The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative by Thomas King

The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative Reviews

• 
  Rowena

  “There is a story I know. It’s about the earth and how it floats in space on the back of a turtle. I’ve heard this story many times, and each time someone tells the story, it changes.” - Thomas King, The Truth About Stories
  
  I realized that I had read a few of these CBC Massey lectures in a college lit class that focused on Native Canadian and American literature. It was really rewarding to re-read them after a relatively long interval as I have learned more Native Canadian history in the interim (residential schools, Idle no More movement, etc.).
  
  The lectures were brilliant. King manages to be witty, snarky, sarcastic and informative all in one. He exhorts “the story,” and I must say that even as a reader I hadn’t really considered the real significance of the story. As King said, “The truth about stories is that that’s all we are.”King talks about the importance of oral storytelling, a dying art and one that often isn’t respected. He talks about the importance of decolonizing stories, and the need to place equal importance on all stories, regardless of origin.
  
  “You’re Not the Indian I had in Mind” was probably the most interesting lecture to me, talking about the stereotypical Indian and questions Indian identity:
  
  “For to be seen as “real,” for people to “imagine” us as Indians, we must be “authentic.”
  
  Definitely a must-read for people who are interested in Native literature. A link to the CBC Massey Lectures here:
  http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/massey-archiv...
  
  
• 
  Debbie Zapata

  Jul 15, 630am ~~ Review asap.
  
  Jul 16, noon-thirty ~~ I have been trying to think of what to say about this book since I finished. I am still stuck for coherent thoughts, though. I'll just start off and see what happens.
  
  "This book comprises the 2003 Massey Lectures, 'The Truth About Stories', broadcast in November 2003 as part of CBC Radio's Ideas series."
  
  There are five chapters here, so one might think it will be a short quick read. But King is tricky, that one. He packs enough deep thoughts into these pages for a dozen books.
  
  About stories. About White versus Indian. About perceptions. About the environment. About many things that in 2003 were urgent to many people and sadly are even more urgent nearly 20 years later because nothing much has changed.
  
  Why do we keep having to have the same conversations over and over? That is not just a question of mine, it is a topic touched on in the book.
  
  I will certainly have to read this again to grasp everything King brings up. I may not have caught it all this time around, but I came close enough to feel the edges.
  
  And I cried at the touch.
  
  
• 
  Helle

  An intriguing insight into the concept of storytelling and how imaginative and manipulative stories can be. More specifically, the book provides a profound insight into how stories have shaped the mythology surrounding North American Indians – for better or for worse.
  
  I was of course familiar with some of the historical aspects; how North American Indians have been the victims of a crime against humanity that was, and to some extent still is, so heinous that it doesn’t bear thinking about (if it wasn’t for the fact that we need awareness of it). Thomas King illustrates how some of these crimes were legitimized according to the white colonizers’ own distorted view of the world and how the stories surrounding North American Indians – created by both the Whites and the Indians themselves – have built the images of the Indians that we have met and to a large extent accepted over the years.
  
  I come away from this book illuminated but also intensely saddened. A necessary book of stories.
  
• 
  Zanna

  The truth about stories is that that's all we are

  
  Here are stories tumbled out variously conversational, oratory and literary. King hands them over, generously, and reminds me that they cannot be unread; they go with me now, marks on my chest. I feel them swirl about me like a cloak, keeping out no weather, but turning back temptations to hard-heartedness and despair
  
  He starts by comparing a Native creation myth, which presents a universe governed by co-operations that celebrate equality and balance, with the one in Genesis, which offers a universe of hierarchies and celebrates law, order, power and obediance. You've heard this before? King tells it better. If you see the world as the Bible paints it, he points out, you can't see the other version, where the good/evil binary, the deviance of woman, the subjugation of the Other, just make no sense.
  
  Not spoiler but long optional digression! I thought it was interesting that King didn't talk about that other story about the creation of the world, the one from the tradition of science. (In a way he did, because he has the sea animals thinking physics. Perhaps this is a smart way of showing how scientific learning fits into story-pedagogy.) Maybe this is different, as it's a story whose many tellers want to agree, and argue fiercely over the details, instead of just sitting back and enjoying the other version. In
  Darwin's Dangerous Idea Daniel C Dennett argues that the theory of evolution upended the hierarchy of mind (and God) over matter.
  
  Ignoring its Greek pagan roots, our science mainly drew nourishment as it grew from the 'Western' tradition whose creation myth has one Dude in the sky making the Earth and its creatures. It has struggled to place or negate Him in its tale. In the abstract, to its proponents, it is a search for truth, correspondence, coherence... what lessons does it teach? On the one hand it presents the universe as a book open to read by anyone, yet dissent is only permissible insofar as it serves the effort to erase previous errors. At least science does not burn its heretics.
  
