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Thunder Song: Essays
The winner of the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Award for her memoir, Red Paint , Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe returns with a razor-sharp, clear-eyed selection of essays on what it means to be a proudly queer, indigenous woman in America today Drawing on a rich family archive as well as the anthropological work of her late great-grandmother, Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe explores themes ranging from indigenous identity and stereotypes to cultural displacement and environmental degradation to understand what our experiences teach us about the power of community, commitment, and conscientious honesty. Unapologetically punk, the essays in Thunder Song segue between the miraculous and the mundane, the spiritual and the physical, as they examine the role of art--in particular music--and community in helping a new generation of indigenous people claim the strength of their heritage while defining their own path in the contemporary world.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 2, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed this collection of essays on indigeneity, coming of age, trauma, healing, queer identity, relationships, and more. Thunder Song feels personal and a bit raw, but with enough distance to be thoughtful. It doesn't shy away from examining complicated relationships- with parents, romantic partners, and self. Places where there may be both love and hurt, but the opportunity for growth and perhaps healing and reconciliation. The writing is lovely and I would read more from this author in the future. The audio narration is also excellent. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this collection of essays on indigeneity, coming of age, trauma, healing, queer identity, relationships, and more. Thunder Song feels personal and a bit raw, but with enough distance to be thoughtful. It doesn't shy away from examining complicated relationships- with parents, romantic partners, and self. Places where there may be both love and hurt, but the opportunity for growth and perhaps healing and reconciliation. The writing is lovely and I would read more from this author in the future. The audio narration is also excellent. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
March 6, 2024
This was one of my five star predictions for the year, and I’m happy to say it lived up to that expectation.
From this first essay, I was hooked. LaPointe weaved together the past and present, drawing on the stories of her family and community as well as the political movements of the moment, like Black Lives Matter. She discusses both traditional stories and pop culture. As the title suggests, music plays a big role in the collection, including her days as one of the only Indigenous people in the punk scene of Seattle: “Eventually this idea that I was a punk first and a Native person second became unbearable.”
I took so many notes while reading this that I don’t know where to start, because I want to tell you about all the essays.
One image that really stuck with me was LaPointe describing the tulip festival that takes place on her culture’s land, and how it is a “petal-made flag of settler colonial triumph, a reminder that we have lost something.” Once marsh, this land was changed by settlers to be more “productive,” making it unrecognizable for the people who have lived off of it for thousands of years. Once a year, tourists make the roads impassible, celebrating this display of non-native flowers.
There is so much more that I want to talk about, like LaPointe’s journey to decolonizing her diet, or her complicated relationship with her mother, or the story about The Little Mermaid jacket, or her feelings about questioning motherhood, or the experience of going through Covid-19 as a culture where disease was part of an attempted genocide against them.
These essays are compelling and thought-provoking. All I can say is you should read them yourself! While they touch on heavy, difficult topics, this is fundamentally a story about healing and survivance: “There is something to learn from indigenous ways of thinking that has to do with courage and resilience, because even in the face of attempted genocide, of erasure, we descendants are still here.”
Full review at the Lesbrary.
From this first essay, I was hooked. LaPointe weaved together the past and present, drawing on the stories of her family and community as well as the political movements of the moment, like Black Lives Matter. She discusses both traditional stories and pop culture. As the title suggests, music plays a big role in the collection, including her days as one of the only Indigenous people in the punk scene of Seattle: “Eventually this idea that I was a punk first and a Native person second became unbearable.”
I took so many notes while reading this that I don’t know where to start, because I want to tell you about all the essays.
One image that really stuck with me was LaPointe describing the tulip festival that takes place on her culture’s land, and how it is a “petal-made flag of settler colonial triumph, a reminder that we have lost something.” Once marsh, this land was changed by settlers to be more “productive,” making it unrecognizable for the people who have lived off of it for thousands of years. Once a year, tourists make the roads impassible, celebrating this display of non-native flowers.
There is so much more that I want to talk about, like LaPointe’s journey to decolonizing her diet, or her complicated relationship with her mother, or the story about The Little Mermaid jacket, or her feelings about questioning motherhood, or the experience of going through Covid-19 as a culture where disease was part of an attempted genocide against them.
These essays are compelling and thought-provoking. All I can say is you should read them yourself! While they touch on heavy, difficult topics, this is fundamentally a story about healing and survivance: “There is something to learn from indigenous ways of thinking that has to do with courage and resilience, because even in the face of attempted genocide, of erasure, we descendants are still here.”
Full review at the Lesbrary.
