Review of How I Became a Ghost

How I Became A Ghost (How I Became a Ghost Series)Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, HOW I BECAME A GHOST is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy. From the book's opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and Isaac s talking dog, Jumper. The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.

Editorial Reviews

"The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective." KIRKUS, STARRED REVIEW --Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2013

"...a thrilling caper . . . a recommendation for reluctant readers who like their history tinged with the otherworldly." RECOMMENDED --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Literature

"Tingle, a Choctaw storyteller, relates his tale in the engaging repetitions and rhythms of an oft-told story . . . spare and authentic." --Dean Schneider, THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE

2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award --American Indian Library Association, ALA

2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People --National Council for the Social Studies & Children's Book Council

2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award --American Indian Library Association, ALA

2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People --National Council for the Social Studies & Children's Book CouncilComment:  I read this book because of all the glowing notices it's received. Such as this one from Debbie Reese in her American Indians in Children's Literature blog:

Tim Tingle's HOW I BECAME A GHOSTAs the title suggests, Isaac is going to become a ghost, but this isn't a scary ghost story. Scary things do happen--this is a story about the forced relocation of a people, but it is more about the humanity of the people on that trail than it is about that forced relocation. How I Became A Ghost is about spirituality and community and perseverance. And laughter. There's some delightful moments in this story! Throughout, this story shines with the warmth that Tingle's storytelling voice brings to his writing. I highly recommend How I Became A Ghost. I have it on good authority that we'll hear more from Isaac. I look forward to it.True, it presents civilized Indians who live in a farming community in a Native nation that has treaty rights with the US. That's something if you're expecting the "half-naked grunting Indian men" of Little House on the Prairie.

But that's not enough to make it a good book. I'll have to go with some of the negative comments I found on Goodreads:I know this book was written for the 9-12 year age group, but I think Tim Tingle vastly underestimates the intelligence of that age group. They're kids, they're not stupid. I had a few problems with this book.

This is definitely a children's book, NOT a young adult book, so more advanced readers may be bored by the simple, minimalistic language.

I gave this 4 stars initially, but then just a little bit of research today revealed that some of the history is likely wrong, and that complicates things. There is a fantasy element anyway, but the shocking smallpox blanket scene seems to be entirely fictional.

Even though I think the kids would enjoy this WAW possibility, I just felt it was so exaggerated and unreal that I couldn't get into it. In this story of the Trail of Tears, Isaac is a Choctaw brave that can see ghosts and talk to them and has visions of when people will die. And he becomes friends with another brave that can turn into a leopard. Together they try to free a girl that has been kidnapped and forced to work for several cruel soldiers. This is a no vote for me.

Love the title, and I really wanted to love the book -- Not many kids' books about Indian relocation have passed my way. But I just couldn't get into this. I started reading it out loud to myself; it sounds almost like oral stories written down. As stories told 'live,' in an intimate group, I think it would be better. On the page, it has a stilted, boring feeling. I am not sure kids will stick with this one. Too bad.The smallpox-blanket thing is disconcerting, and perhaps enough to disqualify the book as "history." It might be okay if Tingle had used the blanket gambit once--a bit of untold lore that might have been true. But it's a frequent issue on his Trail of Tears. The characters have to sniff out each blanket to determine if it's contaminated or not.

I think Tingle was trying for a Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn type of adventure with Choctaw protagonists and magical elements a la Twilight. And if someone without Mark Twain's abilities had rewritten Tom Sawyer for 9-year-olds, it might come out like this.

That's fine, but everyone's talking as if How I Became a Ghost is a great read for adults as well as pre-teens. With all the remarkable books out there, I wouldn't even recommend this to 9-year-olds unless they were deeply interested in Indians. To me, it's a Choctaw "Hardy Boys" starring Ghost Boy and Panther Boy, not a serious book for old(er) readers.

Rob's rating: 5.0 of 10. Great cover, though.