  Perhaps this is all irrelevant! King's use of physics ideas acknowledges their importance, as tools, as bits of knowledge without ethical freight. But of late I have felt that we are so often presented with an idealised conception of science, and that science is so often invoked to shield some destructive activity. I must read Bad Science.
  
  Indigenous activist organiser and writer Andrea Smith points out in
  this essay that one of the logics of white supremacy is the genocide of indigenous people: the original inhabitants of colonised lands must disappear to make space for the colonisers. King has so many stories that bear this out, long and short, sad and enraging, told with a lightness that only makes them more weighty. Laws, wars, broken promises, and above all colonial myth-making (scientific racism, and the constructed tragic, noble, vanishing Indian) are marshalled against First Nation people. In this context even to stay alive is an act of resistance. And to tell your tale much more so...
  
  If King is right then how you live, how you treat people, depends on the stories you believe. While I was in the middle of the book I heard
  a talk on the radio about the stories of refugees. Agnes Woolley points out that often the life-chances and even the survival of such people depends on their ability 'to tell a good story'. But she also says that we need other stories than the bearing-witness to trauma that mediates survival: we also need the ones that make life worth living.
  
  I heard a story about a migrant on the radio another time. It was about a young man who fell from an aeroplane when the wheel compartment he was hiding in opened before landing. He was probably dead from cold before he fell. The neighbourhood where his body was found was moved; they laid flowers, told his story, found his former partner, learned about his life. Looking at the British newspapers, the irony of this is agonising: what would the reaction have been if he had arrived alive? King wonders aloud (as Baldwin did in
  The Fire Next Time) why North Americans fail to live the ethics they espouse, except on rare occasions when a story captures their imaginations. The British are just the same.
  
  This review is a ramble. I'm trying not to say the crass cheesy thing I should have said, which is Read This. Because it just might change your life.
• 
  Shirleynature

  July 2023 Gratitude For the Wry and Thoughtful Storytelling of Thomas King
  
  https://lplks.org/blogs/post/gratitud...
  
  Discover the power of stories to connect. Thomas King is engaging, heartfelt, and thought-provoking! This author’s heritage is Cherokee, Greek, and Swiss German. "Don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now." ~Thomas King.
  Lora Jost, skilled and creative Lawrence, Kansas based artist, recommended I read Thomas King -- especially this book and I am so grateful!
  
  Listen to most of this book delivered as a series of four lectures. The 2003 CBC Massey Lectures, "The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative" | CBC Radio
  
  https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-20...
• 
  Jessica

  At every encounter, King has knocked me off my feet. I was tickled up and down my sides by my first introduction to Coyote, in Green Grass Running Water. I lost my breath as I blathered through our first meeting in Eden Mills. And a lump caught in my throat, with warm little tears in my eyes, as I read The Truth About Stories. Politically charged and beautifully woven, King provides personal and national accounts of the ways in which stories have affected Canadians lives. Peoples lives. Native lives. Only King can teach legislation not just effectively and fluently, but he brings us to the point of universal understanding, in just a few short essays. Sorry. Stories. I recommend this book for everyone who has ever read or recounted a story.
• 
  Teagan

  This is probably my favorite book that I have been required to read for school. Thomas King is clearly a born storyteller. He weaves sarcasm, criticism, optimism and personality into what is truly a work of art. Every chapter of this book left me speechless at the end, and it took me a while to really take in the stories that he told. 'The Truth About Stories' dives into subjects that are often left alone and pushed away for other easier topics. King approaches things like racism and discrimination in an honest and straight forward way that I think a lot of people are scared to do. By telling stories about his own experiences as well as stories of other peoples experiences, King shows us what the world is really like, and he gets us to take a step back and think about what our impact really is. Everyone is something, and everything does something in this world. We need to choose what this is. King includes this one sentence at the beginning of each chapter in his book, and I think it is one that I will ponder over and carry with me forever: "The truth about stories is that that's all we are." This can mean many different things, and King tries to get his readers to think about stories and how they change us, but also make us.
• 
  George Ilsley

  Stories are fundamental to how we see ourselves and how we see the world we inhabit. Most often, we do not recognize the stories we tell ourselves. We cannot see them; we are blind to them. Only stories that we see can help teach us what we need to learn.
  
  This is a series of stories within stories, presented with humour, satire, and pathos, by a skilled storyteller. The truth about stories is that we need stories, and use stories, and rely on stories, we build our world from stories, but do not always see the stories we rely on.
  
