The Cost of Free Land, Jews & the Lakota–book review by Zoom, Congregation Beit Tikvah

The Cost of Free Land Growing up, Rebecca Clarren heard stories about her tenacious immigrant family’s origins on a 160-acre homestead in South Dakota. Despite tough years on a merciless prairie, the Sinykins became an American immigrant success story. What none of Clarren’s ancestors ever mentioned was that their land had been cruelly taken from the Lakota by the United States government. In The Cost of Free Land, Clarren melds investigative reporting with personal family history to reveal the intertwined stories of her Jewish family and the Lakota.

What does it mean to survive oppression only to perpetuate and benefit from the oppression of others? By shining a light on the people and families tangled up in America’s difficult history, The Cost of Free Land invites readers to consider their own culpability and what, now, can be done.