Name: Fraser Simons's review of The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
Item: The Inconvenient Indian
Rating: 5
Author: Fraser Simons

Thomas King

Thomas King offers a deeply knowing, darkly funny, unabashedly opinionated, and utterly unconventional account of Indian–White relations in North America since initial contact. Both timeless and timely, The Inconvenient Indian ultimately rejects the pessimism and cynicism with which Natives and Whites regard one another to chart a new and just way forward for Indians and non-Indians alike.

A Curious Account of Native People in North America

The Inconvenient Indian

Fraser Simons

WINNER of the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize 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.

Erin G.

At first I wasn't sure about the irreverent tone for such a serious subject. But using humour was such clever way of presenting so many (relentlessly) painful truths about our history. Unfortunately as relevant in 2020 as it was when it came out in 2012.

Lyric Hooey

This book, to no fault of its own, took me forever to read. This was only because I have a hard time retaining dates and names, which this consists a lot of. I’d often have to reread pages just to make sure I was absorbing what was being discussed. However the meat of the book was brilliant and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about indigenous people in North America and how they have been treated as an inconvenience to the government and the “whites”.

Exceptional. Thomas King opts to present history from his own lens with his own personality and the result is an exceptionally witty dialogue with historical events. He points out the stereotypes most associated with indigenous peoples and where they came from, disarming them effortlessly. 

Every argument I’ve heard from people about what indigenous peoples’ “problems” are, is interrogated aptly and succinctly here. 

It also goes into a surprisingly comprehensive look at events in all of North America and contrasts United States and Canada, disallowing the typical arguments you hear from people from either country. 

He does all of this with his own voice. And states his intentions up front, knowing full well some people would attempt to discredit this history lesson because of goal posts set as to how a history book ought to be presented. And he doesn’t care at all. The result of allowing himself his own voice and history within the text, in my mind, creates an accurate picture that comes with the lived experience of a person who knows what he is talking about.

It’s the best book on the subject I’ve read. Period. And I have read quite a few.

Jade Flynn

Jordan Robinson

Phil James

This makes a very hard history easy to read. Thomas King's wonderful black humour doesn't whitewash any of the tragedies but adds poignancy to the absurd errors and deliberate evil of colonialism in North America.

Andrew Reeves

Helen Bright

Maya Kumagai

Elham Islam

Kaitlyn Knezevich 

Andrew Louis

Elyse Peter

Alison Fincher

Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, The Inconvenient Indian distills the insights gleaned from Thomas King's critical and personal meditation on what it means to be "Indian" in North America, 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.

Stephanie Ridiculous

Ashton Vint

Susan Forsythe

Thomas King offers a deeply knowing, darkly funny, unabashedly opinionated, and utterly unconventional account of Indian-White relations in North America since initial contact. Both timeless and timely, The Inconvenient Indian ultimately rejects the pessimism and cynicism with which Natives and Whites regard one another to chart a new and just way forward for Indians and non-Indians alike.

Fraser Simons &
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

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Fraser Simons &The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

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Fraser Simons &
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King