November 9, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this essay collection/memoir - I read and finished it the same day I downloaded it from Netgalley. I couldn't stop reading Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe's essays. I especially loved the incorporation of her great-grandmother's life and stories.
One of the essays that stood out to me the most was the one about LaPointe becoming vegan, but realizing that veganism is a privilege, and that she needed to make space and cultural allowances for herself to be able to eat her own indigenous foods, such as salmon. She makes a ton of great points throughout all of her essays, but this one really stood out to me.
This is not a collection to miss!
I devoured this essay collection/memoir - I read and finished it the same day I downloaded it from Netgalley. I couldn't stop reading Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe's essays. I especially loved the incorporation of her great-grandmother's life and stories.
One of the essays that stood out to me the most was the one about LaPointe becoming vegan, but realizing that veganism is a privilege, and that she needed to make space and cultural allowances for herself to be able to eat her own indigenous foods, such as salmon. She makes a ton of great points throughout all of her essays, but this one really stood out to me.
This is not a collection to miss!
March 30, 2024
Fucking phenomenal
March 10, 2024
Another beautifully written book by the author. The prose is incredibly poetical and moving. Also this cover is STUNNING.
I’m excited to hear her this week at Whatcom Reads!
Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC!
I’m excited to hear her this week at Whatcom Reads!
Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC!
April 13, 2024
I love Sasha and was happy to pre-order this- and plan to read and support everything she writes in the future. I'm leaving off a star just for the sense that this collection seems to be answering questions people might have had after 'Red Paint,' and one of the reasons I liked that book so much was that she didn't go over the top to explain herself, her decisions, her life. She left some things vague for the reader and didn't try to justify her experiences or choices. It felt like a really impactful memoir because it seemed cathartic for her (and it had beautiful writing). In 'Thunder Song,' I feel like she has to spend most of the time giving more details about stories she brought up in 'Red Paint,' and that she's doing it for white folx. She's explaining more about queerness, polyamory, her indigenous identity, racism, abortion/healthcare, abuse and trauma. I wish she didn't have to do this solely for education or 'integrity' or obligation- I hope it was meaningful for her also to share these stories. At the very least, I hope she got a huge book deal for this one and is making bank on speaking events. I definitely feel like she radiates compassion in her work and her public persona, and I'm really glad to be learning from her stories as a white person living in this part of Washington. I want to keep prioritizing indigenous memoirs.
March 12, 2024
I had never heard of this book or this author before accidentally stumbling across the title on Scribd and deciding to listen to it. I am so glad I did because it is utterly criminal that this book has less than 50 ratings on Goodreads. This essay collection is a work of art. Each time I finished a new essay I thought, "Surely that is the best one" and then each one just kept topping the previous one. Every single entry was so strong and that really speaks to both Sasha's writing ability and her life experiences. I recommend this book so highly and want everyone to read it. <3
March 29, 2024
This book is a stunning piece of work. It often felt like I was reading poetry either Lapointe’s beautiful prose. There is so much healing to be done in this world and we can learn so much from indigenous peoples teachings and words!!
April 16, 2024
An absolute fking banger, cover to cover. Somehow dragged me out of a reading AND a writing slump??
March 4, 2024
5 stars
This essay collection is succinct in actual length but expansive in ideas. On a similar, seemingly contradictory note, the topics are varied, but the narrative voice is unified and engaging throughout.
I really enjoyed this collection. Having had no prior access to LaPointe's work, I came into this listen (I highly recommend the audio - it's always ideal to listen to the author read their own experiences) with really no expectations or frame of reference. My favorite connections were those made to the author's intersectional identities and discussions about the way others see her versus how she sees herself (and who she actually is). I especially loved the commentary on the Riot Grrrl scene and how LaPointe grappled with the intriguing but also exclusionary nature of that movement. I just came off of Kathleen Hanna's forthcoming memoir and am a long-time fan, so it was especially enlightening to get further insight into the issues they both tackle.
From identity to romantic relationships to power dynamics to road trips to her beloved grandmother, LaPointe packs a lot into this collection, and for this listener, there wasn't a slow moment. I can't wait to read more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This essay collection is succinct in actual length but expansive in ideas. On a similar, seemingly contradictory note, the topics are varied, but the narrative voice is unified and engaging throughout.
I really enjoyed this collection. Having had no prior access to LaPointe's work, I came into this listen (I highly recommend the audio - it's always ideal to listen to the author read their own experiences) with really no expectations or frame of reference. My favorite connections were those made to the author's intersectional identities and discussions about the way others see her versus how she sees herself (and who she actually is). I especially loved the commentary on the Riot Grrrl scene and how LaPointe grappled with the intriguing but also exclusionary nature of that movement. I just came off of Kathleen Hanna's forthcoming memoir and am a long-time fan, so it was especially enlightening to get further insight into the issues they both tackle.
