“There, There”

“There, There” gets its title from Gertrude Stein’s line about how “the place where she’d grown up in Oakland California had changed so much, there was no there there anymore.” This stunning debut—which has garnered significant critical and popular acclaim—follows twelve vibrant, diverse, and unforgettable characters as they make their way to the big Oakland Powwow. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character—including Jacqui Redfeather, an alcoholic who is a substance abuse counselor, Tony Loneman who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, to which he refers as ’the drome’, and Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield, the stand-in matriarch of the novel—each of them wrestling in their own way with the questions of belonging and identity that face so-called ‘urban indians’ who have left the reservations to make a life in the city. “We know the sound of the freeway better than we do rivers,” writes Orange, “the howl of distant trains better than wolf howls, we know the smell of gas and freshly wet concrete and burned rubber better than we do the smell of cedar or sage or even fry bread.” 

Part of why I love this novel is because it deals with the complex issue of native identity with so much wisdom and insight. So Tommy Pico notes, “The term ‘Indian’ was an imposed identity on a group of myriad indigenous people that amassed us into one, as a way to rob us of our distinctions.” Ever since, the question of who is and isn’t ‘indian’ has been a cause of confusion, strife and division. The recent turmoil surrounding Elizabeth Warren’s claim of Cherokee ancestry is a great example of this. In ’There, There’ we meet characters who are born and raised in the culture and customs of their tribe, while other characters cling to the scraps of their heritage they’ve gleaned through youtube videos and blogs. Orange gives us a glimpse of the power of belonging, of native identity not as a tool for political gain or financial benefit, nor as a liability of derision and oppression, but as a source of meaning and hope. 

And yet, it would be a mistake to suggest that ’There, There’ is worth reading just because it deals with important social issues. Because the truth is that it’s simply an outstanding story. Each of these characters is so unique and compelling that every chapter could easily have been its own book. I’m tempted to worry that these characters have been wasted on the small part each of them plays in this narrative. But the breadth of imagination Orange displays in crafting this story leads me to believe there is a lot more where this came from.