunt for dinner, then prepare it to eat. She compares Regina’s Indian school on the reservation with the public school she attends in L.A. She describes the Petit house, comparing it with the neighbor’s house. McManis makes several incidents of racism experienced by Regina and her family come vividly to life. (Be advised that the N word is used a couple of times in context.) McManis also includes small details about the 1950’s that ground this work in that time period, for example: describing that the TV tubes were all over the floor from their disassembled TV set. She includes not only snippets of stories told by Chich to make a point or ground the story in the culture, she also includes Chinuk Wawa words used on the rez in family conversations (translating in the text on occasion for clarity).
The book includes a map of the family’s trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and a glossary of Chinuk Wawa terms commonly found in the text in the front of the book. In the back is a Glossary, Author’s Note with photos, Co-Author’s Note (Unfortunately, McManis passed away while this book was being published; Traci Sorrell, enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, completed it.), Editor’s Note, and text for the folk tale “The Beaver and the Coyote”. It is noted that the beautiful cover on the ARC is by Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota, Mohegan, Muscogee Creek).
This book shines a light on many injustices dealt to modern-day Indians – termination of tribes, forced migration to cities, and racism and prejudice experienced even though they have followed “the rules” and customs of white men. Chich (Regina’s grandmother) very eloquently states, “I want you to enjoy the (Halloween) carnival with your friends, but I want you to respect your family and culture, too.” As a result of this year in L.A., Regina discovers that “different” doesn’t mean wrong, rather, different just means different.
McManis has shared a story similar to her very own – one that is incredibly important for young people to hear today. What a shame that her voice will be heard no more. I would have liked to hear more...
Highly Recommended for grades 5-8.
March 23, 2020
I found it heartbreaking to read what happened in 1956 to the Umpqua Indians, part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde when the government enacted a law that basically said that Regina Petit's tribe no longer exists. Overnight she and her family were now ""Indian no more". How could this be her family wondered. They all had a number given to them by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and were counted as Indian. She and her family and the rest of the tribe practiced tribal customs as had her ancestors for many generations before.
The Indian Relocation moved them to Los Angeles where they were an oddity. No one there had ever met a "real Indian", nor had Regina ever met any kids who weren't Indian. She and her family for the first time also encounted subtle and overt racism when they tried to go out to dinner one evening. Everyone else in the restaurant was getting served, even those that came in long after, and the waitresses are all ignoring them. Finally when her father got the attention of one of them and asked for menus she replied that, "I don't think we have anything here YOU can afford. Besides, we don't serve Mexicans here". When he explained that they weren't Mexicans, like there was anything wrong with that even if they were, she replied, "I don't care what what you think you are. Our restaurant does not serve your kind here". Boy, that made me mad. I just can't abide by prejudice of any kind. But this was 1957 and unfortunately times and beliefs were different then, even in a big city like Los Angeles. Thankfully things have gotten better since then, although with the current administration we seem to be heading back to the 50s in some ways. We just all need to practice kindness, live it every day, and spread it around.
I can't count how many times I've driven by the Spirit Mountain Casino that is owned by The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde without ever wondering about the tribe's people or their history. I feel that as a teacher who lives only 40 minutes away from the Grand Ronde Reservation I should know these things. I do now. After reading this story that draws upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis' own tribal history I checked out some fabulous websites to learn more about what happened to the author and her family and other tribe members. These websites all contain a wealth of information, history, stories, and pictures. I am now what they call "woke". Definitely check them out to learn more of the story.
Oregon Historical Society:
https://ohs.org/museum/exhibits/the-c...
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde:
https://www.grandronde.org/history-cu...
Oregon Encyclopedia: https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articl...
I gave this story only 4 stars instead of 5 because although it taught me a lot and is also one that needs to be read, it was just way too short. I wanted so much more to the whole story.