From identity to romantic relationships to power dynamics to road trips to her beloved grandmother, LaPointe packs a lot into this collection, and for this listener, there wasn't a slow moment. I can't wait to read more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
April 21, 2024
This is a profound, textured, and unique essay collection. My first feeling — no, that’s not true; my most enduring feeling — after finishing this work was excitement. Excitement that LaPointe exists and feels compelled to gift readers with her work.
LaPointe narratives are challenging intellectually and emotionally, “raw” not in an exploitative sense but in the sense of pushing unapologetically against the frictional presence of the settler colony, cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacy. What results is not only a singular account of unapologetic two-spirit and mixed subjectivity, of refusals and reclamations of “punk,” of a family whose failures and successes shaped her writing and life. I loved and felt deeply seen in the entanglement of childhood, political-historical context, sensuality, and education, as she learns over decades what it means to be an author — of herself and of her beautifully contradictory stories. I loved the messiness that defied resolution, commentary that challenges white supremacist notions of family, justice, and success.
Everything about this set of essays was magical, and even in the few moments of repetitiveness, of “why are we here,” I felt empowered to trust LaPointe, and in turn, feel trusted with her precious lives.
LaPointe narratives are challenging intellectually and emotionally, “raw” not in an exploitative sense but in the sense of pushing unapologetically against the frictional presence of the settler colony, cisheteropatriarchy, white supremacy. What results is not only a singular account of unapologetic two-spirit and mixed subjectivity, of refusals and reclamations of “punk,” of a family whose failures and successes shaped her writing and life. I loved and felt deeply seen in the entanglement of childhood, political-historical context, sensuality, and education, as she learns over decades what it means to be an author — of herself and of her beautifully contradictory stories. I loved the messiness that defied resolution, commentary that challenges white supremacist notions of family, justice, and success.
Everything about this set of essays was magical, and even in the few moments of repetitiveness, of “why are we here,” I felt empowered to trust LaPointe, and in turn, feel trusted with her precious lives.
March 12, 2024
✨ Review ✨ Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe
Thanks to Counterpoint, Dreamscape Media, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This book was incredible! I don't always love memoirs or essay collections, but the author's storytelling was off-the-charts (you can see where she learned through through her female relatives!) The essays flow together in a way that feels special and continuous like a memoir, despite being written as essays.
Things I loved:
1. The author's Queer and Indigenous perspectives and the ways she brings these different facets of her identity together
2. Her punk background and aesthetic shape the stories and style
3. Stories about salmon and the environment and decolonizing her diet
4. Stories about the women in her family and their different storytelling specialties
5. Her reflections on Coast Salish identity and experience -- the importance of the persistence of language and culture and community in the 21st century.
6. There's a section about the start of COVID and storytelling and rest that really spoke to me. When considering the old ways and her feel that she needed to be working during COVID like it was a pre-COVID era, her therapist asked her to consider " do you think a basket weaver would be weaving when there is a mountain lion circling?"
7. the author also narrated the audiobook, which I love because it brings so much added emotion and inflection to the story which is her own.
This is definitely a great way to engage with Indigenous perspectives and queer identity, to listen and to learn!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: essay colection, memoir
Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
Thanks to Counterpoint, Dreamscape Media, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This book was incredible! I don't always love memoirs or essay collections, but the author's storytelling was off-the-charts (you can see where she learned through through her female relatives!) The essays flow together in a way that feels special and continuous like a memoir, despite being written as essays.
Things I loved:
1. The author's Queer and Indigenous perspectives and the ways she brings these different facets of her identity together
2. Her punk background and aesthetic shape the stories and style
3. Stories about salmon and the environment and decolonizing her diet
4. Stories about the women in her family and their different storytelling specialties
5. Her reflections on Coast Salish identity and experience -- the importance of the persistence of language and culture and community in the 21st century.
6. There's a section about the start of COVID and storytelling and rest that really spoke to me. When considering the old ways and her feel that she needed to be working during COVID like it was a pre-COVID era, her therapist asked her to consider " do you think a basket weaver would be weaving when there is a mountain lion circling?"
7. the author also narrated the audiobook, which I love because it brings so much added emotion and inflection to the story which is her own.
This is definitely a great way to engage with Indigenous perspectives and queer identity, to listen and to learn!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: essay colection, memoir
Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
March 20, 2024
Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe knocks it out of the park once again. I devoured her memoir (as a physical, hard-cover book in my hands), and so it was a real treat to listen to this essay collection as an audiobook, which she narrates. These essays are a stunning and raw portrayal of the author wrestling with her indigineity in a Eurocentric society that tells her she’s not enough, and this carries into her experiences with race, veganism, and queerness.
