This should be required reading in our schools.

I grew up in a small town in Southeast Alaska around Native Alaskan culture. Through elementary school we learned about Northwest Coast art, music, dancing, mythology, among other things.

In high school one of our required classes was Alaska state history, which delved more deeply into things like the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1977 and the repercussions of that legislation.

I married a man who is Alaska Native, and also a member of one of the Salish Coast tribes mentioned briefly in this book.

I say all of that because I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to learn about Native culture to an extent that unfortunately isn’t the norm in our country. Because of that, I didn’t expect this to have the impact on my feelings that it did.

I am so thankful that this book exists. There are so many misconceptions about Indigenous people and their history, and this book really confronts and examines them. I think the most impactful moments come when the author uses anecdotes he's collected from the research he's done.

I'm honestly not sure how to really dive deep into analyzing this book because I just finished it and I have a LOT of feelings, but needless to say I recommend that everyone read this book.