The Indian Relocation moved them to Los Angeles where they were an oddity. No one there had ever met a "real Indian", nor had Regina ever met any kids who weren't Indian. She and her family for the first time also encounted subtle and overt racism when they tried to go out to dinner one evening. Everyone else in the restaurant was getting served, even those that came in long after, and the waitresses are all ignoring them. Finally when her father got the attention of one of them and asked for menus she replied that, "I don't think we have anything here YOU can afford. Besides, we don't serve Mexicans here". When he explained that they weren't Mexicans, like there was anything wrong with that even if they were, she replied, "I don't care what what you think you are. Our restaurant does not serve your kind here". Boy, that made me mad. I just can't abide by prejudice of any kind. But this was 1957 and unfortunately times and beliefs were different then, even in a big city like Los Angeles. Thankfully things have gotten better since then, although with the current administration we seem to be heading back to the 50s in some ways. We just all need to practice kindness, live it every day, and spread it around.
I can't count how many times I've driven by the Spirit Mountain Casino that is owned by The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde without ever wondering about the tribe's people or their history. I feel that as a teacher who lives only 40 minutes away from the Grand Ronde Reservation I should know these things. I do now. After reading this story that draws upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis' own tribal history I checked out some fabulous websites to learn more about what happened to the author and her family and other tribe members. These websites all contain a wealth of information, history, stories, and pictures. I am now what they call "woke". Definitely check them out to learn more of the story.
Oregon Historical Society:
https://ohs.org/museum/exhibits/the-c...
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde:
https://www.grandronde.org/history-cu...
Oregon Encyclopedia: https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articl...
I gave this story only 4 stars instead of 5 because although it taught me a lot and is also one that needs to be read, it was just way too short. I wanted so much more to the whole story.
April 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy books that focus on a piece of history that I knew nothing about. The Indian Termination Policy ended the Federal government's recognition of the sovereignty of Native American tribes, including all support services, and the dissolution of reservations. Native Americans were now supposed to live "like Americans" and relinquish all tribal life, culture, and traditions. This book takes place in 1957 when the government enacted a law stating that the Umpqua Tribe no longer existed. Hence then name, Indian No More. Regina Petit is 10 years old girl that has lived her whole life as an Umpqua Indian on the Grand Ronde Reservation in Oregon. After the government terminates them, her father decides to move the whole family to Los Angeles as part of the federal Indian Relocation Program.
The government helps the family by finding them a house and helping her father get into a training program. But their new home is run down and they have no money to fix it up. Regina and her family, who have lived their whole life on the reservation (the rez), have to adjust not only to their new house, but also to life in America. There are so many things that they were never exposed to, things like Halloween, TV, video games, and racism. They also have to get used to American stereotypes of Indians. The only knowledge most kids have of Indians is from TV shows and movies, like Tonto from the Lone Ranger.
Regina makes friends with other kids on the block. She meets kids of all different races and is exposed to different cultures. She starts school and begins to adjust to life in California. Slowly things become easier for her, although they still face prejudices, like the Thanksgiving play with Pilgrims and Indians, or when they are refused service at a restaurant because they are mistaken for Mexicans. Even though Regina doesn't forget her tribe or their traditions, as time passes, she begins to think of Los Angeles as home.
I thought this book did a really good job of explaining the Indian Relocation Program, which was something I had never heard of before. I liked how the author described in detail life on the reservation and life in California. This was based on a true story and sadly the author passed away before it was finished. Thankfully she found a co-author to finish telling her story after she died. This is a topic not widely covered in children's literature and I think kids will enjoy learning something new while reading a really good story. I know I did.
The government helps the family by finding them a house and helping her father get into a training program. But their new home is run down and they have no money to fix it up. Regina and her family, who have lived their whole life on the reservation (the rez), have to adjust not only to their new house, but also to life in America. There are so many things that they were never exposed to, things like Halloween, TV, video games, and racism. They also have to get used to American stereotypes of Indians. The only knowledge most kids have of Indians is from TV shows and movies, like Tonto from the Lone Ranger.
