The library book club meets this Wednesday from 6-7pm at Betty Sue’s Better Brew Cafe. We are discussing the One Town One Title selection, Voices in the Stones by Kent Nerburn. Please join us if you can! If you have not yet gotten your free copy of the book, come on in to the library to pick one up. They are also available at Betty Sue’s & the Pine Island Bank.

Not able to make it to the book club but still interested in discussing the book? Here is a list of discussion questions created by Nerburn reader, Ann Culter:

1. How has religion, in part, made us separate from the earth as opposed to being part of it? Have our individual rights of self worked against compassion and caring of the less fortunate?
2. How has the lack of teaching the Native American story hurt these people, ignoring their very existence, marginalizing their accomplishments (among them, the practice of sustainability for thousands of years and looking ahead seven years), and reducing their image to caricatures?
3. How did the boarding schools crush Native American culture? How did that affect Native American parenting? How did that cause PTSD?
4. Do we, as descendants of white European culture, bear some responsibility for the “blood on the trail” barrier between our cultures? Are we able to acknowledge the injustices done to this culture? What is the power of acknowledgement?
5. What continued disparity exists presently in funding of Native American programs in relationship to our own? Why?
6. Do we fail to listen and, instead, try to push our views on others? What is the Native American view of religion?
7. How does our society view and treat the elderly as a whole as opposed to Native Americans? Why do Native Americans serve their elders first?
8. What is the value in an elder guiding a young one, not by violence, but by the stigma of being shamed?
9. What lessons did Native American children learn by being solely responsible for a task? How does that differ, or does it, from our culture?
10. What power do words have, and how is this power aided by the ability to remain silent?
11. How has our Western way of dominance reduced our ability to see life in all things around us, compelling us to control it? Regarding sustainability and preserving the earth, air, and water, how well is that working for us? We think that we can solve everything, but can we? What about Hanford, the Valdez, the leaking pipe at Standing Rock?
12. What are we leaving for future generations of our children? Are we leaving them in good health or in poor health with shorter life spans? What can we do individually and collectively do about this?
13. What will you remember about this book? What will it change within you?

One Town One Title 2018 is underway!

For the next month, there will be opportunities to read more about Native American life and discuss what we’ve learned with our friends and neighbors!  You can get more information on our programs on the One Town One Title page of our website, but here is a quick breakdown of what is happening between now and April 12:

• Free books (through April 12 or while supplies last!) available at the Library, Pine Island Bank, and Betty Sue’s Better Brew Cafe
• Tribal Justice Screening and Community Discussion – March 27
• Book Club discussion of the book – April 4
• Author Kent Nerburn visit – April 12

Please take a look at the One Town One Title page for more information on each event and we look forward to seeing you soon!