Nothing More of This Land isn’t a light read, but it is such an important book that offers a unique and personal look into the struggles of an Indigenous tribe located in the area now known as Martha’s Vineyard. The author takes us through the challenges his tribe faces as they try to survive in a place where the cost of living has skyrocketed due to tourism, and average homes are selling for millions.

What makes the book really compelling is the author’s heartfelt argument for the rights of Indigenous people to not just survive but thrive in their ancestral lands, despite the economic forces at play. Lee shows that somewhere that may be seen as paradise by outsiders is grappling with issues such as gentrification, rising property prices, and the slow erasure of native communities.

This isn’t just a book about the past, it’s a powerful, urgent call for recognition and respect for Indigenous cultures and histories. If you’re looking to better understand the complexities of these issues and the fight to protect cultural heritage, this book is a must-read. It’s not just an eye-opening story, it’s a reminder of how important it is to support Indigenous communities and their right to shape their own future.

As a non-native American, I appreciated the opportunity that author Joseph Lee provided for me to explore previously unrealized complexities when it comes to major issues of indigenous identity, sovereignty, and community, amongst other issues.

And as a born-and-raised New Englander, I also was honestly very thankful for the opportunity to learn so much about the Aquinnah Wampanoag - a native nation that has been existing right here in my home region that I was admittedly completely unaware about until I first picked up this book.

And in general, as someone whose education was almost dead silent on all things indigenous, I’m just appreciative in general for “Nothing More of This Land” and all that I was able to take from it.

This was such an eye opening memoir, I learned so much. This is not a light read, this has so much information and gives a lot of insight to the author's community. It's insane the amount of history all those generations of people in his family have with being on the reservations and off island. I am first generation but the similarities of their experience and mine were mindblowing. The meetings for their community to come together, the need to keep a language alive because if not it'll die out that much sooner, as well as the feeling of otherness. This country was taken and because of the amount of people and the way this country was built, the history of this country is so complex. I knew that we were not getting the full story in school, we got a version of history but never the full thing. We need to read more diverse stories like this to get another piece of the puzzle that is the history of this country. Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.