Voting in Indian Country

"Voting in Indian Country" by Jean Reith Schroedel provided a necessary insight into the historic and current challenges facing Native Americans in voting. The book also talks about many different tribes that I never really was familiar with, and the ways that the United States government has subversively taken Native American lands. Going back to voting, not enough attention has been paid to the way that state, local, and federal governments, particularly those in the party opposite of how they would expect Native Americans to vote, often make it impossible to cast ballots. This ties into how we have made this land's original inhabitants into second class citizens. I did find much of the writing to be choppy and lacking cohesion, especially in the first half of the book, but it was factually fascinating.

Voting in Indian County is definitely going to be the next book on history & politics buffs' shelves. Though it is definitely geared for a more academic audience, it's a great introduction and primer on Native American voting rights (or lack thereof). Though the book sometimes repeats turns of phrases and stories, it is chock-full of example after example--both on an individual and legal level--of voter disenfranchisement. Though I know the book is more academic, I felt myself wanting more stories told by Natives themselves about their experiences. While this book absolutely needed to be written and I am glad that the research has been gathered into an accessible format, I do wish that it had been written by a Native academic. Still, this should be on everyone's to-read list, particularly with the 2020 election looming close.

First off I need to say as a Native American myself, it is highly offensive and racist that Indian is being used to refer to Natives. Yes, I get it stuck because of Christopher Columbus, but still, an updated and respectful term(IE Native American) should be used out of respect to the Natives. Also, I think this type of informative book should be written by a Native as they clearly deal with this first hand and should have their opinions and voices heard.

Second - This book by Jean Reith Schroedel speaks of various tribes, some of which I am quite unfamiliar with and is insightful to the strife that Natives have gone through as far as voting goes, making it difficult for Natives to cast ballots, as well as the history of the US government taking land from the Natives.

Third - These are the topics that should be taught and discussed in schools, clearly, to children of all ages and the information should be kept accessible to all.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

My husband, daughter and grandson are Cherokee descendants living in what was once Indian Territory in Oklahoma. The 14 counties in this state that make up the past tribal lands spend time and money to educate and promote the tribes. The tribes themselves spend extraordinary amounts of time and money to insure tribal members know their rights and how to exercise them. This has not always been so. Everyday we are reminded that Native Americans have fought their way into modern life while still educating their members on their past. Voting is no exception. History teaches us to use our voices...we must be heard. Jean Reith Schroedel obviously wrote on a subject dear to her heart with the goal of educating and informing. Her research and observational reviews give voice to matters long left out of the political spotlights. A great read.

Thanks to University of Pennsylvania Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and Indie Bookstore.

Timely and urgent, Jean Reith Schroedel's "Voting in Indian Country" is a somber reminder of the ways in which voting rights have always been denied to racial and ethnic minorities in America. From detailed court cases to an ethnographic survey to interviews with grassroots civil rights activists, "Voting in Indian Country" traces the history of voting rights civil cases for Native people since the 1800s to the modern day era. Unfortunately, there is not as much progress as anyone would think, given the rampant use of voter suppression techniques like gerrymandering, closing vital poll stations, requiring certain IDs with addresses when most reservations don't have physical addresses, and not providing translation services when many Indian folk on reservations feel comfortable in their native language. Strangely horrific to think about in the context that we are sitting on native land, most likely unceded, and exploiting resources from fertile reservation lands daily. Though I greatly enjoyed the read, I wish that the publisher/author would have mixed in the sections more evenly as some of the historical sections became quite dry and it felt like almost three separate books instead of one cohesive message.

"'Voting in Indian Country' uses conflicts over voting rights as a lens for understanding the centuries-long fight for Native self-determination. Weaving together history, politics, and law, Jean Reith Schroedel provides a view of this often-ignored struggle for social justice from the ground up."

This book uses ethnographic data, including the oral histories from activists and indigenous peoples who have been affected and disenfranchised by the United States government for hundreds of years.

Reading about the history of Native populations facing severe obstacles, still to this day, is deeply important, especially with the upcoming election and I recommend picking it up. I've went through this slowly as it is written in an academic text format but it is extremely enlightening and the timeline is well mapped-out.

My qualms with the narrative have primarily been that I'd have like to see this written in partnership with a Native academic and that the title could be more mindful of the word "Indian," especially at this point in modern history when it's been identified so strongly as an offensive term to many. Overall, the historical timeline is deeply impactful and a great companion to other books detailing the history of Native tribes in the U.S. I'd like to see more books like this one in U.S. history classrooms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pennsylvania Press for an advance eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book.as a native American this was a must read for me and I was not disappointed, very timely I highly recommend