Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
Dr. Anton Treuer 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. In his essential, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Treuer takes readers through 120 questions – modern and historical, simple and complex, silly and serious, to create a greater understanding and knowledge of Native American people and culture.
Living on the North Shore of Lake Superior, a mere twenty miles from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, commonly known as the Grand Portage Anishinaabe, I have a responsibility to learn and understand more about the first people that inhabited this area. They are my friends and neighbors, and I often don’t verbalize the questions I have because I don’t want to say anything offensive or reveal my ignorance. Treuer’s book is a straightforward path through what could be a minefield, one that to be honest, creates anxiety and for me and impairs genuine connection and communication.
The book is divided into sections -- Terminology, History, Religion, Culture & Identity, Politics, Education, Social Activism, and Finding Ways to Make a Difference. Treuer lists the questions and answers to common subjects that have been asked throughout his teaching and speaking career. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask is an essential addition to every reference library.
Anton Treuer will be the Featured Speaker at the 2022 North House Folk School Winter Gathering in Grand Marais, Minnesota on November 19 at 7:30 pm. Additionally, the Cook County Community Read for November will be Anton Treuer’s The Cultural Toolbox; Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World. Join in the conversation on November 17 from 5:30-7:30 at Cook County Higher Education.
This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews. Listen to my author interviews and reviews on Superior Reads, WTIP Radio, Grand Marais, Minnesota and on the web at www.wtip.org.
