Quote by Tommy Orange: “To be Indian is to be a question in the mind of the country.”

This quote suggests that Indigenous identity is often seen by mainstream society as something to be debated, defined, or misunderstood, rather than simply accepted. It points to the constant struggle of Native people to assert their existence and identity against a backdrop of historical erasure and stereotypes.

From 'There There,' this reflects the ongoing struggle for visibility and self-definition faced by Native Americans in the United States. It speaks to the historical and contemporary tendency of settler society to question or deny Indigenous sovereignty and presence, even as Indigenous movements gained momentum.

American author and member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma whose debut novel There There was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. His work brings Indigenous urban experience in America to the centre of contemporary literary fiction.