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

Written by Thomas King

Narrated by Lorne Cardinal

The Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history—in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America.





Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other. In the process, King refashions old stories about historical events and figures, takes a sideways look at film and pop culture, relates his own complex experiences with activism, and articulates a deep and revolutionary understanding of the cumulative effects of ever-shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands.





This is a book both timeless and timely, burnished with anger but tempered by wit, and ultimately a hard-won offering of hope -- a sometimes inconvenient, but nonetheless indispensable account for all of us, Indian and non-Indian alike, seeking to understand how we might tell a new story for the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Novel Audio
• Release date: Apr 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781518996580

Thomas King

THOMAS KING has written several highly acclaimed children’s books, including A Coyote Columbus Story, illustrated by William Kent Monkman, a Governor General’s Award finalist. He was a Professor of English at the University of Guelph for many years. He has won the Governor General’s Award for his adult fiction and has been nominated for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Reviews for The Inconvenient Indian

[Clarky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent and informative read. King's account covers a wide range of topics within North American native history and cultures. He contextualizes stories of the past with the present, and stories of the present with the past. He offers a frank perspective that is often humorous and, at times, quite heartbreaking. I particularly appreciated how he nodded to opposing perspectives, providing his own (and facts to back it up) with good humor but also no nonsense.

[Julie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

EVERYONE needs to read this book! Unbelievable! How has this been going on for so long and we don't hear about it? Oh, right, it's generally on the back pages of a newspaper, close to the end of the news broadcast and buried at the bottom of the internet news....

[Valerie Cardinal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A must read for everyone! Hard truths told in poignant manner, humorous but real.

[Alexander Adair · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very slow reading but good, important concepts and facts. Would recommend if interested in Native history but you will need to speed up the voice.

[Angie Herrera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book! Audio reading performance by Lorne is superb ?