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Texas county reverses fiction label for indigenous history book amid outrage

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Montgomery County, Texas, has reversed its decision to classify “Colonization and the Wampanoag Story,” a children’s history book about Native American experiences, as fiction. The move followed intense backlash from the community, literary freedom groups, and Indigenous advocates, leading the county to suspend the citizen review committee responsible for the decision.

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The reclassification was influenced by a conservative Christian group, Two Moms and Some Books, which advocates for limiting certain content in libraries.

Critics, including local bookstore owner Teresa Kenney and Indigenous author Debbie Reese, condemned the move as an erasure of Native American history.

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Kenney argued that it was not within the committee’s authority to decide historical fact or fiction. Reese emphasized the importance of the book for both Native and non-Native children to understand American history more completely.

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The decision to classify the book as fiction became public after free speech advocates filed open records requests in mid-October.

One of the committee’s leading voices, Michele Nuckolls, defended the move, saying the citizen review committee was functioning as intended by reflecting community values. Nuckolls, a homeschooler and co-founder of the conservative group, regularly advocates for moving books on gender and sexuality to restricted sections and promoting Christian titles.

In response to the outcry, Montgomery County commissioners halted all decisions made by the review committee and announced plans for a new committee made up of county staff, with guidance from the county attorney. While the new committee’s formation promises more oversight, the role of librarians remains unclear.

This incident adds to a growing trend in Texas, which ranks second nationally in book bans, according to PEN America. Over 1,500 titles were removed from libraries in Texas between 2021 and 2023, many of which discuss race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues.

Critics argue that these moves hinder access to diverse perspectives and historical truths, while conservative groups say they are protecting community values and ensuring age-appropriate content.

The debate in Montgomery County is part of a larger national conversation about book bans and the role of libraries in shaping cultural narratives.

As Texas continues to grapple with issues of literary freedom, the outcome of this local controversy may signal broader implications for how historical and social topics are handled in public institutions.

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THERE’S CONTROVERSY IN TEXAS, AFTER A CHILDREN’S HISTORY BOOK ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS WAS RECLASSIFIED AS FICTION. THE MOVE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTRY HAS OUTRAGED LOCAL RESIDENTS, LITERARY GROUPS, AND INDIGENOUS ADVOCATES, CALLING IT AN ERASURE OF HISTORICAL FACT. 

THE BOOK IN QUESTION, ‘COLONIZATION AND THE WAMPANOAG STORY,’ EXPLORES NATIVE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES DURING EARLY AMERICAN COLONIZATION.

THE DECISION TO MOVE THE BOOK TO THE FICTION SECTION CAME FROM A RECENTLY FORMED CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE, HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY A LOCAL CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN GROUP CALLED TWO MOMS AND SOME BOOKS. THIS GROUP, WHICH HAS LED SIMILAR EFFORTS IN THE PAST, ADVOCATES FOR RESTRICTING BOOKS ON TOPICS LIKE SEXUALITY AND GENDER IDENTITY, FAVORING MORE CHRISTIAN-BASED LITERATURE. THEY VIEW THEIR INFLUENCE ON LIBRARY CONTENT AS A REFLECTION OF COMMUNITY VALUES.

THE RECLASSIFICATION DECISION SPARKED BACKLASH. CRITICS ARGUED THAT DETERMINING HISTORICAL FACT OR FICTION IS NOT WITHIN THE COMMITTEE’S AUTHORITY, A SENTIMENT ECHOED BY INDIGENOUS ADVOCATES, ADDING THAT BOOKS LIKE THESE ARE CRITICAL FOR BOTH NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND A MORE COMPLETE VERSION OF U-S HISTORY.

PUBLIC PRESSURE FORCED MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO TAKE ACTION. THE COUNTY PLACED A STAY ON ALL DECISIONS BY THE CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE, SUSPENDED THEM, AND WILL NOW FORM A NEW PANEL TO RECONSIDER LIBRARY RULES. 

THIS INCIDENT IS PART OF A LARGER TREND IN TEXAS. THE STATE RANKS SECOND IN THE COUNTRY FOR BOOK BANS, WITH MORE THAN 15-HUNDRED TITLES REMOVED FROM 2021 TO 2023, SURPASSED ONLY BY FLORIDA. MANY OF THESE BANS TARGET BOOKS DEALING WITH RACE, GENDER IDENTITY, AND SEXUALITY.

AS THE CLASSIFICATION OF THESE BOOKS CONTINUE, HOW THIS WILL AFFECT THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH AND HISTORICAL ACCURACY IN TEXAS LIBRARIES REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.