A powerful book that showcases the author's firm grasp of the United States' troubled and complicated history with Indigenous peoples, the impact of corrupt and targeted laws in the United States, and so much more on the topic of Native Land and how it was ceded, won, lost and ever-so-frequently stolen. Equally impressive to all those achievements is that this is all conveyed to the reader through what can be read as a kind of legal thriller, which also helps the reader understand the 2020 Supreme Court case McGirt v. Oklahoma. A stunning and impactful read.

This is a hard book to read, but it is so important. Nagle recounts the recent Supreme Court case that reaffirmed the existence of reservations in Oklahoma, which might not seem like a big deal, but considering this impacts nearly the entire eastern half of the state, it is. This book is told through dual timelines, one the winding history of how European settlers and later the United States government slowly chipped away at Native American land and sovereignty, and the other the more recent path from a small town murder to the Supreme Court's decision in 2020 that reestablished some of this sovereignty.

Nagle doesn't shy away from the messy details of this history, from the tribes' treatment of enslaved people and their descendants to the simple fact that this legal appeal was won on the cases of two convicted criminals whose guilty verdicts were never really in question.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

"By the Fire We Carry" by Rebecca Nagle is a powerful and evocative collection of poetry that explores themes of identity, resilience, and the connection to ancestral heritage. Nagle's lyrical and poignant writing captures the essence of personal and collective experiences, reflecting on both individual struggles and broader cultural narratives. The collection's emotional depth and rich imagery make it a moving read, showcasing Nagle’s ability to blend personal introspection with universal themes. "By the Fire We Carry" is a testament to the strength and beauty found in storytelling and memory.

The decades-long battle for Indigenous land rights results in a surprising 2020 Supreme Court ruling in this gripping legal thriller by Cherokee journalist Rebecca Nagle. When a 1990 murderer is sentenced to death in Oklahoma, his lawyers argued that — as a Muscogee citizen on Muscogee land — Oklahoma didn’t have the right to execute him. As the case works its way through the courts, Nagle reveals the long history of Indigenous land rights and injustice, pairing compelling, personal writing with investigative reporting. This is essential reading on American history.

Honestly this was even better than the podcast, which I LOVED. So many fantastic thoughts about how the past resonates into the present and future, while being one of the best history books around.

I remember reading a little about McGirt v. Oklahoma when the decision first appeared in the news, but I didn't have much of an idea about its importance, much less any familiarity with the background context. Such has been the case in general with my personal knowledge of Native American history - a near-failure on the part of my education that I've been trying to make up as best as I can on my own ever-since. So to say the very least, I found Rebecca Nagle's "By the Fire We Carry" to be a wonderfully informative read on numerous levels - not to mention a painfully informative read at numerous levels too, but how could it not be, given the subject matter? This is definitely a candidate for my library's to-purchase list, as I would love to see this in my indigenous history section.