Guest Post: Lakota by Andrew Joyce
My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. I would like to thank Anne for allowing me to be here today to promote my latest, Yellow Hair, which documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage I write about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in my fact-based tale of fiction were real people and I use their real names. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century.
Note from Anne: If you’re still looking for an American History stamp on your
Fall Bookish Bingo card…look no further!
This was a great + interesting guest post… I loved reading the creation story of Dakota!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Me too! Native American History = awesome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Word!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Really interesting guest post. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! (on behalf of Andrew too :D)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really Interesting post! I read Dee Brown’s book of the Battle at Little Big Horn, and I wanted to read Burry My Heart at Wounded Knee, but I couldn’t make myself read it. Again, great post ^_^
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m pretty sure this one is going to be a lot less ‘dry’ than that! 😀 Thank you! (which feels weird to say because I didn’t write it 😉 )
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s not that it was dry, but more that it was quite a heavy read emotionally
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oooh, I didn’t want to ask, so I just assumed it was dry :’). My bad! But I can see how it’s an emotional read for sure. I can’t stand injustice and would probably get worked up over it as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an interesting post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thought so too! 😀
LikeLike
I like this Anne!!! Since I live in America this was super cool for me to read because it has history to the Indian Reservations that still exist =)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’d love to visit one some day, but then figured that I don’t want it to be a tourist attraction either. Very interesting, though! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
you wouldn’t! so many people come over to see the reservations but right now things are tough. the government wants to add a dakota access pipeline but that would make the reservations have nowhere to live, also cut access to water and other goods. which SUCKS!!!!!! i dont stand for the pipeline at all.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Neither do I. It’s such a mess. We already took away most of the land we promised them. Come ON people.
LikeLiked by 3 people
RIGHT?!?! EXACTLY!!!!!!!!
LikeLiked by 3 people
That’s awful!! Haven’t they suffered enough already?! 😡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly!
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is really fascinating. I wasn’t certain what to expect from this story, and it definitely wasn’t this! The Native American peoples have such fascinating mythology. I wish I knew more about it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
They certainly have! I just finished a book that uses Native American mythology while it’s dark fantasy. Really cool! This post just showed me that I know so little about all of it myself as well :).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh! That sounds cool. What book is it?
LikeLiked by 2 people
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29743933-they-mostly-come-out-at-night I was hoping I could review it today, but review slump + feeling slightly off = meh!
LikeLike
Is this written from the Native American POV?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have no idea actually, but I’m sure Andrew will have an answer for you once he sees this 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is. To the extent that I learned the Lakota language.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Did you have a sensitiviuty reader? “Learning” a language has nothing to do with knowing a culture well enough to speak for them from their POV. You have already used anglicized terms in the above text. Sorry for being a downer, but I am all too close to this subject and I was going to just pass on by, but my heart would not let me. I am a firm believer in #OwnVoices. Too many people read books thinking they are getting the correct information and they are not. Please let marginalized groups tell their own story.
LikeLike
I agree with La La … to a point. But genocide is genocide whether you call it Dachau or Wounded Knee. Does one have to be Jewish to write about the Holocaust?
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you are writing from the Jewish perspective, I would hope so! The problem is it is a huge no no for non indigenous co-opt indigenous narratives in the US today, especially from a Native American POV. There are tribally affiliated authors writing these stories . It is even frowned upon for one tribal nation to write about another’s history. It just isn’t done anymore. Plus, from reading the info above, with all of the anglicizations, what he immersed himself in was the outdated white version of history. Even if sympathetic, we need to be moving past those narratives and read Own Voices stories.
There is a tribally affiliated Pueblo with a PHD in American Literature who has a list of Children’s, Middle Grade, and YA books authored by Native Americans and First Nations peoples. I asked her today if she knows of a list for Adult Fiction. If she gives me one I will post the link.
Sorry about being negative, but this just hits to close to home for me. I feel awful, but my heart wouldn’t let me skip over this post.
LikeLike
If you get that list, I will make a separate post of it so we can see this topic from several perspectives. With my limited amount of knowledge on the subject, I’m going to remain a bit of a Switzerland in this discussion :). I understand the importance of Own Voices stories, but I can also understand that as long as the story is told with genuine empathy, it counts for something as well. Which is all easy for me to say because, hardly any knowledge plus zero experience here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here is the first info to come in, but there will be more. I just remembered that I actually know a Lakota author who writes Contemporary YA. She will probablky have some suggestions, too.
http://birchbarkbooks.com/memoir-and-biography
LikeLike
Here is a list of 20 must read Native Anerucan authors.
http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/20-native-american-authors-you-need-to-read/
LikeLike
You know, if a non indigenous author just has to write about Native American history then by all means write it, but not from the indigenous point of view.There are plenty of Native Americans telling their own tribal stories. Let them tell it. I know when I read about other cultures I want to know it is from first hand knowledge. That way I know I am not basing any of my thoughts and ideas on weak or maybe unintentionally misguided research.