Regina makes friends with other kids on the block. She meets kids of all different races and is exposed to different cultures. She starts school and begins to adjust to life in California. Slowly things become easier for her, although they still face prejudices, like the Thanksgiving play with Pilgrims and Indians, or when they are refused service at a restaurant because they are mistaken for Mexicans. Even though Regina doesn't forget her tribe or their traditions, as time passes, she begins to think of Los Angeles as home.
I thought this book did a really good job of explaining the Indian Relocation Program, which was something I had never heard of before. I liked how the author described in detail life on the reservation and life in California. This was based on a true story and sadly the author passed away before it was finished. Thankfully she found a co-author to finish telling her story after she died. This is a topic not widely covered in children's literature and I think kids will enjoy learning something new while reading a really good story. I know I did.
July 26, 2020
A wonderful easy to read middle-grade book (4th-8th) that is both fiction and nonfiction. The authors share family photos showing who influenced the characters in the story, and they teach a little bit about the laws controlling how Indigenous people should live.
The main character navigates her world trying to live the way the current law demains how to be an "American", yet she is Indian (Native American), trying to stay true to her family's heritage. Every kid should have the opportunity to read this book. It shows that we as human beings are not so different. The characters care for their neighbors, and show compassion by learning about each individual and where they came from. Compassion showing life through a different set of lenses.
The main character navigates her world trying to live the way the current law demains how to be an "American", yet she is Indian (Native American), trying to stay true to her family's heritage. Every kid should have the opportunity to read this book. It shows that we as human beings are not so different. The characters care for their neighbors, and show compassion by learning about each individual and where they came from. Compassion showing life through a different set of lenses.
July 12, 2020
Fantastic middle-grade historical fiction. This would be a great title to adapt into school curriculm as well.
November 27, 2022
I’ve never had a book make me question everything my history texts have ever told me before. This book did. In it, we meet Regina Petit, a 5th grader who has just moved across the country to Los Angeles with her family as part of the federal Indian Relocation Program. We follow her as she adjusts to a new location, a new way of living, a new school and new friends…along with new prejudices and microaggressions, too. Honestly, I put the book down a few times and simply said to the air: Why the h-e-double-hockey-sticks didn’t I know about this? The story was personal and compelling, the narrative completely absorbing and the learning completely shocking. Every reader must read this book. Truly.
July 15, 2024
Short and sweet, this middle grade novel is semi-autobiographical. While the author left the Grande Ronde Reservation when she was just one year old and the mc left when she was 8, the experiences of the mc in their new home in LA are based on memories of real events.
As the target audience is kids ages 8 to 12, the racism the Native family experienced is not described with any great detail. Still, this novel could be a powerful springboard to further research and discussion on the topic of forced Indian removal and other racist policies. Or, it could just be enjoyed as the entertaining story that it is. 4 stars
As the target audience is kids ages 8 to 12, the racism the Native family experienced is not described with any great detail. Still, this novel could be a powerful springboard to further research and discussion on the topic of forced Indian removal and other racist policies. Or, it could just be enjoyed as the entertaining story that it is. 4 stars
January 31, 2021
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this amazing story. What a gift. A must read for middle grade readers and adults alike.
March 27, 2021
Middle school level historical fiction.
We selected this as we inventoried our book selection and saw a huge gap in the Native American experience (especially that dealt with the genocide and colonization of their lands).
This book provides YA with another frame of the “American” experience in the late 1950s than the usual one that has been sitting in our libraries for decades.
(In a scene where the kids are trick-or-treating with a friend’s mother, the n-word is used twice, so we moved and relabeled it MG+)
We selected this as we inventoried our book selection and saw a huge gap in the Native American experience (especially that dealt with the genocide and colonization of their lands).
This book provides YA with another frame of the “American” experience in the late 1950s than the usual one that has been sitting in our libraries for decades.
(In a scene where the kids are trick-or-treating with a friend’s mother, the n-word is used twice, so we moved and relabeled it MG+)
April 7, 2020
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell 211 pages. Lee and Low, 2019. $19.
