From the Bookshelf of La Crescent Public Library…

[close] Now available in a Young Readers Edition, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask is available for checkout at the library!

We were pleased to host author Anton Treuer for a presentation and conversation as part of the Minnesota Author Tour. Like the book, Dr. Treuer's talk focused on how very often situations are rarely either/or scenarios, but rather both/and situations. The topics we face as a society are more complex and compound than we often communicate about them.

In the book, which is available for adults and young readers (the young readers edition is new this year and updated to include more recent events), he answers all kinds of questions that folks have about indigenous peoples. The biggest emphasis is that they are still here, still honoring their traditions, and very much still a part of present day history, not just the past. The book discusses tribal sovereignty, blood quantum, language revitalization, and more. It's very accessible and makes for a great book club read with lots of areas to research further.

~Jess