  We swim in a sea of story, but like fish we cannot see the water that is our universe.
• 
  Danika at The Lesbrary

  This is a re-read for me. There are a few books that I want to re-read even as I read it, and this is one of them. Such a quick read (or listen), but packed with so much, both about racism and Native history as well as the nature of storytelling.
• 
  Emily Hays

  I listened to the actual lecture the book is a transcript of. And considering the content, I think that's the best way to consume these stories. I did, however, read the story at the end: the one King intended to be read and not listened to.
  I think King did a fantastic job narrating the stories in his lecture. He makes great points about differing Indigenous cultures, as well as those cultures compared to Western/Christian cultures. It was also refreshing to see a man's perspective on women that isn't awful.
  King is funny and respectful, but he's also honest. And it was incredibly refreshing.
  5/5 stars
• 
  Grace

  An intricate account, one that is interspersed with personal stories and commentaries. Written like an oral story, this book is an undeniable showcase of storytelling prowess. King begins and ends every chapter in a similar manner. Despite all that familiarity, he manages to renew my fascination at every turn of the page.
  
  Chapter 1: The readers are given a glimpse into his backstory. We learn about the hardships his mother endured and the tumultuous rediscovery of his father. Although King recognizes that his story may not be worthy of much attention, he underscores the importance of having stories of our own (via a whimsical tale involving evil witches). He asserts that stories form the very fabric of our existence. King proceeds to present two stories about the creation of our planet: one featuring a curious woman who creates the world atop a turtle's back and the other depicting God creating the heavens and the earth. There is a dichotomy between the two stories despite their initial similarities: one rooted in cooperation and the other enshrouded in authoritarianism.
  
  Chapter 2: We accompany King on his journey to photograph Indigenous People. King follows the trail of Edward Curtis, a photographer intent on capturing the vanishing Indian race. Curtis' idea of the "vanishing" race is founded on an idealized notion and is thus greatly misguided. Many questions are raised in this chapter; is authenticity an imaginary construct? Do appearances determine authenticity? Is cultural identity acknowledged only when individuals conform to their cultural stereotypes?
  
  Chapter 3: Here is where the book starts to take a profoundly sobering turn for me. The narrative of Ishi serves as a stark reminder of the perils that arise from our fascination with Indigenous people. At times, it seems as though we view them as a different species, a mixture of exoticism, eroticism, and savagery. Many seem to treat those who embrace their culture with sarcasm, as shown with Ishi who is used to entertain museum goers. Making matters worse, those who attempt to blend into society are lambasted for their inauthenticity and "infidelity".
  
  Chapter 4-5: As Indigenous people have instilled enormous curiosity in some of us, it is only natural for some to take interest in safeguarding Indigenous oral stories. King posits that committing these stories to writing presents new opportunities for Indigenous narratives to reach a larger audience. With this, he touches on the horrors his people have faced at the hands of European settlers. King later glosses over the frustrating back-and-forth between the government and Indigenous peoples. Acts and Legislation involving Indigenous lands and identity are critiqued and likened to a story between a Coyote and ducks, detailing how a Coyote cunningly pilfered all the feathers from the ducks until they have nothing left to give. The readers are led to ask the same question as the author: what is it about Indigenous people that some individuals don't like?
  
  The book closes with a brief afterword, where the author encourages us to refrain from playing the blame game and instead reflect on the stories King shared with us. All in all, this was a great read! My words fall short in capturing the brilliance of Thomas King's masterful account.
• 
  David

  5.0 Culture, stories, history, Native Americans, philosophy and self-reflection: this book had so many things I absolutely love. I enjoyed the author's voice, clever literary devices, sarcasm, and his weaving of the struggles of Native American identity with the telling of stories. Ultimately King outlined how the idea of telling stories helps explain the creation of our world's acceptance of its own moral corruption. The last chapter was so personal, unexpected, heartbreaking and so true. His criticism of alcohol and tobacco, selfishness and the destruction of the environment might put off some people, but for me it was so refreshing and on point. Of course there will be many people who will disagree and as the author so eloquently says, "The only difference between them is the stories we tell." This is a book I thought I would enjoy, but it really blew me away at the end and will be a book I reflect on the rest of my life's story.
• 
  ManiacalBookUnicorn

  One of the greatest accomplishments in the book is that King is able to effectively and beautifully weave together different times, settings, people and stories with Native culture. He explores different "truths" and "stories" about Native peoples and brilliantly shows how these stories affect the perception others have of them. King covers a range of topics such as creation stories, family, self- and cultural-identity, the portrayal of Native peoples as entertainment and also their representation in media, and most importantly oral storytelling.
  
  I could not sing (or croak out, in my case) enough praises for The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative by Thomas King. It's honestly one of the best things I HAVE EVER READ!
  
