I learned a tremendous amount reading this book, both gaining totally new information, and a new perspective on previous information.

When you read a book that's over 30 years old, and much of it remains relevant, especially when it's a manifesto ripe with biting social critique, it kind of stings a little. It makes you bitter while you read it. Deloria's book here manages that while providing humorous insights and perspectives, at both times a history and a proposal for moving forward. While dated in some aspects, specifically in regards to his views & statements on the Black power movements (or I just flat out disagree with his assessment of militant, violent political movements of the 1970s), Deloria can and should be applauded here for attempting to assess the myriad ways political movements can potentially engage with each other, and the ways in which they can fail.

Of most interest and perhaps utility to modern readers would be Deloria's takes on nationalism and tribalism, and how they can provide vehicles for movements to see their way through white supremacy and colonialism. Leftists will probably hesitate at these terms, as I have and still often do, but in the context of colonialism and decolonization we must broaden our definitions and perspectives of how these terms can exist beyond and against xenophobia and white supremacy.

I look forward to thinking about this book for a long time.

Super important read. Going to reread with family. Looking forward to getting back into his other work, "God is Red". This shows a much more nuanced picture of the state of "Indian" affairs as of the 1970's and 80's and is strikingly similar to some aspects we see today. It is funny at times, painfully blunt and honest at others and engaging all the way through.

This book makes me want to explore further the nature of individualism vs. tribalism. Deloria points out later in the book that much of society in America became corporate tribalism even as tribes were forcibly shifted to individuals and continuously divided. Honestly, the more I understand about the differences and how they effect the psyche of a populace, the more individualism scares me. Another book I read awhile ago goes into how the Chilean people were made to feel just how 'individual' they were through torture and psychological trauma. I see that we did this shit first, to Native Americans.

Another thing this book shows me is how easily one can turn another human being into an object, losing site of the people for the cause or the money or the land.

I started off borrowing this one after purchasing and starting into Deloria's later work, "God is Red". Later, I bought it. Now I feel like I can go into his next work with a bit more understanding of his perspective.

Really worth reading. Really important reading.

Wow. Written 50 years ago and I'll bet pretty much everything described is still the same. 😟

Tough subject, enjoyed the sarcastic tone.

This was a great analysis of lots of different aspects of Indian life in the US, and how the government, church, archaeologists/academia, and other outside forces have shaped the situation in 1968 (when the book was published). It's amazing that this was released over 50 years ago when it seems some of these issues are still currently being dealt with (or, in most cases, NOT dealt with).

The author's biting wit definitely pushed me to continue - each chapter is pretty long and has few breaks, and I didn't absorb some of the more technical legal details - and I really appreciated the last chapter about the future of recolonization. As a descendant of european immigrants/colonizers, I'm ready. From what I've been learning, this country would be much better if we adopted some Indigenous practices (GOODBYE, CAPITALISM!) and gave all of the #LANDBACK