This is a perfect examination of white and Indigenous culture and represents a strong and true voice for Indigenous culture and Indigenous writing, currently. I loved the representation within this book and how strong the author's voice stands to be; truly a force and a book to be reckoned with.

Thank you to University of Minnesota Press & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

Available Jan 12 2021

What a pleasure it is to be alive at the same time as Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, what a wonder to experience her art. A response to an 1852 memoir by a white Canadian settler, "Noopiming" breaths into what is considered barren frozen wasteland and what it means to be a body. Drawing on ancient indigenous myths, legendary Nishnaabeg storyteller Simpson deconstructs the body into seven vital components, or the seven main 'characters', Akiwenzii the will, Ninaatig the lungs, Mindimooyenh the conscience, Sabe the marrow, Adik the nervous system, Asin the eys and ears, Lucy the brain. Taking turns, each component then narrates fragments of the story from their unique perspective. In contrast to her older works, "Noopiming" is definitely more esoteric. The short work pushes us as readers to consider existence as a whole. Simpson asks what it means to own and to belong, to count or to be counted, to love and to live. A dramatic, tender and creative reclamation of native America, this work is vital in today's political climate.