There There

Tommy Orange follows twelve characters from Native communities as they converge at the Big Oakland Powwow in California. The narrative tracks individuals like Dene Oxendene, who collects oral histories on film, and Orvil Red Feather, a teenager teaching himself traditional dance through YouTube videos. These characters navigate the specific realities of urban Indian identity, dealing with generational fetal alcohol syndrome, recovery from addiction, and the historical displacement that relocated tribal members to American cities. The plot culminates in a violent confrontation during the event at the Oakland Coliseum.

This book serves readers interested in contemporary fiction that rejects pastoral stereotypes of Indigenous life. It appeals to those seeking a multi-perspective look at how historical trauma manifests in modern city environments. Readers finish the book with a concrete understanding of how heritage is maintained through new technologies and urban subcultures. It provides a stark look at the friction between ancestral traditions and the bureaucratic or systemic pressures of twenty-first-century America.

Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

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