There, There by Tommy Orange, is a book about the stories of multiple Cheyenne characters residing in Oakland, Oklahoma: Opal, Dene, Tony, Jacquie, Edwin, Calvin, Orvil, Octavio, and Daniel. These characters’ stories, unbeknownst to them, are all interconnected by the upcoming Oakland powwow they all prepare to attend. However, it is important to note that many characters are just learning about their culture and traditional dance styles while others have yet to learn about their traditional ways.
These characters have a disconnection from their Cheyenne culture and the earth itself as a result of the displacement of many Indigenous communities across the United States. The displacement highlighted in this book is a by-product of removal, assimilation, and the relocation program for the American Dream. To further understand removal and relocation, let’s look at the Cheyenne tribe and their ancestral homelands, where they were removed, and the location of many modern Cheyenne people.
As Tommy Orange mentions, the Cheyenne people are historically a part of the Algonquian language family and are closely related to the Arapaho tribe, hence the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes becoming a united tribal government. The Cheyenne originally resided in the lands known as present-day Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. After enduring one of the most significant atrocities, the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, the Cheyenne and Arapaho people were forced to move to present-day Oklahoma by 1869, and now their tribal government headquarters reside in Concho, Oklahoma.
If the Cheyenne and Arapaho people were moved to Oklahoma, why do these characters reside in Oakland, California? This is the result of the “termination” federal policy enacted in 1953, where Indigenous tribes would be disbanded and their land would be sold. The BIA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, launched a program called the Urban Relocation Program to move Natives off of their reservations and into Urban cities, with the intent to break down tribal ties.
According to an article about Native American relocation, an estimated 750,000 natives migrated to urban cities between 1950 and the 80s in hopes of achieving self-determination and success of the American Dream (American Indian Displacement and Relocation). However, when most Indigenous communities arrived at urban cities, the program did not follow up on the development of their new lives. Additionally, American society and Government officials wanted the Indigenous populations to give up their culture and assimilate for the American Dream. Subsequently, many could not realize the American Dream, resulting in either coming back to the reservations or living in poverty in these urban cities. This is the case for many Cheyenne people in Oakland, California.
The result of the Termination and Relocation Program is the lives of these characters in There, There. None of these characters live out the expectation of the American Dream, and almost all are in identity crises and living in poverty, which contributes to the criminal activity that goes on in the book. In the end, it is a sad but realistic side of the lives of many modern Indigenous communities especially in Urban populations as a result of the false sense of the American Dream.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in modern Indigenous stories of the American Dream, Urbanized life, and the disconnect of their culture. There should be some at the local or OU library, at bookstores, or online.
Works Cited
“American Indian Displacement and Relocation – Health Is a Human Right.” Health Is a Human Right, exhibits.library.gsu.edu/health-is-a-human-right/displacement/american-indian-displacement-and-relocation/#:~:text=In%201953%2C%20Congress%20passed%20a%20resolution%20to%20begin. Accessed 13 Mar. 2024.