by David Treuer
First published 2012
David Treuer turns his novelist's eye toward the realities of contemporary Native American reservation life. An Ojibwe member who grew up on Minnesota's Leech Lake Reservation before receiving a mainstream education, Treuer investigates the forces reshaping tribal communities today. He documents how federal policies have systematically disenfranchised Native populations while examining the modern institutions that now define reservation existence. Through conversations with students, educators, government officials, attorneys, and tribal judges, Treuer reveals how casinos, tribal governments, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have altered the Native American landscape. His reporting spans issues from sovereignty disputes and treaty rights to natural resource management and cultural preservation. The book confronts both the persistence of crime and poverty alongside new sources of wealth and power. Treuer's dual perspective as an insider who understands mainstream America allows him to bridge worlds often kept separate. This work of history and journalism offers readers an unvarnished look at Native American life today.
Genres: american, 21st-century, native-american, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: bridge-between-worlds, insider-perspective
Setting: Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota
Period: Contemporary
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