By The Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight For Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle, 2024
Our government forcibly moved Native Americans from their land, slaughtered those who refused to move and continue to repress these people.
It goes beyond prejudice.
I had no idea of the systemic lies that were told, and continue to be told, to take away from the Native American leaving them destitute and barely able to survive.
What is even more shameful is that the every aspect of power - whether governmental, judicial or societal - participated in the repression and illegal taking away of land for personal gain.
And, this maltreatment continues to be reinforced even to this day. Lies and misinformation are spread by the people in leadership positions like the Governor of Oklahoma. These lies are then parrotted by Supreme Court Justices
Nagle's extensive reporting covers histories, bills, legal language, and humna interest. She includes black and white photos of the people she writes about, which add a very real face to the injustices that are brought against Native Americans.
With her engaging writing, even the dry details of the law and its nuance makes for interesting reading.
The book centers around the story of Patrick King, of Muscogee blood, who appeals his death sentence for for the murder of George Jacobs by arguing that the murder took place on the Muscogee reservation; therefore, the state of Oklahoma's punishment of a death penalty should not be upheld.
Ruling in King's favor recognizes the Muscogee (or Creek) reservation, as well as the reservations of the other Five Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and Chickasaw. This is a major telling of the truth as states have claimed the land for themselves.
Despite the legal victory, the injustices against Native Americans and what truly belongs to them remain unrecognized. There is simply too much money spent by those who benefit from the stolen land (like the oil industry) for there to be real change.
As a side note, conservative Supreme Court Judge Neil Gorsuch is a surprising advocate for recognizing reservations given that no laws have ever taken them away. When I was a Research Assoicate at a Washington DC K Street firm, Gorsuch was one of the attorneys.