Content: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
10 yo Regina Petit is Umpqua, and has lived on her Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation her whole life. But when the Federal Government terminates her tribe in 1954, Regina's father signs up for the Indian Relocation Program and the family is moved to Los Angeles. Suddenly she is "Indian No More." The other children in her neighborhood have never met a real Indian, and are confused when she isn't like the Indians they've seen on TV. Faced with racism and misconceptions, Regina, her grandmother and her family must now adjust to living as "Americans."
I did not know about this terrible injustice, and am so pleased to see McManis' story. I loved seeing modern day Indian relocation through a child's eyes, I loved that her grandmother was part of the household - a connection to the traditions and stories. There is an extensive appendix at the end, including a glossary with thorough definitions; an author's note from Charlene McManis complete with photographs and a short history of the Termination Act.
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
Content: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
10 yo Regina Petit is Umpqua, and has lived on her Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation her whole life. But when the Federal Government terminates her tribe in 1954, Regina's father signs up for the Indian Relocation Program and the family is moved to Los Angeles. Suddenly she is "Indian No More." The other children in her neighborhood have never met a real Indian, and are confused when she isn't like the Indians they've seen on TV. Faced with racism and misconceptions, Regina, her grandmother and her family must now adjust to living as "Americans."
I did not know about this terrible injustice, and am so pleased to see McManis' story. I loved seeing modern day Indian relocation through a child's eyes, I loved that her grandmother was part of the household - a connection to the traditions and stories. There is an extensive appendix at the end, including a glossary with thorough definitions; an author's note from Charlene McManis complete with photographs and a short history of the Termination Act.
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
January 22, 2021
When I read Indian No More it was an emotional roller coaster jealously and confusion, racism and brand new jobs and all the things in between. Regina Peddit went through more that my brain could process in less than a year. whether it was racism or death. She went through more than most people go through in a lifetime. The best thing is that it is loosely based of a true story I would say a good age rating would be around 12-16.
August 2, 2020
This was a really fantastic upper middle grade historical fiction that is semi-autobiographical. The book takes place in the 1950s when the Indian Relocation Act is enacted by the federal government, terminating the Umpquo status as Native American and forcing them to leave their reservation, home, and community. The family relocates to LA, befriending others who are marginalized on their street -- the Cuban immigrants, the Black family that has recently moved from Arkansas, as well as white families.
The main character, 10-year-old Regina, wrestles with what it means to be Indian -- to have a heritage that is slipping away in her memory especially as her family tries to establish itself in a new community. Her father desperately wants respect from his white bosses, and when the family is discriminated against out at a restaurant, he feels that wound deeply.
Regina also has to work through stereotypes about Native Americans, from TV shows to the Thanksgiving play, to costumes and parades, to traditional foods and ceremonies. This was a sad book in many ways, but such a well done Own Voices story that brought this part of American history to life in a very real and personal way.
The main character, 10-year-old Regina, wrestles with what it means to be Indian -- to have a heritage that is slipping away in her memory especially as her family tries to establish itself in a new community. Her father desperately wants respect from his white bosses, and when the family is discriminated against out at a restaurant, he feels that wound deeply.
Regina also has to work through stereotypes about Native Americans, from TV shows to the Thanksgiving play, to costumes and parades, to traditional foods and ceremonies. This was a sad book in many ways, but such a well done Own Voices story that brought this part of American history to life in a very real and personal way.
October 13, 2020
Based on the author's experience, this story tells the tale of a fictional family from the Umpqua people. The federal government terminated their status in the 1950's. Regina and her family ended up moving to LA where her father went back to school and ended up getting a good paying job. In many ways they became 'American.' They soon discovered that to the rest of the nation they would always be 'Indian' and not good enough.
My grandmother's people, the Menominee, were also terminated in 1954 (although by then she was living in Canada with my grandfather who was not indigenous.) Her nation's status was restored in 1973. The Umpqua did not get their status restored until the 1980's.
Here in Canada an attempt was made in 1969 to dissolve the Indian Act and terminate all Indigenous treaties and status. Thankfully it was quashed before becoming law.