Lord Amherst's genocidal intent

Historians aren't sure if the British actually gave smallpox-laden blankets to the Indians:

Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstPontiac's War was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the Great Lakes region after the British victory in the French and Indian War (1754–1763). During these hostilities, General Amherst is often criticized for his conduct. One of the most contentious and debated issues is the question over whether biological warfare was implemented by Colonel Henry Bouquet on orders from General Amherst. The suggestion was first posed by Amherst himself in a letter to Bouquet. Bouquet addressed this suggestion in a postscript and responded to Amherst (in the summer of 1763):

P.S. I will try to inocculate the Indians by means of Blankets that may fall in their hands, taking care however not to get the disease myself. As it is pity to oppose good men against them, I wish we could make use of the Spaniard's Method, and hunt them with English Dogs. Supported by Rangers, and some Light Horse, who would I think effectively extirpate or remove that Vermine.

In response, also in a postscript, Amherst replied:

P.S. You will Do well to try to Innoculate the Indians by means of Blankets, as well as to try Every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race. I should be very glad your Scheme for Hunting them Down by Dogs could take Effect, but England is at too great a Distance to think of that at present.

There has been some debate as to whether this plan was actually enacted with no consensus among historians. The argument against the proposition that the plan was implemented on Bouquet's orders includes the fact that Bouquet had never had smallpox himself and was reluctant to enact the plan, as indicated by his postscript. In addition, there exists no communication by Bouquet to Fort Pitt's commander of this plan. However, as historians Elizabeth Fenn and Benedict Kiernan have shown, "Fort Pitt had anticipated these orders. Reporting on parleys with Delaware chiefs on June 24, a trader wrote: '[We] gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect.' The military hospital records confirm that two blankets and handkerchiefs were 'taken from people in the Hospital to Convey the Smallpox to the Indians.' The fort commander paid for these items, which he certified 'were had for the uses above mentioned.' Historian Elizabeth Fenn has documented 'the eruption of epidemic smallpox' among Delaware and Shawnee Indians nearby, about the time the blankets were distributed."But whether they did or not, it seems clear they wanted to. In other words, they wanted the Indians dead--exterminated as a people:

Jeffrey Amherst and Smallpox BlanketsThese are the pivotal letters:

Colonel Henry Bouquet to General Amherst, dated 13 July 1763, [262k] suggests in a postscript the distribution of blankets to "inocculate the Indians";

Amherst to Bouquet, dated 16 July 1763, [128k] approves this plan in a postscript and suggests as well as "to try Every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race." (This postcript spans two pages.)

These letters also discuss the use of dogs to hunt the Indians, the so-called "Spaniard's Method," which Amherst approves in principle, but says he cannot implement because there are not enough dogs. In a letter dated 26 July 1763, Bouquet acknowledges Amherst's approval [125k] and writes, "all your Directions will be observed."And:Several other letters from the summer of 1763 show the smallpox idea was not an anomaly. The letters are filled with comments that indicate a genocidal intent, with phrases such as:

"...that Vermine ... have forfeited all claim to the rights of humanity" (Bouquet to Amherst, 25 June) [149k]

"I would rather chuse the liberty to kill any Savage...." (Bouquet to Amherst, 25 June) [121k]

"...Measures to be taken as would Bring about the Total Extirpation of those Indian Nations" (Amherst to Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of the Northern Indian Department, 9 July) [229k]

"...their Total Extirpation is scarce sufficient Attonement...." (Amherst to George Croghan, Deputy Agent for Indian Affairs, 7 August) [145k]

"...put a most Effectual Stop to their very Being" (Amherst to Johnson, 27 August [292k]; emphasis in original).

Amherst's correspondence during this time includes many letters on routine matters, such as officers who are sick or want to be relieved of duty; accounts of provisions on hand, costs for supplies, number of people garrisoned; negotiations with provincial governors (the army is upset with the Pennsylvania assembly, for example, for refusing to draft men for service); and so on. None of these other letters show a deranged mind or an obsession with cruelty. Amherst's venom was strictly reserved for Indians.Comment:  Whether the British carried out their genocidal urges or not, the point is that they had those urges. Whether they were responsible for the epidemics that swept America, they wanted the Indians dead.

