A public library in Texas reclassified the nonfiction novel “Colonization and the Wampanoag Story,” by Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal member Linda Coombs, as fiction. This reclassification came after the book was reviewed by a group of Montgomery County citizens.
In September, the book was challenged in Montgomery County libraries by an unknown person, according to public records obtained by resident Teresa Kenney. Per county policy, the book was reviewed by a group of five citizens who weren’t required to consult a librarian. There is no official reasoning as to why Linda’s book was reclassified.
“Colonization and the Wampanoag Story” is classified as nonfiction by the Library of Congress. The story tells “the true story of how America as we know it today began” according to the book’s description, covering the colonization of Wampanoag people. true story of how America as we know it today began.
This action taken by the county is yet again another attempt at censoring Wampanoag history and silencing the Indigenous authors who dare to share it. A petition has been started online that aims to have this reclassification reversed.
