June Virtual Book Club – The Great Vanishing Act, Sections 1-3

Wednesday, June 25
7PM – 8:30PM
This is a virtual event.

Looking to expand your reading list and discuss a variety of issues and topics important to Native people? Please join our virtual book club, As They Speak: Native Voices in Today’s Literature. Based on a variety of topics and featuring a range of genres, all of the books we will be reading have been written by contemporary authors. This month, we’re reading Sections 1-3 of The Great Vanishing Act: Blood Quantum and The Future of Native Nations, edited by Kathleen Ratteree (non-Indigenous) and Norbert Hill, Jr (Oneida). The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 was the US government’s attempt to define who “Indians” were. Among the criteria the act set was a blood quantum, which declared that “Indians” were “all other persons of one-half or more Indian blood”. Today, many tribes wrestle with the legacy of blood quantum and “Indian” identity, as they work to manage tribal enrollment and social services. Through essays, personal stories, case studies, satire, and poetry, this volume brings together writers from around the world to explore the biological and cultural metaphor of blood quantum, as a critical issue facing Indigenous populations in the twenty-first century. Join the conversation hosted by IAIS staff on Zoom. 

In order to have a more intimate conversation, space is limited. Please register online to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Please call (860) 868-0518 or email [email protected]. This is a free event, but donations are appreciated. This event will NOT be recorded.