Task 9: A Book By or About Someone from an Indigenous Culture (Native Americans, Aboriginals, Etc.)

[Robin P]

I picked up a book at my local thrift store because the cover and blurbs looked interesting - My Place. Only after I got home and looked at it further did I see it was called an outstanding example of aboriginal (Australian) literature. So I think I'll use that for this category.

[Jolynne]

I would recommend Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden and The Round House by Louise Erdrich (also a National Book Award winner.) Both depict Native Americans/Canadians in a true light, free of stereotypes. Of course you can never go wrong with a Sherman Alexie book!

[Rainey]

Finished this pick. I ended up reading Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. It was really good.

[Dawn]

I read Buffalo Hearts by Sun Bear. I read this on a relaxing multiday train journey cross country. (How I miss it!). The author highlights various Native american leaders and their stories and achievements. There are also some great portraits in here...some from the 1800's.

[Sha'ron]

I am currently reading The Tattooed Soldier by Hector Tabor about the repercussions of the Guatemalan Revolution through two characters. It divulges into Mayan vs. Spaniard American vs. immigrant solider vs. student. I was hesitant at first because it mixes Spanish with English but sparingly and it is a powerful novel so far!

[Melissa]

Recommending Above the East China Sea by Sarah Bird - it's set on Okinawa, with storylines moving between WWII and the present day, and brings up a lot of issues about the destruction of native Okinawan culture by first the Japanese and then the US.

[Megan]

Would the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs count? The character is Native American and there's a spin off series 'Alpha and Omega' with another Native American protagonist. I imagine it counts, but I love Briggs so it almost feels like cheating.

[Jolynne]

Teresa wrote: "For anyone still deciding, I can recommend "The Education of Little Tree" The Education of Little Tree"

FYI - http://www.npr.org/2012/04/20/1510370...

[Danielle]

I feel like I went with the obvious choice of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," but I already owned it and it has been in my TBR pile for a while! Loved the book!

[Srividya]

Just finished The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

[Teresa]

Jolynne wrote: "Teresa wrote: "For anyone still deciding, I can recommend "The Education of Little Tree" The Education of Little Tree"

FYI - http://www..."
Jolynne, thank you for posting! I am so thoroughly disappointed. I did not know about this author or his history. I would hate to support anyone who promotes segregation or prejudice. Years ago, I thought the book was charming as a story of a small boy being raised by his grandparents and loved the scene in the church with his frog. I am not inclined to recommend anyone reading this book any longer after reading the NPR article.

[Erika]

I'm reading Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko for this one. I had to read Ceremony in high school and remember really liking it, so I figured why not give one of her other books a try?

As an added bonus, she lives in my hometown so nice little perk

[Pat]

The Bone-Seeker-M.J.McGrath-murder in an Inuit community.

[Kathy]

Finished The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie. Loved it. His Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is also good.

[Doug]

I'm late kicking off this challenge (just got started this month), but I started with this task and read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I managed to read it in a day, which is quite unusual for me, as I tend to be a bit of a slower reader. I cannot properly express how much I loved this book. Makes me want to read more Sherman Alexie. Although, I guess it really shouldn't surprise me. I loved Smoke Signals too.

[Nancy]

I'm taking an online class in Australian literature, and the lectures our first week included discussion of the work (called songlines, too complicated to explain here) of the Aboriginal people. I'm sure I can find something from our reading list or further recommendations that will work for this challenge.

[Charissa]

I read The Orenda by Joseph Boyden and could not put it down. I had to put it in a different room in the house because I kept turning my lights on to read when I needed to be sleeping. It was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English fiction in 2013, longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize the same year, and won the Canada Reads competition in 2014. This is the first novel I've read by him and I cannot wait to read the rest!

[Loreen ☕️]

Either or . I can't decide.

[Jennifer]

I read and loved If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth for this task. It's the story of Lewis, a junior high aged boy living on a reservation near Niagara Falls during the 1970s. Lewis loves music, especially The Beatles, and those songs are weaved through the story. It's about friendship and family and being yourself.

[Erika]

Loreen wrote: "Either or . I can't decide."

Ceremony is an amazing book.

[Karen]

Erika wrote: "Loreen wrote: "Either or . I can't decide."

Ceremony is an amazing book."

I'm also thinking about reading Ceremony for this task. I've been meaning to read this book forever. I really enjoyed Love Medicine. I hope you do, too.

[Mary Sue]

I read by Thomas King. Originally I had used this as my Microhistory pick, but after reading a lot of the comments, I don't think t fit the definition, so I will use it for this task and select another microhistory.

[Mj]

I finished Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese on January 13th. Richard Wagamese is one of my favourite aboriginal authors - a wonderful story teller in keeping with a long oral Ojibway tradition. His written prose is very lyrical and descriptive and he deals with difficult aboriginal issues from his own experiences in a straight forward and optimistic manner.

[Sophie]

I read The Round House by Louise Erdrich. It really had echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird and I think will have to read more of her work now!

[Robin P]

Sophie wrote: "I read The Round House by Louise Erdrich. It really had echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird and I think will have to read more of her work now!"

Yes! I found the father in The Round House much like Atticus Finch. I haven't cared for Louise Erdrich before but I really liked this one.

[Jo]

I read The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich for this, having not seen this thread or read anything by her before, and I loved it. Definitely going to seek out more of her work.

[Glenn]

Forty Days Without Shadow by Olivier Truc, about the Sami of Sápmi (aka Lapland). Here's my review: http://www.imcpl.org/readersconnectio...