I eagerly requested this audiobook since her memoir was one of my favorites, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. She is certainly a must-read author for me!
Disclaimer: I received an audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I eagerly requested this audiobook since her memoir was one of my favorites, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. She is certainly a must-read author for me!
Disclaimer: I received an audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2024
A moving and heartfelt collection of essays from queer Indigenous poet, activist and author, Sasha LaPointe about identity, family, colonialism and the healing power of music. I really enjoyed these essays, especially on audio read by the author herself. Highly recommended, especially for fans of authors like Michelle Good or Alicia Elliot. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
CW: miscarriage, life during COVID, rape, abortion, domestic abuse, parent with drug & alcohol addiction
Disability rep: asthma
CW: miscarriage, life during COVID, rape, abortion, domestic abuse, parent with drug & alcohol addiction
Disability rep: asthma
March 5, 2024
Thunder Song
Powerful Indigenous book.
I really liked this activist read.
A great memoir / book of essays on Indigenous life - particularly focused on lineage, race, identity, sexuality, gender, and social justice.
I believe this was my first exposure to a two-spirit author - so grateful to have been able to experience the viewpoints, and found the stories personal, impactful, and candid.
I found it a very profound book, and it is quite particularly powerfully written.
Recommend it!
3.9/5
Powerful Indigenous book.
I really liked this activist read.
A great memoir / book of essays on Indigenous life - particularly focused on lineage, race, identity, sexuality, gender, and social justice.
I believe this was my first exposure to a two-spirit author - so grateful to have been able to experience the viewpoints, and found the stories personal, impactful, and candid.
I found it a very profound book, and it is quite particularly powerfully written.
Recommend it!
3.9/5
March 25, 2024
This was a finely crafted blend of memoir, history and storytelling. I especially enjoyed the chapters about her great-grandmother Vi Hilbert in Hawaii, the story of the Maiden of Deception Pass and the coveted Little Mermaid jacket, and LaPointe's reflections on her changing relationship with her mom.
March 6, 2024
This book....this book is everything. This collection of essays is heartfelt, beautifully written, and will be lingering in my mind for many weeks to come. Highly highly highly recommend everyone read this beautiful beautiful book.
January 11, 2024
Was hoping for some of the lyricism that can be found in some of LaPointe's poetry or on the opening pages of Red Paint, but it was missing.
March 13, 2024
A beautiful collection of essays with a strong voice and intensely emotional perspective. Full review to come!
Thank you to Counterpoint for sending me a copy of this book.
Thank you to Counterpoint for sending me a copy of this book.
March 15, 2024
So many relatable moments. So much familiarity with her stories based on the PNW. Fascinating perspective from an indigenous women. Some triggering, fiercely real.
April 12, 2024
Black Cohosh was among my top favorites of the essays.
Read
April 2, 2024I could listen to or read a billion more of these and I am so sad there wasn’t more. I honestly think I enjoyed this even more than Sasha’s autobiography and I don’t know why people aren’t clamoring to read this just as much if not more than that one.
I think the parts that stuck out to me most were the essays on the tulips, basket ogress, salmon, and her indigenous queer relationship.
With the tulips, I recall recently chatting with some friends about possibly going to check out the tulip festival for the first time, but after reading this essay I don’t think I’d be able to or look at any other tulip the same way. But I think the main thing I really got out of it was how I/we/colonizers force land into a shape that can be deemed “productive”. It makes me think about the small swaths of protected wetlands that I always see around where I live, and I think about the one at the Union Bay Natural area by the University of Washington, and how a lot of the land around here must have looked a lot more like that but we have now boxed it up into tiny little parcels that we have allowed to remain as they are.
With Basket Ogress I had actually read that story before, once for a class and a second time when I read the collection of Salish stories Haboo translated by Vi Hilbert, but I never understood it at the level with which LaPoint does and that humbled me. For me, a white woman, it was just a children’s scary story but for her and her darker skinned sister it was a legitimate fear of being stolen away. I am also loving how much more I am learning about Vi Hilbert and I’m realizing how much more I should be looking into her because she just seem so pivotal and absolutely amazing.
