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A review by anxiousfrog
The Beadworkers: Stories by Beth Piatote
4.0
For my “realistic fiction” week I went for the well worn reality I live in - Native America.
Content warning: death, dismemberment, cannibalism (very brief), domestic violence
In 10 short stories and 1 play, The Beadworkers is a collection of stories out of Native Northwest. From a girl who’s family is caught in the Fish Wars of the 1960s to a re-imagined telling of Antigone dealing with the repatriation of Indigenous remains, this story collection looks at the gamut of Native experiences in the Northwest.
What I like most about this book, and many other similar books on the Indigenous experience, is that the author doesn’t explain everything. Much less even translate the Native language being used at times. This book is about particular experiences to particular tribes in the Northwest and if you know, you know. If you don’t, then well, strap in. The universality of some the Native experiences made me laugh but I also enjoyed reading and thinking about the ones that aren’t and the ones I know I need to get acquainted with.
Now, as for the stories themselves, Piatote gets the power of the short story format in this book. The stories pack a punch and gives readers just the briefest glimpse into these characters before pulling away to look at someone else. I think she does this best in “Falling Crows,” a story about a family’s son who’s come home from military service after losing two limbs. The story pivots from mother, to sister, to uncle, to son so fast you have to re-read sections to put it together. This isn’t a bad thing I think, kind of the reason why I like the physical books because I’m ready to re-read and take my time with a story. The story explores the lost and reconnection to a language in a way that could be my own family’s experience but also hope it will never be.
By far my favorite section of the book was “Antíkoni,” a re-imagining of Antigone through the lenses of a tribal museum getting set to display the regalia of a long dead Ataoklas who Antíkoni believes should be buried ceremonially instead of displayed. It’s a super clever retelling that I couldn’t believe worked so damn well. The issues of repatriation are rampant in non-Indigenous museums and archives but it’s hardly talked about when our own people do something similar. Kreon, the museum director and Antíkoni’s uncle, sees the display as way to tell Native stories by the Natives themselves and sees Antíkoni’s actions as dangerous to the integrity of the museum. Antíkoni and others sees Kreon’s actions as estranged from the community and subservient to colonist mentality. It’s as complicated as the actual issues are in real life and I would pay good money to see this play performed live.
Anyway, a fast read if you’re skilled at sitting through several emotional stories at once. I would suggest this for readers of Eden Robinson, Tommy Orange, and the ever suggested Louise Erdrich.
Content warning: death, dismemberment, cannibalism (very brief), domestic violence
In 10 short stories and 1 play, The Beadworkers is a collection of stories out of Native Northwest. From a girl who’s family is caught in the Fish Wars of the 1960s to a re-imagined telling of Antigone dealing with the repatriation of Indigenous remains, this story collection looks at the gamut of Native experiences in the Northwest.
What I like most about this book, and many other similar books on the Indigenous experience, is that the author doesn’t explain everything. Much less even translate the Native language being used at times. This book is about particular experiences to particular tribes in the Northwest and if you know, you know. If you don’t, then well, strap in. The universality of some the Native experiences made me laugh but I also enjoyed reading and thinking about the ones that aren’t and the ones I know I need to get acquainted with.
Now, as for the stories themselves, Piatote gets the power of the short story format in this book. The stories pack a punch and gives readers just the briefest glimpse into these characters before pulling away to look at someone else. I think she does this best in “Falling Crows,” a story about a family’s son who’s come home from military service after losing two limbs. The story pivots from mother, to sister, to uncle, to son so fast you have to re-read sections to put it together. This isn’t a bad thing I think, kind of the reason why I like the physical books because I’m ready to re-read and take my time with a story. The story explores the lost and reconnection to a language in a way that could be my own family’s experience but also hope it will never be.
By far my favorite section of the book was “Antíkoni,” a re-imagining of Antigone through the lenses of a tribal museum getting set to display the regalia of a long dead Ataoklas who Antíkoni believes should be buried ceremonially instead of displayed. It’s a super clever retelling that I couldn’t believe worked so damn well. The issues of repatriation are rampant in non-Indigenous museums and archives but it’s hardly talked about when our own people do something similar. Kreon, the museum director and Antíkoni’s uncle, sees the display as way to tell Native stories by the Natives themselves and sees Antíkoni’s actions as dangerous to the integrity of the museum. Antíkoni and others sees Kreon’s actions as estranged from the community and subservient to colonist mentality. It’s as complicated as the actual issues are in real life and I would pay good money to see this play performed live.
Anyway, a fast read if you’re skilled at sitting through several emotional stories at once. I would suggest this for readers of Eden Robinson, Tommy Orange, and the ever suggested Louise Erdrich.