LAKOTA AMERICA A New History of Indigenous Power

Joe Barrett's narration of this Lakota history is more measured than engaging. However, the larger issue with the audiobook is how white it is. The author is a white Finnish professor; the narrator, a white man who some would argue should not be trying to pronounce words in Indigenous languages. Furthermore, the audiobook imposes a dry, academic approach upon a people for whom that framework does not apply. The author does portray the Lakota people as complex, powerful, and adaptable in the face of colonialism and genocide. But the cold distance with which white historians often talk about war, conquest, and power is very much present here, both in the content and the narration. Neither voice nor material seems appropriate for the broader narrative. S.N. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2019]