I would also like to know what this author’s definition of “immersion” is because that is a huge eye-roller for people in marginalized groups.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s called “empathy” and most humans have it. I don’t have to be a woman to write about the treatment some women endure and I don’t have to be a Jew to write about the holocaust. And I don’t have to be a dog to write about the mistreatment of animals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But you wouldn’t write it from the woman’s POV, would you? Let’s put it this way, if a white guy wrote a story about slavery from a black slave’s POV there would be outrage, at least I hope there would be. People should view white guys writing about Native Americans from the indigenous POV in the same way. Just write it as a white male onlooker, just in case your narrative ends up being less than authentic because you had to research it instead of living it, or hearing oral histories from your grandparents !
LikeLiked by 1 person
My Grandmother was full blooded Ojibwe and having worked on Indian Reservations for 25 years, I am always suspect of non-natives writing about the culture. Still, this sounds interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow! You have a very fascinating heritage all around! I’m pretty sure Andrew here has done his research thoroughly but I can totally understand where you’re coming from as well. I’d probably feel the same way! You could give it a shot to see for yourself 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you about non-natives writing about Native Americans. All I can say is that for almost six years while I wrote the book, I immersed myself in the Dakota/Lakota culture of the 19th century to the point of learning the language.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi, you’ve written such a candid post and, having read Yellow Hair, I just wanted to give just my opinion on your concern. I see the author replied below, and I would say that his immersion into that culture and history was very evident to me as I read it. But at least as important as that was the sense I got that he was (is) sympathetic and empathetic….and deeply outraged at the deplorable way white settlers and the US government treated the indigenous peoples. Anyway, just my two cents, for what it’s worth. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is such an informative post! I really need to know more about Native American history. I will probably read this several times to let it all sink in. I am embarrassed by how little I know 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
I had to read it several times myself to grasp it all ;). But Native American history is really fascinating. And sad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not only a great post, but the book is really interesting and an eye-opener. I loved it, as painful as it was to read, it’s an important story, all based in fact. To those of you who commented about wanting to know more, you could google it, of course, but you might want to check out Yellow Hair, too. Mr. Joyce explains the history in a way that is very easy to absorb–and very hard to forget. A compelling read.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I guess I have two more cents . . . a writer doesn’t need a “sensitivity reader” if they have something else – it’s called empathy. Are you, La La Library, saying that a human being can’t feel, can’t understand, and therefore can’t write about the sufferings of other human beings? If so, then those that try to keep a light shining on injustices around the world by writing about them really ought to keep their thoughts to themselves.
I’d like to comment on your other point. A writer of historical fiction always gives the reader “correct” information IF they have done their research, and–after having actually read Yellow Hair–I’d say that this writer did his homework. I understand your support for Own Voices, nothing wrong with having an agenda like that. But since you made judgments about the book being featured here, I would challenge you to actually read it. Then you’d have the right to judge its historical accuracy and the writer’s “right” to tell the story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
La La and Emily have good points. It is a pretty emotionally charged and sensitive area especially when digging up wounds of the past. I will say that the perspectives change within the Tribes as well as from Tribe to Tribe as to whom delivers the story. Some want it said, some don’t want it out there with a progressive spin, some think it should remain an oral history or uniquely native. Some natives feel that no matter how immersed one makes oneself they can never truly understand. Most don’t give a shjt what anyone writes. But that is for another debate. I will say that the “white people are bad rhetoric” wears thin as it continues to tarnish the image of the “Nation” as hate, in any form usually does. Anyone who works on a reservation who is non-native WILL experience the anathema in some form or another.
The veracity of the story teller will always be questioned and may piss off people who reside in a particular camp. That camp has every right to question the intent of the teller without reprisal.
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a wonderful story!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thought so too!! A very touchy subject as well as made clear in the other comments here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anne,
As if you don’t already have a list of awards to finish up, I decided to nominate you once again for another award, but if I am not mistaken, I don’t think you have been nominated for this one so it may be kind of fun 🙂 have a wonderful Saturday xxx
Shay-lon
LikeLiked by 2 people
I feel like Scrooge McDuck right now when it comes to awards XD. Thank you!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha! I love the ducks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forgot to mention, it is the mystery blogger award, at this link: https://fitness9555.wordpress.com/2016/11/05/the-mystery-blogger-award/
LikeLiked by 2 people
How nice to let your author friend post. I will be good and not say anything inappropriate, out of respect.
(But I can still think inappropriate thoughts…and you won’t know! 😂)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we have surpassed the level of inappropriateness on this post already anyways 😉
LikeLiked by 3 people
Good for you, Anne….respect!
LikeLike
You know I’m referring to the strange turn things took in the comment section, right? 🙂
LikeLike
Yup, I sure do! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s good ❤ just double checking 😉
LikeLike