  Check out a full Book Review on the Maniacal Book Unicorn Blog
  here
• 
  hh

  READ THIS BOOK. RIGHT NOW. GET YOUR ASS OUT OF YOUR CHAIR AND FIND IT. really.
  
  i'm having the most amazing, fortuitous confluence of literature in my life lately. i read this in way less than a day. it's short, colloquial, and paced the way many oral stories are. king is a brilliant man, a brilliant storyteller; and it helps that he's an interesting man with interesting experiences and interesting ideas.
  
  WHY AREN'T YOU READING THIS FOR YOURSELF YET?
  
  there's no way for me to adequately express here the ways this book touches me. i'm not even going to try. i will certainly be purchasing this book. if for no reason other than to have it to loan out.
• 
  Karl

  My late father was an Anishnaabe/Swiss son of a war bride and a native soldier. He was a schoolteacher who was a great father, role model and mentor. After he passed, my siblings and I cleaned out his personal affects and we came across a near complete collection of Thomas King books. After reading this short volume I can see why my father was a fan of this work. King has done a wonderful job of sharing his insights on the nature and scope of storytelling. I can’t wait to read the rest of the collection.
• 
  Robyn

  I had to read this in university when I was like 21 and I most definitely did not "get" it. Loved the reread, as I am becoming a big Thomas King fan 15 years later. His style in general is always to not completely spell things out for the reader which is probably one of the reasons I didn't really understand it much back then, and even now, I wasn't always totally sure what he was getting at but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I would have loved to attend one of these as a Massey lecture. I think overall the lectures would work better as lectures rather than just read off a page (as they should). Older book but definitely still relevant to today's issues.
• 
  Barbara Brydges

  Brilliant. There’s no one like King for being able to tell the hard truth about Indigenous lives with a sardonic humour that makes us listen. But he has a bigger purpose in this published version his 2003 Massey Lectures, and that is to make us think about how much our understanding of the world, and of our own lives, is shaped by the stories we are told. Much food for thought here.
• 
  Jason

  My favourite Thomas King yet.
• 
  Annie

  Brilliant. The storytelling structure is seamlessly connected to the historical context and the chapter content. Brilliant.
• 
  Keighlagh

  Recommended read for every Canadian. Do yourself and the world a favour. Share these stories.
• 
  Christine

  
  Early in his CBC Massey lectures, King writes, “So here are our choices: a world in which creation is a solitary, individual act or a world in which creation is a shared activity; a world that begins in harmony and slides toward chaos or a world that begins in chaos and moves towards harmony; a world marked by competition or a world determined by cooperation” (25).
  
  King is writing about the difference between creation stories – but after the events of Jan 5, 2021 it is hard not to see politics reflected in that was well.
  
  King’s extended essay/lecture is about stories, about how we change and adapt stories to suit our needs and our expectations. Hence, the story that colonizers tell about Native Americans is radically different than the story that Native Americans tell.
  
  This extends to stories as well – is a written story any more or less important than oral storytelling? Isn’t oral storytelling just a valid way of story telling? And what do the types of stories that we tell actually say about ourselves?
  
  It is partly an expanding of the idea that to kill a culture, you destroy the literature. Whether or not that literature is written or oral is besides the point. King makes a good point when he contends that both the destruction of Alexandria and Tenochtitlan where both vast losses in terms of literature. Today, we could also count the pandemic of COVID 19.
  
  He also focuses on Native literature and not so much the style but the various settings, and like most good books about books, you will come away with a much longer reading list.
  
• 
  Cesco

  I read this for school and enjoyed maybe 2 chapters out of the 5.
  I enjoyed King’s stories, but found some that some of them rambled on. The first story about creation really captured my attention and I immediately held the same standard for the rest of them. Maybe that is where I lost interest. The final story was also very interesting and I enjoyed both of these stories for how they were able to bring attention to the issues of colonialism through innocent “stories” that were metaphors for real life issues of the past and present.
  Overall totally worth the read, I’d just recommend the first and last stories and to watch his lectures since they are verbatim what is written in the book.
• 
  Friederike Knabe

  I read the book, five essays based on the Massey Lectures 2003, at the time of publication. Listening now, in 2020, to Thomas King's lectures is like a new experience. So much more powerful and engaging than I remember. Probably or most likely, I have changed as a listener and I have much more about the issues he addresses in his lectures.
• 
  Ian M. Pyatt

  What a wonderful story teller.
  
  Read this book.
• 
  Emily

  I would give it more stars if I could! I love Thomas King and The Truth About Stories is so beautifully written, it’s a work of art!
• 
  David Bylenga

  “Just don’t say in years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You’ve heard it now.” 👍🏼
• 
  Emma

  This was a reread for me. I really love this book. Thomas King tells stories in a really captivating way and there’s a lot to learn from this book.