Whether it was relocation, allotment, or termination, US policies must be understood with that in mind. The goal was to eliminate the Indians--by transforming them into non-Indians or by killing them.

For more on the subject, see The Facts About Blankets with Smallpox.

Autoclave poster at Amherst College

More Racism at Amherst College, Native Student Speaks Out

By Alysa LandryAmherst College is apologizing for a poster some students considered racist and insensitive that was displayed December 5 on a wall in a biology classroom.

The poster is a depiction of Lord Jeffery Amherst, commanding general of British forces in North America during the final battles of the French and Indian War. He is the mascot of this exclusive and prestigious liberal arts school.

Historical accounts point to Lord Jeffery as a pioneer in biological warfare. He is credited with requesting that smallpox-infected blankets be sent to the American Indians, starting an epidemic among them.

The poster, titled “A gift from Lord Jeffrey Amherst,” shows Lord Jeffery gifting a stack of blankets to an American Indian man dressed in leather and fringe, with feathers clinging to a headband. An American Indian woman and child are in the background; a baby is strapped to a cradle board.

The caption reads, “Thank you. Have these been autoclaved?”The apology came after student Danielle Trevino, Choctaw, sent a scathing letter to the biology department, calling the poster “truly hurtful and alienating.”

“As biologists, you should be especially aware of the devastating effects of germ warfare on human populations, especially considering that Native Americans are a minority among minorities,” Trevino wrote. “The fact that Amherst is our mascot does not make the humorous use of his image acceptable.”

Treviso asked that the image be removed and that the department be held accountable.

“I will not stand for lighthearted references to genocide or allow an already-marginalized population to be further ignored on this campus,” she wrote. “I will also not allow an academic department to think they cannot be held accountable for the insensitivity that occurs within their spaces.”Comment:  I think Trevino's comments are right on. But...I wouldn't equate "insensitive" and "hurtful" with "racist." I don't think the poster was intended to single out Indians or portray them as inferior. Hence, no racism.

For more on Indians and smallpox, see Tipi "Housing Solution" Cartoon and UND Foes Chant "Smallpox Blankets!"

Tipi "housing solution" cartoon

Part of a letter sent by University of Massachusetts students to Amherst College in western Massachusetts.

Liberal Uneducation: Amherst College Publication Taken to Task for Housing Cartoon Depicting TipisRecently, your school news journal, The Indicator (Volume XXXIII, Issue 2, page 19), ran a cartoon depicting the “Lord Jeff approved” housing solution in the form of tipis. We find this incredibly insensitive, and ultimately, racist. Let us be clear, the person who drew the cartoon (Tricia Lipton), the editors who approved it (Nadirah Porter-Kasbati and Laurence Pevsner), and the student body, faculty, and staff of Amherst College who subsequently read it and perhaps even laughed are not necessarily racists. They have, however, participated in racist behavior, unintentionally or not.

Our complaint requires contextualization. Lord Jeff, your school mascot, and the man for whom Amherst College and the community that hosts it are named, acts as a constant reminder of the horrific deeds enacted against indigenous people in New England. And whereas there may be some dispute as to whether the idea of giving smallpox-infected items to Native people actually originated with Lord Jeff, there is no such doubt that he clearly approved and ordered “Measures to be taken as would Bring about the Total Extirpation [extermination] of those Indian Nations” (British Manuscript Project, U.S. Library of Congress, microfilm reel 34/38, Item 244).Thus, your steadfast approval of Lord Jeff as your mascot perpetuates the presence of genocide jokes on your campus and cries of “Let’s massacre them!” at your sporting events. Our knowledge of this is both firsthand and through correspondence with many of your current students and alumnae.Comment:  For starters, the cartoon is stereotypical, since there were no tipis in western Massachusetts. It plays on an all-too-common Plains stereotype.

Also, the message is unclear. Why would tipis be a solution and not, say, tents?

