There There: Navigating Urban Indigenous Identity with Tommy Orange

Tommy Orange [5]

Who Is He?

The Life

    Tommy Orange is a contemporary Native American author that is best known for his novel, There There. "He is a fiction writer capturing a diverse range of Native American experiences and lives in novels that traverse time, space, and narrative perspectives" [5]. He is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, but he grew up in California [4]. He was raised by his white Christian mother and a Native American father, he had to navigate life that was strict and deeply religious. Orange has openly spoke about having trouble and struggling in childhood academics, but he overcame that difficulty later in life by finding his love for storytelling while working at a bookstore and now has a Bachelor of Science in Sound Arts and Audio Engineering, received in 2004 from SAE Expression College. Orange has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, received in 2016 from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico [5].

The Craft

    The two very major pieces of work that Orange has created are, There There, and then his second novel, Wandering stars. His experiences from growing up in an urban environment have influenced his writings. Orange goes into details on what being Native American in a modern society means for many [2]. He writes about the contemporary Indigenous people, focusing on their struggles and identities rather than only shinning a light on the historical representations of Native Americans. This style of writing makes it feel even more impactful. It challenges the stereotypes that have been placed on Native Americans. Indigenous people are often represented through historical stories while Orange helps to show that Native American communities continue to exist, thrive, and adjust in the world we have today. He is able to do this by bringing people's attention and go into depth on things like identity, family, and community [5]

His Novel, There There

    This award-winning novel of Tommy Oranges was published in 2018. It follows a group of Native American characters living in Oakland, California. All of the characters have their own backgrounds and life, but their stories begin to connect as they attend a large Native American gathering. Through this gathering they will share and celebrate their culture and tradition through dancing, music, and their community. The novel goes into themes like identity, belonging, family, trauma, and the many challenges of balancing Indigenous traditions with the modern world [3]. "Orange presents a story of resilience and survival, as members of the Red feather family endure, despite 150 years of colonial violence" [5].  The characters are a filmmaker, young traditional dancer, and recovering alcoholics. All attend this event where they hope to find connections through family and culture. There becomes a [planned out heist that uses 3D-printed plastic weapons which goes wrong at a stadium. This action resorts into a mass shooting that leaves multiple of the characters dead or wounded. 

Tommy Orange and His Hit Novel [2]

Novel Review

    In the New York Times, it praises There There as "an ambitious meditation on identity and it's broken alternative" [1]. This quote shows how the novel is able to explore Native American Identity and the challenges Indigenous people face in modern society. It also discusses on how Orange is able to connect all the topics like identity, history, poverty, and urban life throughout his writing. His ideas make the book important because it gives the readers a better and more defined understanding of the many experiences of native Americans living in the world. [3]

My Personal Reflection 

    Learning about Tommy Orange and his novel, There There has helped me to understand why its is so important that we include Native American people in modern literature. From what I've learned about Orange's work, he shows that Native Americans have very different experiences in today's world. their stories matter and are important to share and for others to learn about. I find it interesting that his novels tell the stories of different characters but still somehow their stories connect. It feels like a good way to show how people can have different struggles but yet our lives can still connect by sharing similar experiences through things like identity, families and communities. Overall, this helped me see how literature can challenge stereotypes and help readers understand people from different backgrounds. 

Work Cited 

[1]    Colm, Tóibín. “Yes, Tommy Orange’s New Novel Really Is That Good (Published 2018).” Yes, Tommy Orange’s New Novel Really Is That Good., The New York Times, 19 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/books/review/tommy-orange-there-there.html. 

[2]    Grady, Constance. “Tommy Orange’s There There Is the Novel of the Summer.” Vox, Vox, 2 July 2018, www.vox.com/culture/2018/7/2/17514954/there-there-tommy-orange-review. 

[3]    Orange, Tommy. “There There by Tommy Orange: 9780525436140: Penguinrandomhouse.Com: Books.” PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Knopf, 2018, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/563403/there-there-by-tommy-orange/. 

[4]    Rasilla, Azucena. “Oakland Author Tommy Orange Chosen for ‘Genius Grant.’” The Oaklandside, 10 Oct. 2025, oaklandside.org/2025/10/10/oakland-author-chosen-for-genius-grant/. 

[5]    “Tommy Orange.” Tommy Orange Fiction Writer, MacArthur Foundation, 8 Oct. 2025, www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2025/tommy-orange.