As for the salmon, I felt like that essay touched on things I have been thinking about recently about our connection to food and becoming more connected to that food and how it is produced and prepared. I’ve been doing more and more cooking in my life and I think that has been a helpful first step in learning all the work that goes into making food for yourself and others. I’ve been really wanting to get into vegetable gardening to heighten my understanding of the growing part of food making and I hope I will be able to do it soon because I think that will help me understand and respect food so much more. Cuz I’m my mind and what I think LaPoint gets at here is the importance of respect when it comes to food. In our current society Vegetarianism or Veganism is seen as the only way to reconcile our diets with respect. But even that feels too rigid and confining, suggesting that respect for food and our current diets are forever irreconcilable. And well it probably is in the current state we are in, but if we become more connected and less distanced from the food we eat (eg rely less of meat factory farming), where it comes from, and how not to waste anything, that respect can be possible.
In a similar way I think Sasha’s last essay re-envisions what love and relationships can look like. For a long period of time I think we’ve been propagandized into thinking that cisgender heteronormative monogamous relationships are the only valid options, and although she doesn’t bring it up here I would go further to add romantic and sexual relationships to that as well. It is happening slowly I think but the idea of what loving relationships can look like really needs to be broken down and her experiences really seem to emphasize that.
Ahhhh I really wish there was more because this was just so good and awesome. I really hope she comes out with more stuff eventually because I will be waiting.
I think the parts that stuck out to me most were the essays on the tulips, basket ogress, salmon, and her indigenous queer relationship.
With the tulips, I recall recently chatting with some friends about possibly going to check out the tulip festival for the first time, but after reading this essay I don’t think I’d be able to or look at any other tulip the same way. But I think the main thing I really got out of it was how I/we/colonizers force land into a shape that can be deemed “productive”. It makes me think about the small swaths of protected wetlands that I always see around where I live, and I think about the one at the Union Bay Natural area by the University of Washington, and how a lot of the land around here must have looked a lot more like that but we have now boxed it up into tiny little parcels that we have allowed to remain as they are.
With Basket Ogress I had actually read that story before, once for a class and a second time when I read the collection of Salish stories Haboo translated by Vi Hilbert, but I never understood it at the level with which LaPoint does and that humbled me. For me, a white woman, it was just a children’s scary story but for her and her darker skinned sister it was a legitimate fear of being stolen away. I am also loving how much more I am learning about Vi Hilbert and I’m realizing how much more I should be looking into her because she just seem so pivotal and absolutely amazing.
As for the salmon, I felt like that essay touched on things I have been thinking about recently about our connection to food and becoming more connected to that food and how it is produced and prepared. I’ve been doing more and more cooking in my life and I think that has been a helpful first step in learning all the work that goes into making food for yourself and others. I’ve been really wanting to get into vegetable gardening to heighten my understanding of the growing part of food making and I hope I will be able to do it soon because I think that will help me understand and respect food so much more. Cuz I’m my mind and what I think LaPoint gets at here is the importance of respect when it comes to food. In our current society Vegetarianism or Veganism is seen as the only way to reconcile our diets with respect. But even that feels too rigid and confining, suggesting that respect for food and our current diets are forever irreconcilable. And well it probably is in the current state we are in, but if we become more connected and less distanced from the food we eat (eg rely less of meat factory farming), where it comes from, and how not to waste anything, that respect can be possible.
In a similar way I think Sasha’s last essay re-envisions what love and relationships can look like. For a long period of time I think we’ve been propagandized into thinking that cisgender heteronormative monogamous relationships are the only valid options, and although she doesn’t bring it up here I would go further to add romantic and sexual relationships to that as well. It is happening slowly I think but the idea of what loving relationships can look like really needs to be broken down and her experiences really seem to emphasize that.
Ahhhh I really wish there was more because this was just so good and awesome. I really hope she comes out with more stuff eventually because I will be waiting.
January 2, 2024
After enjoying this so much I need to start looking into more memoir/essay collections. I found this collection really interesting because it has such a wide variety of topics that it covers because LaPointe has led such an interesting life. I enjoyed learning about the things that she found important to share ranging from her family history, bits of culture from the Coastal Salish, or highlighting certain injustices.
I enjoyed the whole thing, but a few sections I found particularly interesting. I really enjoyed the section where she discussed becoming a vegan. She acknowledges that it is not only expensive, but also a difficult diet to follow depending on where you live. I found the discussion around the colonization of diet really interesting and made me think about all the different foods that our ancestors used to eat. I'm white European and upon studying the contents of bogmen they've discovered with only like 1% of the stomach contents the remnants of 16 different plants. I think that our diets aren't as varied as our ancestors and we certainly aren't eating as locally or seasonally as they used to. Sorry, that went on a bit of a bender, but it's a section that I'm probably going to be thinking about for awhile.