The problem is exacerbated by the "Lord Jeff approved" caption. Apparently "Lord Jeff" is the college mascot, so this isn't a direct reference to genocide advocate Lord Jeffrey Amherst. But still...why would Lord Jeff or anyone approve this solution? Again, what's the message?

The cartoonist may have thought something innocent like, "Tipis would make effective temporary shelters for our crowded campus." But to me this cartoon has a negative vibe. It's as if Lord Jeff is saying, "If we can't find a modern solution to this housing crisis, let's find a primitive solution. Let's live out in nature with the deer and the antelope like the savages I wanted to exterminate."

As usual, let's consider the alternative. Suppose the solution was to consult with Native students about traditional shelters that were inexpensive, comfortable, and energy-efficient. Suppose the students got on their computers and designed something that blended traditional designs and materials with modern housing requirements. "Lord Jeff" could give the students a housing award to make up for wanting to kill them centuries ago.

As my counterexample shows, the actual cartoon seems negative. It isn't praising Indians for their innovative housing solutions. It's criticizing them for being stuck in the past. If "Lord Jeff" couldn't wipe out the Indians, at least he left them poor and miserable, huddled in their tipis on reservations.

At least that's how I read it. And if a cartoon is open to this much interpretation, it fails by definition. The message of a cartoon like this one should be clear and compelling.

For more on Indians and smallpox, see UND Foes Chant "Smallpox Blankets!" and Wipeout Jokes About Savages and Smallpox.

UND foes chant "Smallpox blankets!"

College hockey: Duluth fans again warned over 'offensive' chants

For the second time in three years, fans' chants at Bulldog hockey games draw complaints. This time, North Dakota players are targeted.

By: Christa LawlerStudent season-ticket holders for University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey games were warned last week to clean up their acts after complaints to the athletic department about racist chants during UMD’s series against the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Feb. 10-11.

“There were some reports on some chants coming from the student section that certainly would have been considered inappropriate,” Athletic Director Bob Nielson said. “We decided it was an opportunity to reinforce our policy … to focus on cheering for our team and avoid comments that are considered inappropriate.”

Nielson sent the students a letter dated Feb. 17 that warned “any profane, racial, sexist, or abusive comments or actions directed at officials, opposing players or teams will be grounds for removal from the arena” and could result in a forfeiture of season tickets.

North Dakota fan Chad Czmowski said he was adjacent to the student section during Saturday night’s game when students began chanting “smallpox blankets” and what he described as other racist phrases and actions directed at the university’s mascot. Czmowski said other derogatory statements were specifically directed at the goalie’s mother.Three days later:

Duluth hockey fans make public apology for chants, take vow of good cheer

By Kevin PatesRepresentatives of the University of Minnesota Duluth student cheering section for men’s hockey games say they’re working to improve their image after stepping over the line of good taste two weeks ago in games at Amsoil Arena.

Racist chants directed toward UMD’s opponent, the University of North Dakota, which has Fighting Sioux as a nickname, were officially admonished last week by UMD Athletic Director Bob Nielson in an open letter to the students.

UMD junior Eric Fastner, 21, a political science-economics major from Woodbury, Minn., helped craft a letter of apology Wednesday and helped set up a web site where students could sign a pledge, agreeing to not use foul, sexist, racial, obscene or abusive language at UMD games.

“We understand we crossed the line with our chants and that that wasn’t right,” said Fastner, who has had UMD student season hockey tickets for three years. “We thought an apology would be a good place to start to let the community know how we feel.Comment:  Thanks for proving the NCAA right, idiots. Mascots create a hostile and abusive environment and this is it.

You're publicly advocating the death of a race. This is why Americans think of Indians as pests to be exterminated, not as people with meaningful lives and rights.

For more on the Fighting Sioux, see "Sioux Suck" and Mascot Foes Want to Destroy Lakota?!

Below:  Not the UND mascot, but roughly what UND's opponents have in mind.

