2023 OBOC Keynote: Tommy Orange, author of There There

Tommy Orange, author of There There. Orange will be in conversation to discuss his career and the book. We’ll also discuss the importance of Native American voices, as well as what the author may have in store in the future.
#OneBookOneChicago

[@KaptainWoodae]

1:02:27-1:11:06.

[@sorrellabella]

I would say we are authenticated on the inside not the outside. At least amongst our own. I wouldn’t look to anyone else to be authenticated. This is in response to his statement at 28:35. Additionally when he mentions people belonging to multiple tribes being specifically an urban native identity isn’t true. If anything most native peoples are a mixture of multiple tribes on and off the reservations. We traditionally have looked to maintain a healthy genetic diversity. A husband would leave his clan or tribal family to join the wife’s clan or vice versa depending if it was a matriarchal society. Having a multi tribal heritage is not a new phenomenon. But not practicing or participating in any traditional heritage is new. Which takes me back to his earlier statement about his cousins looking at his family as less than. It may have been more of him internalizing his feelings of inadequacies. I think having a native urban voice is important but careful consideration needs to taken by these authors and their audiences to not mistake their insight as universal native experiences and truths.