Neither Wolf nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder is a must read. I devoured this book, slowly and purposefully, realizing early on these were words to savor.
Half memoir and half travel log, Neither Wolf nor Dog chronicles writer Kent Nerburnโs time with a Lakota elder, Dan, who wants to impart what heโs learned before he passes. Nerburn travels to Danโs home, an undisclosed reservation in South Dakota, to gather Danโs thoughts. In the process, Nerburn discovers that this journey wonโt be a straightforward one.
Nerburn writes beautifully, describing the prairie and rolling hills of South Dakota. Being from Southwest Minnesota, these images were familiar and welcome. Nerburn also captures pain and heartache through Danโs lectures, which are impactful and often inflammatory. Itโd be easy to feel offended or uncomfortable with some of the things he says. In fact, I think itโd be weird not to feel some sort of discomfort, as a white person, while reading this.
Danโs thoughts range from religion, freedom vs. honor, and the whitewashed version of โAmericanโ history. One of the most enlightening things about this book was Dan’s explanation of using Indian vs. Native American. White settlers named this land America, so in Danโs eyes, Indian and Native American are the same.
โA tragedy has taken place on our land, and even though it did not take place on our watch, we are its inheritors, and the earth remembers.โ – Dan
My biggest critique of the book is one that Nerburn points out himself. Can a white person ever really enter the Indian/Native American space without becoming a โwhite savior?โ Iโm not sure what the answer is, but I think this book is important reading.
This is required reading for any and all ages. Iโd recommend reading this with a book club or have someone else read it so you can discuss together. Itโs a book that necessitates thinking and requires some introspection. 4 out of 5 stars.
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