The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

• Genre: Nonfiction; history; social commentary
• Originally Published: 2012
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: 10 chapters and prologue; approximately 272 pages; approximately 9 hours, 56 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: The Inconvenient Indian is Thomas King’s exploration and critique of the history and current circumstances of Indigenous peoples in North America. King uses a mixture of history, storytelling, and personal reflection to discuss Indigenous peoples’ cultural, political, and legal struggles and challenge conventional narratives about Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States. King addresses serious issues such as land rights, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation, while urging a rethinking of commonly held beliefs about Indigenous history and identity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Discussions of colonization, cultural genocide, and racial discrimination; descriptions of violence and historical injustices; use of outdated, potentially insensitive language (this Teaching Guide uses the term “Indigenous peoples” to refer to Indigenous groups in what is now Canada and the United States)

Thomas King, Author

• Bio: Born 1943; an American Canadian writer and broadcaster of Cherokee and Greek descent; known for works that focus on the experiences and histories of Indigenous peoples in North America
• Other Works: Green Grass, Running Water (1993); Truth and Bright Water (1999); The Back of the Turtle (2014); Indians on Vacation (2020)
• Awards: BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction (2014); RBC Taylor Prize (2014)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Construction of Race
• The Role of Land in Indigenous Peoples-White Conflicts
• The Fragility of Indigenous Peoples’ Sovereignty

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on the depiction of Indigenous history in mainstream sources and Indigenous attempts to respond to this perspective to increase student engagement with and understanding of The Inconvenient Indian.
• Read/study paired texts and other brief resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to The Construction of Race, The Role of Land in Indigenous-White Conflicts, and The Fragility of Indigenous Peoples’ Sovereignty.
• Demonstrate their understanding of King’s claims regarding land ownership by rewriting the lyrics to the Schoolhouse Rock song “Elbow Room” to reflect King’s perspective.
• Analyze and evaluate the text’s arguments and style and consider how these relate to both cultural and historical context and the text’s larger thematic ideas.