[Nancy]

I posted earlier that I would probably choose a book from an online course I was taking on Australian literature. I followed through on that with a mystery/detective novel called The Broken Shore by Peter Temple. It's a series, so I hope to read more.

[Diane]

While I have Sherman Alexie's Diary of a Part-Time Indian on my TBR pile, I nevertheless decided to read Michael Dorris' A Yellow Raft in Blue Water for this task. I've read several books by Louise Erdrich (Love Medicine, Tracks, The Beet Queen, The Round House) and decided to read the book by her late husband that has also been on my TBR stack for awhile.

[Lea]

Is fiction "inspired by a true story" acceptable for this do you think? Starting Geraldine Brooks "Caleb's Crossing" and am wondering if it could count. My other option, my husband had been wanting me to read, is "Empire of the Summer Moon" by SC Gwynne. Anyone have an opinion on these two selections?

[Lea]

Is fiction "inspired by a true story" acceptable for this do you think? Starting Geraldine Brooks "Caleb's Crossing" and am wondering if it could count. My other option, my husband had been wanting me to read, is "Empire of the Summer Moon" by SC Gwynne. Anyone have an opinion on these two selections?

[Robin P]

Lea wrote: "Is fiction "inspired by a true story" acceptable for this do you think? Starting Geraldine Brooks "Caleb's Crossing" and am wondering if it could count. My other option, my husband had been wanting..."

Yes, that should be fine - Either fiction or nonfiction can work for this category, and it can either be "by or about" the person from an indigenous culture (or both of course). I've had that book on and off my To Be Read list ever since it came out so I'm curious as to how you like it.

[Book Riot]

Lea wrote: "Is fiction "inspired by a true story" acceptable for this do you think? Starting Geraldine Brooks "Caleb's Crossing" and am wondering if it could count. My other option, my husband had been wanting..."

Go for it!

[Elizabeth]

I chose Rudy Wiebe's "Big Bear" for this task. The actual facts are fascinating but the style of writing isn't enjoyable for me. It's a biography but there's a lot of "this is how I imagined it" that isn't based in reality that kind of bothers me. But the factual information is interesting enough to have me pushing myself to finish.

I chose to start this one on National Aboriginal Day here in Canada.

[Winter]

Would Things Fall Apart count?

[Winter]

Still wondering if Things Fall Apart would count? I'm not american or any other english first language spoken, I'm not entirely sure I understand all indegious encompass.

[Wellington]

I chose to read The Whale Rider for this challenge. I had seen the movie, but didn't realize it was based on a book. This was a beautiful story.

[Elizabeth]

I read Molokai by Alan Brennert. It's about a Native Hawaiian girl with leprosy sent to live at Kalaupapa.

[Becky]

I'm wondering if anyone else read The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami? (Or if it even counts in this category? But I learned a LOT about the lives of different Native American tribes.) Either way - I recommend this book!

[Ana-Maria]

Haven't read it, but it sounds fascinating! Thanx for the rec!

[Jen]

I expected this task to be a hard one for me, but it turns out I read a book that qualifies without realizing it. :-)

I read Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton, which is set in New Mexico, where the Master Vampire of the City of Albuquerque is Aztec. This is book nine in the Anita Blake series and it wasn't until I was reading book 14 or 15 that it hit me that Aztec characters were part of an indigenous culture.

Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Paulette]

I have enjoyed the mystery series by Tony Hillerman about detectives on the Navajo Tribal Police Force in the southwest. The status of Special Friend of the Dineh was conferred on Hillerman by the Navajo Nation and he was very respectful in his portrayal of Native Americans. After his death in 2008, his daughter Anne has continued the series. I listened to Spider Woman's Daughter and enjoyed the Navajo accent in the dialogue. It would be hard to start with this book which is late in the series. If you are interested, start with Skinwalkers which features my favorite characters, Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn.

[Catherine]

Following a few people's lead on this and going with The Round House by Louise Erdrich.

[Catherine]

Following a few people's lead on this and going with The Round House by Louise Erdrich.

[Kerry]

Would Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff count for this one?

[Heidi]

Just finished Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown . Great book about the devastation of the American Indian. When I say great book, I mean that it is well researched and well written. The subject matter is of course very sad and disturbing.

[Diana]

Heidi wrote: "Just finished Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown . Great bo..."

I choose the same book and felt exactly the same way you did. It is a very disturbing book.

[Carlene]

I just finished "So How Long Have You Been Native?" by Alexis Bunten. Its all about a tourism company in Alaska run by and about Alaska Natives, and about commercializing native culture. Its set in the town I live in (Sitka AK), so I grabbed it this summer while working in the tourism industry. Even with the names changed, I recognized a few people from around town, and even a roller derby teammate of mine!

[Jennifer]

I'm putting Restless In The Grave by Dana Stabenow in this category. It is book 19 in the Kate Shugak series. Kate Shugak is an Aleut living in a national park in Alaska. I usually find these to be interesting reads. Not spectacular, but good enough to keep reading them. This one was just kinda so-so. But, that's okay! I have 5 categories to go....and 2 1/2 months to do it.

[Tracy]

Ste wrote: "I've been looking around and even considered reading one of the books recommended on the lists, but since I'm Brazilian I figured this task must be about an indigenous people from Brazil.

So, I en..."

Ste wrote: "I've been looking around and even considered reading one of the books recommended on the lists, but since I'm Brazilian I figured this task must be about an indigenous people from Brazil.

So, I en..."

Great, I have been in Brazil several times recently and was looking for a book on Brazil. I will try this one.