I found the sections discussing violence towards and the kidnapping and murder of indigenous women. It's quite simply not getting enough attention. The sections on the healthcare system while not exactly shocking to me, just highlighted how much more abysmal it is on a reservation. I've lived in a quite a few different countries now and the only one that didn't have universal healthcare is the U.S. and I am so ready for us to join the rest of the modern world on that. I also really enjoyed the essay on making punk more accessible/friendly towards indigenous people. Reading about all of her punk experiences brought a smile to my face.
Overall, I think that this essay collection will be well received by essay/memoir readers, but also readers looking to read outside of their viewpoint and maybe comfort zone. It's a quick read and well organized. All of the essays don't necessarily link together, but I didn't really have any difficulties sliding from one to another. I'm interested in reading LaPointe's first memoir now and maybe finding more of a similar vein. It's a tough collection to read at time, but I think that those who read it will really take something away.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this collection, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed the whole thing, but a few sections I found particularly interesting. I really enjoyed the section where she discussed becoming a vegan. She acknowledges that it is not only expensive, but also a difficult diet to follow depending on where you live. I found the discussion around the colonization of diet really interesting and made me think about all the different foods that our ancestors used to eat. I'm white European and upon studying the contents of bogmen they've discovered with only like 1% of the stomach contents the remnants of 16 different plants. I think that our diets aren't as varied as our ancestors and we certainly aren't eating as locally or seasonally as they used to. Sorry, that went on a bit of a bender, but it's a section that I'm probably going to be thinking about for awhile.
I found the sections discussing violence towards and the kidnapping and murder of indigenous women. It's quite simply not getting enough attention. The sections on the healthcare system while not exactly shocking to me, just highlighted how much more abysmal it is on a reservation. I've lived in a quite a few different countries now and the only one that didn't have universal healthcare is the U.S. and I am so ready for us to join the rest of the modern world on that. I also really enjoyed the essay on making punk more accessible/friendly towards indigenous people. Reading about all of her punk experiences brought a smile to my face.
Overall, I think that this essay collection will be well received by essay/memoir readers, but also readers looking to read outside of their viewpoint and maybe comfort zone. It's a quick read and well organized. All of the essays don't necessarily link together, but I didn't really have any difficulties sliding from one to another. I'm interested in reading LaPointe's first memoir now and maybe finding more of a similar vein. It's a tough collection to read at time, but I think that those who read it will really take something away.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this collection, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 24, 2024
Thunder Song: Essays (Hardcover)
by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe
These essays are wonderful, they show the remarkable understanding of native and historical view points, clashing with colonization. The essays are very in-depth, and show a truthfulness, that is at times hard to swallow. It is a remarkable tale of oppression, restitution and omnipotence of the author. Her/ their struggle with sexuality, with race, with purpose is inspiring. I found that the language, and verbiage is the hard to part to swallow, more then their story. The repetitive accusation in the term colonization, the rhetoric of neglect and persecution make it hard sometimes to listen to. As a white woman, I had to step back on the defense of my nature, its not an accusation but an explanation, unfortunately English has a limited scope on the words, making their use offensive, when not wholly intended.
She/ they have lived through a traumatic time, their history has layers of trauma, from the present, and from the past that affect how the world is seen. The world is not black and white, but shades of gray, that can cause it to be more shadowed and dark at first glance.
This is a great book for discussion in high school, on view point. This book has a voice of native activism, on environmental activism, but also for the LTGBQ+ platform. Even though its hard to read, and very blunt, if the reader takes time to look at it, most of these stories are universal, race and divides not with standing, many families, many cultures have the same struggle world wide, which the author acknowledges by the end of the book.
I need to find the reddit request for native voice authors again and give that person this title.
by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe
These essays are wonderful, they show the remarkable understanding of native and historical view points, clashing with colonization. The essays are very in-depth, and show a truthfulness, that is at times hard to swallow. It is a remarkable tale of oppression, restitution and omnipotence of the author. Her/ their struggle with sexuality, with race, with purpose is inspiring. I found that the language, and verbiage is the hard to part to swallow, more then their story. The repetitive accusation in the term colonization, the rhetoric of neglect and persecution make it hard sometimes to listen to. As a white woman, I had to step back on the defense of my nature, its not an accusation but an explanation, unfortunately English has a limited scope on the words, making their use offensive, when not wholly intended.
She/ they have lived through a traumatic time, their history has layers of trauma, from the present, and from the past that affect how the world is seen. The world is not black and white, but shades of gray, that can cause it to be more shadowed and dark at first glance.