Prior to that and for many years following, if a man married a non indigenous women, his wife and their children, acquired status. Preversley, if a woman married a non indigenous man, she, and all her children, lost their status. It wasn't until 2019 that this was fully rectified.
My grandmother's people, the Menominee, were also terminated in 1954 (although by then she was living in Canada with my grandfather who was not indigenous.) Her nation's status was restored in 1973. The Umpqua did not get their status restored until the 1980's.
Here in Canada an attempt was made in 1969 to dissolve the Indian Act and terminate all Indigenous treaties and status. Thankfully it was quashed before becoming law.
Prior to that and for many years following, if a man married a non indigenous women, his wife and their children, acquired status. Preversley, if a woman married a non indigenous man, she, and all her children, lost their status. It wasn't until 2019 that this was fully rectified.
January 8, 2022
Three stars for enjoyment of the story and the writing. An additional star for the importance of this story, its intent, and the beautiful, careful, and poignant way it came to be. (Don't skip the back matter!)
This story is set in the 1950s. Regina and her family (Umpqua) live on a reservation in Oregon. The federal government terminates her tribe, and through the Indian Relocation Act, they move to LA.
The story is told in a very straightforward way, with some of the moments and exchanges feeling a little stiff and like exposition. A little flat?
I wanted to love this story. What a heartbreaking, maddening part of this country's history. I think I would have liked it more as a YA story, or even adult fiction. I want to know the rest, not just the sort of requisite moments of "Where's your bow and arrow?" and the awfulness of the Thanksgiving play at school. It touches on so many important historic moments and themes while maintaining the simplicity of a very young narrator's POV.
Even though it's marketed as a middle grade novel, I'd recommend it more to third/fourth level more than fifth/sixth.
This story is set in the 1950s. Regina and her family (Umpqua) live on a reservation in Oregon. The federal government terminates her tribe, and through the Indian Relocation Act, they move to LA.
The story is told in a very straightforward way, with some of the moments and exchanges feeling a little stiff and like exposition. A little flat?
I wanted to love this story. What a heartbreaking, maddening part of this country's history. I think I would have liked it more as a YA story, or even adult fiction. I want to know the rest, not just the sort of requisite moments of "Where's your bow and arrow?" and the awfulness of the Thanksgiving play at school. It touches on so many important historic moments and themes while maintaining the simplicity of a very young narrator's POV.
Even though it's marketed as a middle grade novel, I'd recommend it more to third/fourth level more than fifth/sixth.
July 17, 2023
I just finished the book Indian No More. This is a historical novel about a fictional character and based on experiences the author Charlene Willing McManis encountered growing up. This book takes you through the eyes of an 8 year-old and her family who grew up on the Grand Ronde Reservation. This family participated in the Indian Relocation Act of 1956 in which the federal law aimed at relocating Native families. In this families case, they relocated to Los Angelos. This story takes you through this young girls journey of her family and self identification.
I really liked this book! I plan to use it as a read aloud in my 4th grade classroom. This book will spark many good conversations about history and identity while also being relatable to kids about her age.
I also really enjoyed how the book gave phonemic spellings of words as well as their definitions.
I really liked this book! I plan to use it as a read aloud in my 4th grade classroom. This book will spark many good conversations about history and identity while also being relatable to kids about her age.
I also really enjoyed how the book gave phonemic spellings of words as well as their definitions.
August 26, 2021
In the last pages of this book, Elise McMullen-Ciotti has it well said, “What non-natives do not realize is that it is very rare for us “to get the microphone” within society. And when we do, we are very, very aware of all the Native Americans standing with us. We speak for ourselves as individuals—we all have a voice—but we are never speaking only for ourselves. We are speaking for a much larger group on some level: our family, our community, and our tribal nation, and the greater nations at large. We feel the responsibility to get it right the first time, because we might not get that microphone again for a long time…if ever.”
Am hopeful that more worldwide Indigenous’ write and share their histories and stories to us all, if they want to…?
Am hopeful that more worldwide Indigenous’ write and share their histories and stories to us all, if they want to…?
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