The Inconvenient Indian
A review of

The Inconvenient Indian

A Curious Account of Native People in North America

Thomas King • University of Minnesota Press • 2013

Extermination, Assimilation, Legalized Payback

by David Meyer

Professor Thomas King laments the brutal treatment of Native Americans and First Nations Canadians at the hands of white settlers and governments and offers a shameful history of greed and genocide.

Professor Thomas King eviscerates the United States and Canadian governments for their genocide of Native peoples. As he covers centuries of atrocities, he  illuminates the plight of the millions of Native peoples in North America. King uses the phrase “inconvenient Indian” to describe survivors who have resisted assimilation. 

King, who is professor emeritus at the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph, offers a heartbreaking, impressionistic analysis. His sharp wit and stylish writing make this a gripping read.

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