Thomas King is known for works in which he addresses the marginalization of American Indians, delineates "pan-Indian" concerns and histories, and attempts to abolish common stereotypes about Native Americans. His writing often uncovers the complex issues facing Indigenous communities with a unique voice. King has become one of the foremost writers of fiction about Canada's Native people, and his works offer deep insight into their lives and cultures.
Wily trickster Coyote is having his friends over for a little solstice get-together in the woods. A little girl unexpectedly arrives, and leads the friends through the snowy woods to the mall. Coyote shops with abandon, only to discover that filling a shopping cart with goodies is not quite the same thing as actually paying for them, in this witty critique of consumerism and consumption.
With a totally fresh voice--carefully controlled yet without artifice--Thomas King presents a complex web of character, myth, folklore, and very contemporary experience. Green Grass, Running Water is a rich tale that ranges from a Blackfoot reservation to Hollywood, weaving magical humor, revisionist history, nostalgia and sacred humanity into one bright fabric.
A Curious Account of Native People in North America
In this deeply knowing and darkly funny account, the author explores Indian–White relations in North America from initial contact to the present. He debunks myths of Indian savagery and White heroism while examining the portrayal of Native peoples in film and popular culture. The narrative weaves through history, highlighting Native American resistance and the author's own experiences as a Native rights activist. With wit and wisdom, he articulates the profound effects of shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands. This work serves as both an engaging chronicle and a subversion of historical narratives, revealing what it means to be “Indian” in North America. The author views Native American history as a circular pattern, where tragic dynamics repeat themselves. Central to the dysfunction in Indian-White relations is the issue of land: “The issue has always been land.” This insight clarifies the history of broken treaties, forced removals, genocidal violence, and racist stereotypes faced by indigenous peoples. Ultimately, the work rejects the pessimism and cynicism that characterize interactions between Natives and Whites, advocating for a new and just path forward for both communities.
"One Good Story, That One" is a captivating collection by Thomas King that blends native oral tradition with humor and imagination. It weaves together Native and Judeo-Christian myths, contemporary pop culture, and literature, offering a rich tapestry of perception and experience.
Strong, Sassy women and hard-luck hardheaded men, all searching for the middle ground between Native American tradition and the modern world, perform an elaborate dance of approach and avoidance in this magical, rollicking tale by Cherokee author Thomas King. Alberta is a university professor who would like to trade her two boyfriends for a baby but no husband; Lionel is forty and still sells televisions for a patronizing boss; Eli and his log cabin stand in the way of a profitable dam project. These three—and others—are coming to the Blackfoot reservation for the Sun Dance and there they will encounter four Indian elders and their companion, the trickster Coyote—and nothing in the small town of Blossom will be the same again…
Freshly illustrated and reissued as a chapter book, this volume contains two tales, set in a time "when animals and human beings still talked to each other," which display King's cheeky humor and master storytelling skills. Includes Coyote Sings to the Moon and Coyote's New Suit. 5 5/16 x 7 13/16.
From two celebrated Indigenous creators comes a powerful graphic novel about a family caught between nations. Borders is a masterfully told story of a boy and his mother whose road trip from Alberta to Salt Lake City is thwarted at the border when they identify their citizenship as Blackfoot. Refusing to identify as either American or Canadian first bars their entry into the US, and then their return into Canada. In the limbo between countries, they find power in their connection to their identity and to each other. This much-anthologized story has been adapted into a gripping graphic novel by award-winning artist Natasha Donovan. A beautifully told tale with broad appeal, Borders resonates deeply with themes of identity, justice, and belonging.