Wipeout jokes about savages and smallpox

TV SHOW WIPEOUT: Kidding around about Savages and Smallpox. Let them know how you feel!

by F.A.I.R. MEDIA (For Accurate Indigenous Representation)Another so called "reality show," another affront to Indigenous Peoples.

This time, the culprit is "WIPEOUT."

In an episode which aired on ABC Television, on Thursday, February 17th, 2011 the two hosts engaged in a little banter over "tribes of savages," and "blankets ridden with smallpox."

We wonder how far they would get with jokes about long train rides to gas chambers disguised as showers, or how about some quips about a walk in the woods to a good ole' lynching. It is apparent, that Indigenous Peoples truly are the last acceptable targets for such overt racism.

Please consider contacting the producers of the show, and requesting that they issue an apology. Ask that they hold all accountable, from the writers to the hosts who uttered these tasteless words.

"Wipeout executive producers are Matt Kunitz (Fear Factor) and Scott Larsen. Shye Sutherland, Kevin Wehrenberg, Trice Barto and J. Rupert Thompson are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Endemol USA. David Goldberg is the chairman of Endemol North America."

Contact Endemol USA:

http://www.endemol.com/page/global-usa

Endemol USA Inc.
9255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1100
CA 90069 Los Angeles
United States of America
T: + 1 310 860 9914
F: + 1 310 860 1417Comment:  In the video, the hosts are introducing the next obstacle course. The guy on the right claims he's a world traveler who searches for "new and exotic locales." "It was on one such expedition," he says, "that I discovered a tribe of savages building a crude structure." The guy on the left asks if the "savages" were crew members. The guy on the right responds, "Maybe. But they sold it to me for a handful of colored marbles and a blanket ridden with smallpox."

The first part of this bit is riddled with stereotypical language:

exotic

expedition

discovered

tribe

savages

crude

Basically, every noun, verb, and adjective is a loaded term. They all imply that Indians are strange, remote, and primitive--i.e., out of touch with the modern world.

The second part, which implies the savages made a stupid trade because they're so ignorant, reinforces the message. It also puts a lighthearted spin on the idea of genocide. As the person who posted the video put it:Gee this is so funny. Next week the obstacle course will run through a shower filled with poison gas.It's thoughtless and insensitive, to put it mildly. You might make that kind of "joke" with someone you knew well--someone who shared your dark sense of humor. But you shouldn't make it on national TV in front of millions of strangers. Especially when some are likely to be the Indians you're characterizing as "savages."

For similar cases of insensitivity, see Stereotypes in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and "Party Like It's 1492."

"Smallpox-infested blankets" in V

The TV series V is about alien lizards disguised as humans to conquer the planet. The Visitors, or V's, have pretended to be benevolent, but they really want to use us as breeding machines.

In last week's episode, Concordia (airdate: 2/8/11), newscaster Chad Decker debates Kerry, a potential sparring partner who opposes Anna and the other V's:KERRY:  When newcomers arrive on your shores, you have to be careful--

CHAD:  Beware of Greeks bearing gifts?

KERRY:  Exactly. The Trojan Horse filled with soldiers. Smallpox-infected blankets for the Native Americans. These gifts didn't work out too well for the recipients, did they?

CHAD:  But Anna has demonstrated the utility of her gifts. We have clean air, and revitalized deserts, to prove it.

KERRY:  And I'm sure the Native Americans were warm in their blankets before they started dying in them.Comment:  It's not uncommon to compare present-day invading forces to the Europeans who invaded the "New World." But until most Americans get the message, it's probably useful to make the comparison.

For the actual story about the smallpox-infected blankets, see The Facts About Blankets with Smallpox.

Blankets with smallpox

The idea of Anglo-Americans giving smallpox-infected blankets to Indians has become a mainstream cultural reference. It signifies how bad the genocide was--how far the white men were willing to go to eliminate the Indians. That makes it a legitimate point of interest for students of pop culture like me.

So how bad were these early attempts at germ warfare? See The Facts About Blankets with Smallpox for the straight dope on the subject.