Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask [Paperback]

Anton Treuer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

“I had a profoundly well-educated Princetonian ask me, ‘Where is your tomahawk?’ I had a beautiful woman approach me in the college gymnasium and exclaim, ‘You have the most beautiful red skin.’ I took a friend to see Dances with Wolves and was told, ‘Your people have a beautiful culture.’ . . . I made many lifelong friends at college, and they supported but also challenged me with questions like, ‘Why should Indians have reservations?’ ”

What have you always wanted to know about Indians? Do you think you should already know the answers—or suspect that your questions may be offensive? In matterof-fact responses to over 120 questions, both thoughtful and outrageous, modern and historical, Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Anton Treuer gives a frank, funny, and sometimes personal tour of what’s up with Indians, anyway.

• What is the real story of Thanksgiving?
• Why are tribal languages important?
• What do you think of that incident where people died in a sweat lodge?

White/Indian relations are often characterized by guilt and anger. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask cuts through the emotion and builds a foundation for true understanding and positive action.

 

Anton Treuer, author of The Assassination of Hole in the Day and many other books on Ojibwe history and language, received an Ambassador Award in 2011 from Facing Race: We’re All in This Together, an initiative of the St. Paul Foundation. All around Minnesota, Treuer has given scores of public lectures and been asked hundreds of questions—many like the ones in this book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This collection of approximately 120 questions and answers, mainly gathered during the author's many public lectures on Native culture, can be used on many levels. Divided into chapters such as "Terminology"; "History"; "Religion, Culture, Identity"; "Powwow"; "Tribal Languages"; "Politics"; "Economics"; "Education"; and "Perspectives," questions range from general (What is a powwow? What were federal residential boarding schools?) to specific (How do tribal languages encapsulate a different world view?). Treuer, a Princeton scholar and member of the Ojibwe tribe, often uses personal examples in clear concise language, stating upfront that the views he expresses are his own. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations, both historical and modern, accompany the text where appropriate. Overall, this is a thoughtful and thought-provoking overview that serves to alleviate misconceptions and bridge knowledge gaps among cultures. A useful tool for students, an excellent resource for teachers, or simply an informative read for those interested in the topic, this book is for general purchase.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Libraryα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Borealis Books; 1 edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873518616
• ISBN-13: 978-0873518611
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.6 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Executive Director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University. He has a B.A. from Princeton University, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language and author of 9 books: Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Ojibwe in Minnesota ("Minnesota's Best Read for 2010" by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), The Assassination of Hole in the Day (Award of Merit Winner, American Association of State and Local History), Ezhichigeyang: Ojibwe Word List, Awesiinyensag: Dibaajimowinan Ji-gikinoo'amaageng ("Minnesota's Best Read for 2011" by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories, Aaniin Ekidong: Ojibwe Vocabulary Project, Indian Nations of North America, and Omaa Akiing. Dr. Treuer has sat on many organizational boards, including the White Earth Land Recovery Project, Sanford/MeritCare Health System, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Dr. Treuer has received more than 40 prestigious awards and fellowships from many organizations, including the American Philosophical Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bush Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear up misunderstandings and obliterate some stereotypes... September 14, 2012

By ewomack TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Indian? Native? Indigenous? First People? For non-natives, the entire subject of the original occupants of the land we now call the United States can overwhelm to a neuron popping degree. Not to mention the vast number of tribes, 300 or so, that once roamed this then unindustrialized continent. And each one had a unique culture, language and history. Not only that, these cultures have evolved and largely survived the United States government's forced and often brutal assimilation programs. Many also experience native people only in movies, books or tourist sites romanticizing the "Indian of old." American culture seems to have frozen its cultural predecessors in time something akin to a 19th century western. Things have improved, but most white people still likely know more about the "Indians" baseball team (and its rather grotesque caricature logo) than they know of the people the team is supposedly named after. But many non-natives grow up in a cultural vacuum that rarely, if ever, includes perspectives outside of the staus quo. This disconnected environment provides plenty of fuel for misunderstandings and resentment.

Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, has received numerous questions throughout his career, many that relate to or stem from the cultural disconnectedness mentioned above. Though admitting that he does not speak for all native populations, he hoped to collect a sort of frequently asked questions into book form as a reference for the curious. The resulting book uses the extremely familiar "Everything You Wanted to Know about [insert subject here] but were Afraid to Ask" title format. For the subject he chose "Indians." And just about every subject a non-native would want to ask about, except some salaciously improper ones, receives adequate coverage. Following a short introduction, which contains an amazing story involving numerous naked white people participating in an alleged sweat lodge, within which Treuer realizes that, fair or not, he often must act as "ambassador" for all native people, the book simply contains numerous questions and answers. Sections on Terminology, History, Religion, Culture & Identity, Powwow, Tribal Languages, Politics, Economics and Education contain often detailed answers to such questions as: "What terms are not appropriate for talking about North America's first people?" "What is the real story of Columbus?" "What is Indian time?" "Can white people dance at powwows?" "Why is it funnier in Indian?" "Why do Indians have reservations?" "Why are Indian politics often such a viper's pit?" "Are all Indians living in extreme poverty?" "Do all Indians have a free ride to college?" "Is there something wrong with saying that my great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess?" The totality of subjects examined defies summary. Anyone with little to no knowledge of native life and people will learn many surprising and insightful things. Numerous stereotypes and assumptions get deftly overturned in less than 200 pages. The longest chapter on politics is particularly detailed, likely because the concept of sovereignty and treaty rights continues to confuse many Americans. And no one would claim that these issues are straightforward. Though not every nuance gets examined and many problems and some issues necessarily receive only cursory treatment - no single book could cover it all - Treuer has done an admirable job of summarizing and pinpointing the major issues that non-native people would find interesting or puzzling. Also, the chapters don't build on each other (the text explicitly calls out any dependencies between sections), so the book really remains a reference that permits browsing on individual topics.

As a starting point towards understanding, or just to sate a fervent curiosity, this book delivers. That it covers historical issues as well as contemporary ones will help those who remain perplexed by current native and non-native politics and interactions. An extensive bibliography and filmography also points towards further reading and study. And though the book doesn't cover "everything" one may want to know, it definitely covers enough material for anyone to start down a path of understanding.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost Everything About the Indian April 29, 2012

By Tom A. Kanthak

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a white teacher who is trying to impart to my (primarily white) students what I have learned from my Indian brothers and good Niijii's, Dr. Treuer's version of a cultural "Dear Abby" will be a valuable text for my American Indian Aesthetics class. The PC Police has made it difficult for the young adults I work with to honestly and innocently ask questions about the first people of MN. Many of my students come from all over the State of MN and have never had "First Contact" with a Real Indian and it's a huge paradigm shift for them to actually engage in a meaningful relationship with other students their age who are Indian. For the less culturally experienced, "Everything You Wanted To Know . . . " is a much needed how-to book for the Indigenously Challenged.

Dr. Treuer has found a voice that speaks from a gentle heart and an experienced, knowledgable mind. Homosexuality, drug and alcohol abuse, casinos, taxes, blood quantum, corrupt tribal governments, and more topics are aboriginal rocks that are unturned in this book. He's not afraid to "rassle" with difficult issues that will, no doubt, cause him a lot of trouble. We should all admire his selfless courage and willingness to expose and be honest about many issues that many of the Native people don't want exposed. He made it clear from the beginning of the book that his ideas and opinions about issues are his as an American Anishinaabe man and not those of the entire Indian population.

One strong message that is missing in this book that was the strongest message I ever got from Dr. Treuer is, "The Indian knows what's best for the Indian." In other words, don't come charging in to the closest reservation trying to tell the Indian how you can help them make things better. Historically, they've had enough of that. Just take some of the advice that Dr. Treuer offers in this book and tell all your friends to buy this book. And then go to the local school board and insist that it be a part of the district curriculum.

Gi-Chii-Mii-gwech

P.S. Tony, you didn't answer the burning question about full-bloods. Is it true that "real" full-bloods don't have pubic hair?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read but full of sobering tales of Indians' past treatment October 8, 2012

By BobDC

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is easy to read in short sessions, but you'll find yourself drawn into reading to the end of his stories. Prof. Treuer knows this subject from the "inside" from being an active member of his tribe, from careful study of available research, and from his own travels around the world. Before buying and reading this book, I knew some about Indians in North America from my own reading and from living and working on a reservation when I was younger. But, in every section of this excellent book, I learned much more. This is a superb book. I hope he writes some more!