Diversity in All Forms! discussion

October Bonus Read- Indigenous Resistance´s Day.


There There by Tommy Orange

Count me in.

I read this recently and am looking forward to the discussion. Enjoy-----I thought it was great!

I just finished this today - coincidentally on Indigenous People's Day, celebrated instead of Columbus Day here in Minnesota. Are there any discussion questions?

Suzy wrote: "I just finished this today - coincidentally on Indigenous People's Day, celebrated instead of Columbus Day here in Minnesota. Are there any discussion questions?"

Wisconsin is celebrating Indigenous People's Day too :)

Discuss the development of the "Urban Indian" identity and ownership of that label. How does it relate to the push for assimilation by the United States government? How do the characters in There There navigate this modern form of identity alongside their ancestral roots?

Mariah Roze wrote: "Suzy wrote: "I just finished this today - coincidentally on Indigenous People's Day, celebrated instead of Columbus Day here in Minnesota. Are there any discussion questions?"

Wisconsin is celebra..."

As we should, right?!! With so many indigenous groups and Native American nations in our states, it is a way to honor their presence. (My cynical side says we need this every day, but it is a start!) I see we must be neighbors with your GR photo being in front of a cranberry bog. :)

Mariah Roze wrote: "Suzy wrote: "I just finished this today - coincidentally on Indigenous People's Day, celebrated instead of Columbus Day here in Minnesota. Are there any discussion questions?"

Wisconsin is celebra..." In Evanston, Illinois, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day also.

Looping back about the discussion questions. I liked this book and after giving it some thought, the thing that stood out most to me was the feeling Native Americans living in urban areas seem to be living in a liminal state. Neither here nor there. The characters in There There don't necessarily assimilate into their city's culture, and at the same time many don't identify as Native. Like they are straddling two cultures, but not really OF either one. Possibly this is born of the dominant culture's drive for Indians to assimilate, while not being full accepted. So many ambiguous expectations of society, Native culture and self that go unmet and unresolved.

I listened to There There and felt lost much of the time as to who the characters were. I wish I had had a print copy of the book to follow along with. I plan to get a print copy from the library and reread to really get the full experience. It was a really well-done audiobook, but too hard to track with it.

Great comments, Suzy. I read a print copy and often flipped back to the list of characters provided at the front to recall who they were & relationship to others. It seemed like the urban natives were somewhat better off $$-wise vs. severe poverty on the rez, but still had many challenges, sadness. I took it as an overall tragedy, both the history of their people and the ending of the book(a present-day USA tragedy for peeps of all races, etc.)

Finally reading this book! It just came in :)

I finished this book two days ago and really enjoyed it. I felt the author did a great job at telling all the stories.

I liked it a lot,also. Overall, it had a tragic sadness to it. The characters and their situations, struggles,conversations, etc. seemed quite real.IMHO lol