This book was written as a resource for both Indians and non-Indians to use as an informational text while being entertained. It is filled with questions regarding Native American people and their lives which stem from stereotyping, lack of knowledge, historical misconceptions, and lack of truthful representation of Native American people. Treuer answers the questions throughout the book using Native humor to explain why while showing respect to fellow Natives and other Native nations. He uses his expertise and experience to aid understanding in an engaging way. I highly recommend this book to young adolescents and adults in every ethnic groups and in all professionals. ( )

Glad I picked this up. It ended up being sort of a collateral read when I was researching book titles to focus on for a class project. I didn’t end up going with this title, but having it at home, and reading There There got me curious.
The author makes it clear from the beginning that he doesn’t speak for all Indians (American Indians). A lot of history he provides encompasses the experiences of more than one nation, and it provides a good intro/overview of important topics. I appreciated what he had to say and how he said it. This book was eye-opening and educational, and it’s given me a lot to think about. I’ve seen complaints in other reviews that it’s repetitive, but I was glad that he re-emphasized things and referred back to previous passages. As I get older, I worry about retaining the nonfiction I read, so his style worked well for me.
There’s a long list of recommended reading and viewing in the back of the book for those who want to dig deeper into individual issues. I think this would be great required reading for high schools across the country. ( )

I saw Dr. Treuer speak in Grand Marais, MN. I wanted to read this book after meeting him.
He is an excellent speaker and writer.
A quote from the book:
"Many tribal languages were never written. Why do they write them now? At one point in time, white people never used cars, so why do they use them now?"
He says we need to confront our collective past, historical trauma, and inequities.
The format of giving answers to commonly stated questions makes the reading clear and meaningful. Very informative.
( )

Does what it says on the tin, really, with the book set up with frequently asked questions (asked of Treuer at his speaking engagements, I gather) and his considered answers, grouped into chapters by theme. Very occasionally a little dry, but mostly fascinating, well-written, and wonderfully educational. My only quibble would be that sometimes I knew so little that I didn't even understand the questions, and I think in almost every instance Treuer could have eliminated resulting confusions with one or two sentences of simple explanation before going into his lengthier, detailed answers. Recommended. ( )

This book is a primer of sorts, aimed at helping white Americans to "understand, rather than imagine" their native fellow citizens. Presented in a Q & A format, based on the author's public appearances with the same goal, it is easy to take it in small bites for better processing. Although it did not really tell me everything I'd like to know about Native American culture and history (there are at least 50 books in my catalog tagged "Native American" and reading ALL of those would not fulfill that need), it is a good jumping off place for further reading. It covers a lot of ground in a generalized way, from the arrival of Europeans on the North American Continent to the politics of the reservation in the 21st century, and offers a suggested reading list for deeper exploration of what it means to be Indian. ( )