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Nov 28, 2022Liked by William Hogeland

These books are meant to be seen not read.

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I also read David Treuer's review in the New Yorker, and had similar concerns. Perhaps Treuer's own book, "The Heartbreak of Wounded Knee," provides some clues. My main takeaway was Treuer's almost desperate desire for native peoples to be seen as canny survivors, not as victims. Your timely column will make me finally get around to reading "Autumn of the Black Snake," which I bought months ago. One more thought - I found Graeber & Wendat's "The Dawn of Everything" a revelation on native history in North America.

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Have you read Hämäläinen’s Lakota book? It’s been on my radar but I haven’t read it. It seems likely that it avoids some of these issues by being more focused.

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