This is a great book for discussion in high school, on view point. This book has a voice of native activism, on environmental activism, but also for the LTGBQ+ platform. Even though its hard to read, and very blunt, if the reader takes time to look at it, most of these stories are universal, race and divides not with standing, many families, many cultures have the same struggle world wide, which the author acknowledges by the end of the book.
I need to find the reddit request for native voice authors again and give that person this title.
March 14, 2024
Listening to Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe tell her story in this collection of essays felt like sitting down with a friend on a rainy night and coming to yourself the next morning as a changed person.
This a mix of many things: Seattle (SiɁaƛ) history, growing up on a reservation as a biracial kid, finding your artistic voice, struggles with Native healthcare and abortion providers, protests and the pandemic.
LaPointe is open about her experiences about people thinking they can be racist towards Indigenous people because they don't perceive her as one of them, her life as a runaway teen who ended up in an abusive relationship and her relationship to nature and the place her ancestors called home but has been irrevocably changed since the white settlers arrived. As both a queer and disabled person, as well as a mixed Indigenous woman, she offers so much to the continued conversation about current lives in America and how much of it is shaped by things beyond your control. It's also grounded in the physical world - descriptions of nature are everywhere and Seattle feels almost like its own character.
Just like a real conversation, she jumps from memories to current issues to political struggles and back to personal experiences. The essays weave a tapestry of who LaPointe is that invite the reader in to see where all the threads come from and continue on to - it feels like a living document, LaPointe just sharing snapshots of her life that is certainly not yet over. Especially the stories about her great-grandmother show how clearly her storytelling has also shaped the form of this book.
I received an advanced reading copy from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This a mix of many things: Seattle (SiɁaƛ) history, growing up on a reservation as a biracial kid, finding your artistic voice, struggles with Native healthcare and abortion providers, protests and the pandemic.
LaPointe is open about her experiences about people thinking they can be racist towards Indigenous people because they don't perceive her as one of them, her life as a runaway teen who ended up in an abusive relationship and her relationship to nature and the place her ancestors called home but has been irrevocably changed since the white settlers arrived. As both a queer and disabled person, as well as a mixed Indigenous woman, she offers so much to the continued conversation about current lives in America and how much of it is shaped by things beyond your control. It's also grounded in the physical world - descriptions of nature are everywhere and Seattle feels almost like its own character.
Just like a real conversation, she jumps from memories to current issues to political struggles and back to personal experiences. The essays weave a tapestry of who LaPointe is that invite the reader in to see where all the threads come from and continue on to - it feels like a living document, LaPointe just sharing snapshots of her life that is certainly not yet over. Especially the stories about her great-grandmother show how clearly her storytelling has also shaped the form of this book.
I received an advanced reading copy from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2024
I highly recommend listening to 'Thunder Song' on audio as Sasha herself narrates it, which adds an extra element of beauty and flow to an already stunning collection. I had literal goosebumps by the end of this book. I definitely need to get my hands on a physical copy to re-read, annotate, and also because look at that cover.
Throughout this essay collection, Sasha explores the range of human emotions through her perspective of existing as a queer indigenous woman in a colonised contemporary world. Drawing from ancestral wisdom and punk culture in equal measure, she masterfully explores an incredible breadth of topics, artfully pulling you deeper into the narrative as a reader.
What captivated me most was LaPointe's ability to shed light on a breadth of topics, expanding my awareness and knowledge with each reflection. Her storytelling navigates seamlessly between cherished anecdotes of her great-grandmother's linguistic legacy and painful reflections on the impact of prejudice and both ancestral and personal trauma. Throughout, Sasha seamlessly intertwines Coast Salish traditions with personal narratives, highlighting themes of injustice, ancestral power, and righteous activism.
I found myself fully immersed from the moment I pressed play. I look forward to reading more from Sasha, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers of non-fiction and fiction alike. This truly is a vital book and a true masterclass in the power of storytelling.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape for providing the audiobook arc. All opinions are my own.
Throughout this essay collection, Sasha explores the range of human emotions through her perspective of existing as a queer indigenous woman in a colonised contemporary world. Drawing from ancestral wisdom and punk culture in equal measure, she masterfully explores an incredible breadth of topics, artfully pulling you deeper into the narrative as a reader.
What captivated me most was LaPointe's ability to shed light on a breadth of topics, expanding my awareness and knowledge with each reflection. Her storytelling navigates seamlessly between cherished anecdotes of her great-grandmother's linguistic legacy and painful reflections on the impact of prejudice and both ancestral and personal trauma. Throughout, Sasha seamlessly intertwines Coast Salish traditions with personal narratives, highlighting themes of injustice, ancestral power, and righteous activism.
