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Why it matters
Erdrich transforms her grandfather’s activism into a communal story of Indigenous sovereignty.
A celebrated work
The Night Watchman
Louise Erdrich2021 selection · Literary fiction
The Night Watchman
In 1953, Thomas Wazhashk organizes opposition to a federal bill designed to terminate tribal recognition. His niece Patrice searches for her missing sister while navigating work and exploitation.
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Read this if…
You like historical fiction grounded in community resistance.
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Ideas inside
Indigenous sovereigntyfamilyactivismlabor
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