The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America Hardcover – September 5, 2013

Ahh this book is incredibly informative. I wish every person in America had access to it so we could become more educated as a society on what our history entails.

I found this book listed on a college must read list, so I looked it up on Amazon, read the opening and was immediately hooked. I liked Thomas King’s sense of humor and writing style. This is one of the best written books I have ever read, especially where History is concerned. Thomas King is a brilliant writer who draws the reader in with historical facts, funny anecdotes, and his own personal experiences with being a Native American. The humor was inserted at just the right moments to help ease the tension arising amidst the tumultuous events that happened in North America for the last four hundred years. I was thoroughly disappointed when I read the last word of the book, because it was over. I want more! My favorite line is, “Most of us think that history is the past. It’s not. History is the stories we tell about the past. That’s all it is.” (pg. 3)This book isn’t always an easy read, but it is one that everyone should read. Thank you, Mr. King, for creating this exciting and thought-provoking book.

I appreciate that this author focuses on explaining the themes of the history of Native American-White relations, using specific stories and accounts to exemplify the theme he’s depicting for the reader, as opposed to writing a purely dry, linear, and fact based account of history. The author’s humor woven throughout is appreciated, although by the end it felt more like sarcasm than satire. But, if it was sarcasm, it is for good reason.

As a Native person (Abenaki) and lecturer, this book is a superb commentary on contemporary Native life. While there are a few historical inaccuracies (Mohawks are a part of the Iroquois-Six Nations) none of these issues contradict the outcomes or observations of the author. Chapter 3 in particular is genius. The identification and definition of Native Americans as "Dead Indians," "Real Indians," and "Legal Indians," explains so much of how we as a people are perceived by the general population. The expressions "Inconvenient Indian" and "Dead Indians" have become important parts of my lectures and discussions. This is an easy read, especially as history goes. Mr. King incorporates enough humor to allow his more biting observations to become more palatable to the non-Native reader. There are only a very few resources that capture 21st century Native life. This is one of those precious resources..

I have several books on the subject of the European colonization of the North American continent and the brutal occupation and "ethnic cleansing" employed in the process. I am not Native American being totally of northern European descent. I have studied the many cultures of the many "First People" Nations and have many friends and acquaintances among them. My library of books on this subject include the "history" of this process from both points of view. I also have many novels by Native American writers as well as those of my own ethnic origin. I was initially surprised by the humor and lack of much ill will present in the works of fiction and of historical accounts in the writings and movies by Native American writers, but still presenting the story in a clear eyed view from their point of view. The European writers through the ages tend to either justify or distort this history or, more recently, bemoan the the injustice to the point of magnifying the degree almost to distortion in the other direction. I have several of Thomas King's books including novels as well as historical accounts, and all of his writings have me laughing through tears. I can only say again that this is the best on the subject ever.

Written in a light humorous way that is also deep, sad & painful…. Read to find out why. Indigenous Americans should be first in line if reparations are made!

The very best book i have ever read about the tangled history between Native Americans and the English, French and other invaders on this continent! With a wry sense of humor and crisp satiric bent, Thomas King has written a thoughtful, carefully researched account of what happened (and continues to be happening) to Natives who have been trampled on for centuries. Leavened by good humor and personal experiences, King's book should be required reading in every school in Canada and the U.S., in every place of worship, and in every home. After spending my entire career studying Native American literatures, I only wish that this book had been available to me and my 100's of students in my high school and college classes! You have written a masterpiece, Dr. King!

I liked the author's style of writing,his sarcasm and cynicism. He would be an interesting professor. As a born Canadian I was saddened by the words about the residential Indian school, my childhood home of Winnipeg Manitoba.We cannot correct past history (being tried in the Us) and education degrees are still earned and respected...but for how long? It is my hope that we (white non native) can learn the lessons of perseverance and tenacity from the first peoples of North America.

It is good to read the perspective of the people victimized by the non-coloured throughout Canadian history. Like the author says it is an account not a history, however it is a summary of important events and the consequences to the “Indian”. It is a dry humour and sometimes sardonic description of what it means to be treated as an inconvenience and if you truly did not know, after reading this book, you will know.

Detailed chronicle of the parlous and underhand treatment of the indigenous populations of the North American continent, from the time of first encounters to the present day and sadly, still ongoing. Told with humour and without rancour.

This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. I don't know what it is. Is it a history, a novel, a story with lots of true? I don't know and I don't need to know - it is great to read and I'll read it again and again and again!

かつて「インディアン」と呼ばれていたネイティブ（カナダではファースト・ネイションと呼ばれます）の人たちの「歴史」です。カギカッコ付きで書いたのは、副題に account とあるように、教科書的な記述とはかなり違うからです。中立の立場で書くというのはそもそも不可能なのかもしれませんが、著者は自分のネイティブとしての生い立ちやネイティブの人たちの活動に関わって来た経験を踏まえて、自分の見方や声をはっきり出して書いているということをあらかじめ断る意味でこう言っています。その上で、ネイティブの人たちの経験、つまりアメリカ合衆国やカナダで白人にどう扱われて来たかという歴史を知るうえで、大変興味深い本です。題名にある inconvenient というのは「不都合な」くらいの意味でしょうか。誰にとって不都合なのかは... 明らかです。映画などポピュラー・カルチャーでの「インディアン」の扱いから書き出していて、そのあたりの知識がないと、はじめはややついていきにくいと感じるかもしれません。他方、かえってそういう話にこそ興味があるという方もいるでしょう。こちらは小説ですが、同じく先住民の人の視点で書かれたシャーマン・アレクシーの『はみだしインディアンのホントにホントの物語』（さくまゆみこ訳, 小学館, 2010年）と、ナラティブ（物語、語り方）の雰囲気が似ているところがあります。それは、ユーモアや皮肉がふんだんに盛り込まれているところで、話している本人がユーモアを交えて語ってくれるのでなければ、北米の先住民の歴史や、先住民の個々人が体験してきたことは、かなり辛いお話になってしまいます。著者キングももちろんその一人なのですが、そのような辛い経験してきたネイティブの人たちからすれば、冗談にでもくるまなければ語れないような話だな、と思って読んでいたのですが、巻末に収められている著者とのインタビューで、実際そのようなことが言われていました。また、これこれのことが起きたという事実を並べていくと、読者は読むのをやめてしまうので、ユーモアを交えるというナラティブを選んだとも言っています。著者は元々フィクションを好むようで、基本的にはそちらのジャンルの作家です。ラジオのパーソナリティのようなことなどもしていましたし、写真も撮るようです。この本を書くのに6年かかったそうで、こういうノンフィクションはもう書かない、とのことです。ともあれ、この本は北米先住民族の歴史を知る上でたいへんよくまとまった一冊で、しかもたいへん魅力的な、読者を飽きさせないストーリーに仕立てられています。先住民だけでなく、アメリカやカナダの歴史を知る上でも、重要な本だと思います。ぜひご一読をお勧めします。

J'ai découvert il y a peu Thomas King et je ne le lâche plus. Si vous vous intéressez ne serait qu'un petit peu aux Amérindiens, il faut lire ce livre. S'ils ne vous intéressent pas, il faut lire ce livre et vous apprendrez qu'ils vivent encore. Vous n'avez pas besoin d'être un krack en anglais, ce livre est très abordable et de plus Thomas King a un humour caustique que j'adore.