I found myself fully immersed from the moment I pressed play. I look forward to reading more from Sasha, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers of non-fiction and fiction alike. This truly is a vital book and a true masterclass in the power of storytelling.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape for providing the audiobook arc. All opinions are my own.
March 6, 2024
Thank you Counterpoint for my free ARC of Thunder Song by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe — available now!
Read this if you:
💋 read and loved Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
🔆 enjoy a combo of memoir, essay, history, and anecdote
💕 love learning about different cultures and history surrounding them
This is a super thoughtful collection of essays — it combines different sources and experiences into a cohesive experience for the reader, flowing gently from one section into the next. My favorite portions were probably the bits about the punk rock scene (definitely read Red Paint if you like this part!), veganism as a lifestyle, and the colonial nature of tulip fields and food sources. Personally, I love a book like this that opens my eyes to everyday experiences, casting a different light on them so I'm able to think more critically. Definitely pick it up if you're looking to learn more about Indigenous culture and what it impacts on an individual level!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Read this if you:
💋 read and loved Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
🔆 enjoy a combo of memoir, essay, history, and anecdote
💕 love learning about different cultures and history surrounding them
This is a super thoughtful collection of essays — it combines different sources and experiences into a cohesive experience for the reader, flowing gently from one section into the next. My favorite portions were probably the bits about the punk rock scene (definitely read Red Paint if you like this part!), veganism as a lifestyle, and the colonial nature of tulip fields and food sources. Personally, I love a book like this that opens my eyes to everyday experiences, casting a different light on them so I'm able to think more critically. Definitely pick it up if you're looking to learn more about Indigenous culture and what it impacts on an individual level!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
March 21, 2024
In essays covering a wide range and yet deeply connected topics, LaPointe (Coast Salish) meditates on her relationships with herself, her great grandmother (storyteller and language revivalist Vi Hilbert), her lovers and friends, punk rock, her ancestral land, her indigenous and sexual identities, and the past and future. There's some hard-hitting stuff, including racism, sexual abuse, Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, and generational trauma stemming from the history and legacy of colonialism, but LaPointe also finds hope in her connections and stewardship of the land and in her connections to her ancestors.
Book Pairings:
The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen for other explorations of significant relationships outside of traditional western views of marriage.
The documentary film "Bad River" (2024) and Robin Wall Kimmerer's books for connections with nature and the land.
Book Pairings:
The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen for other explorations of significant relationships outside of traditional western views of marriage.
The documentary film "Bad River" (2024) and Robin Wall Kimmerer's books for connections with nature and the land.
March 27, 2024
Love historically does not bode well for the women I come from. For over five generations the women of my lineage have been monumentally fucked over by love. Love has been weaponized against us in varying degrees of violence and abandonment. In cases of ownership and gain, love has been used to defeat us as indigenous women...”
“All over the world. Indigenous communities are fighting for their survival, the survival of their sacred lands, their languages, and stories...They are water protectors and knowledge keepers, storytellers and healers. “
I am so glad Lapointe landed on my radar, after reading a couple of glowing reviews. This collection of essays takes a deep, clear-eyed look at what it is to a Native woman, with all the pain and joy that has been thrown in her path, along with her special relationships with her mother and grandmothers. Lapointe is a punk rocker, a poet, activist and a very fine writer. I am looking forward to reading more of her work. 4.5 stars
“All over the world. Indigenous communities are fighting for their survival, the survival of their sacred lands, their languages, and stories...They are water protectors and knowledge keepers, storytellers and healers. “
I am so glad Lapointe landed on my radar, after reading a couple of glowing reviews. This collection of essays takes a deep, clear-eyed look at what it is to a Native woman, with all the pain and joy that has been thrown in her path, along with her special relationships with her mother and grandmothers. Lapointe is a punk rocker, a poet, activist and a very fine writer. I am looking forward to reading more of her work. 4.5 stars
April 3, 2024
Thunder Song by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe is a deeply moving, masterfully written collection of essays about the author’s personal experiences as a Two-spirit Coast Salish woman. In each essay, she deftly connects seemingly disparate topics and stories to create a powerful reflection on her life, indigeneity, and the state of the world. These essays cover many dark topics and moments in the author’s life; taqwšəblu LaPointe does not shy away from the historic and current pain caused by settler colonialism. She allows herself to express rage and sorrow in response to colonial destruction, which spans from environmental degradation to generational trauma. However, each essay in this collection ultimately lands on a note of hope—hope not just for her own life, but for the world. The source of that hope lies in respect for indigenous peoples and their traditions, to which her essays serve as a powerful and emotional testament.
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