{"id":2668,"date":"2025-04-27T11:10:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T11:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2668"},"modified":"2025-04-27T11:10:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T11:10:11","slug":"big-chief-by-jon-hickey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2668","title":{"rendered":"Big Chief by Jon Hickey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jon Hickey\u2019s debut novel \u201cBig Chief\u201d takes readers into the heart of tribal politics with a story as cold and biting as a Wisconsin winter. Set on the fictional Passage Rouge Indian Reservation, this political thriller explores the complex dynamics of power, identity, and belonging<\/a> through the eyes of Mitch Caddo, a law school graduate who returns to his ancestral homeland only to find himself caught in a web of political machinations and personal reckonings.<\/p>\n

Hickey, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, brings an insider\u2019s perspective to the political landscape of the Passage Rouge Nation. His narrative unfolds with an unvarnished authenticity that avoids both romanticization and simplistic characterization of reservation life.<\/p>\n

The Plot: Politics and Personal Ghosts<\/h2>\n

\u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey centers on Mitch Caddo, a tribal operations director who works alongside his childhood friend Mack Beck, the tribal president of the Passage Rouge Nation. Five days before a crucial election, Mack faces a serious challenge from Gloria Hawkins, a nationally recognized activist whose campaign is being run by Mack\u2019s estranged sister (and Mitch\u2019s former flame) Layla Beck.<\/p>\n

As the election approaches, Mitch and Mack employ increasingly questionable tactics to maintain their grip on power. When their mentor Joe Beck (Mack\u2019s adoptive father and the tribe\u2019s general counsel) dies in a plane crash after a tense confrontation with the duo, the reservation spirals into chaos. The novel culminates in a violent protest at the Golden Eagle Casino, leaving Mitch to question his allegiances and search for redemption.<\/p>\n

The narrative operates on multiple timelines, weaving between the present-day election, Mitch\u2019s childhood memories, and the aftermath of his mother\u2019s death ten years earlier. Throughout it all, Mitch battles a mysterious \u201cshiver\u201d \u2013 both a literal physical sensation and a metaphorical representation of his uncertainty about who he is and where he belongs.<\/p>\n

Strengths: Nuanced Characters and Political Realism<\/h2>\n

Hickey\u2019s greatest achievement is his refusal to create one-dimensional characters. Mitch is neither hero nor villain but a deeply flawed individual whose decisions are shaped by his desire for power and his search for belonging. His internal monologue reveals a person who recognizes his moral compromises even as he makes them:<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the power,\u201d<\/em> he admits to himself in one particularly striking moment of self-awareness.<\/p>\n

The novel excels in its portrayal of tribal politics, capturing the complexity of governance structures, the everyday realities of casino management, and the constant tension between tradition and modernity. Hickey depicts political campaigns with unflinching realism, from online disinformation to backroom deals to outright corruption.<\/p>\n

The reservation itself becomes a character, described with neither sentimentality nor despair. Hickey shows us the casino\u2019s glittering lights alongside dilapidated HUD homes, the beauty of Ogema Lake alongside the grim reality of addiction and poverty<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Memorable Prose and Cultural Depth<\/h2>\n

Hickey\u2019s prose style shifts between sharp political observations and lyrical passages about landscape and memory. He has a particular talent for sensory descriptions, as in this passage about a winter storm:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe falling snow has picked up, and clumps of it stick in my hair, already hardening into an icy shell\u2026 The snow is falling harder, and somehow it\u2019s falling sideways and hitting like double-ought buckshot. This is the deceptive beauty of the Passage Rouge Reservation, its beauty slipping into grotesque terror while you watch helplessly.\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n

The novel skillfully incorporates Anishinaabe cultural elements without explanation or apology, allowing readers to absorb concepts like \u201cdoodem\u201d (clan) and \u201cogitchidaa\u201d (warrior) through context. Spiritual beliefs and practices\u2014from sacred fires to ghost dinners\u2014are presented with respectful authenticity rather than exoticism.<\/p>\n

Weaknesses: Pacing and Resolution<\/h2>\n

Despite its strengths, \u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey occasionally stumbles. The middle section meanders, with some scenes feeling repetitive as Mitch cycles through similar interactions with tribal elders and council members. The complexity of the land trust scandal that drives much of the plot remains somewhat murky, making it difficult to fully grasp the stakes.<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s resolution, while emotionally satisfying, leaves some plot threads dangling. The full truth behind Joe Beck\u2019s death remains ambiguous, and Gloria Hawkins\u2014built up as a formidable antagonist\u2014never quite gets the dramatic confrontation with Mitch that the narrative seems to promise.<\/p>\n

Themes: Identity and Belonging<\/h2>\n

At its core, \u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey is about belonging\u2014to a place, to a people, to oneself. Mitch\u2019s journey reflects the complexities of indigenous identity in contemporary America. He\u2019s both insider and outsider, a Harvard-educated \u201ccity Indian\u201d who nevertheless feels drawn to the reservation.<\/p>\n

Throughout the novel, Mitch struggles with questions that have no easy answers:<\/p>\n

What makes someone truly part of a community?
\nIs power worth the moral compromises required to maintain it?
\nCan one truly return home after leaving?<\/p>\n

The novel refuses to provide neat resolutions to these questions, instead suggesting that identity is an ongoing negotiation rather than a fixed state.<\/p>\n

Cultural Context: Tribal Sovereignty and Modern Tribal Governance<\/h2>\n

\u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey offers valuable insights into rarely depicted aspects of modern tribal governance. Hickey explores the practical implications of tribal sovereignty<\/a>, showing how it operates within the constraints of federal oversight and economic necessity.<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s depiction of tribal enrollment controversies\u2014who gets to decide who is \u201cIndian enough\u201d to be a citizen of the nation\u2014touches on one of the most contentious issues in contemporary Native politics. Similarly, the portrayal of casino revenues and their distribution reflects real tensions between economic development and traditional values.<\/p>\n

These elements make \u201cBig Chief\u201d an important addition to the growing body of Indigenous literature that moves beyond stereotypical representations to engage with the complex realities of Native American life in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Comparisons to Other Works<\/h2>\n

Hickey\u2019s novel stands alongside other recent works of Indigenous fiction that explore contemporary reservation life, such as Tommy Orange\u2019s \u201cThere There\u201d and Louise Erdrich\u2019s \u201cThe Night Watchman.\u201d Like those authors, Hickey blends tradition with modernity, refusing to freeze Native characters in a mythic past.<\/p>\n

The political intrigues and moral ambiguities of \u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey also call to mind works like Wally Lamb\u2019s \u201cThe Hour I First Believed\u201d and Richard Russo\u2019s \u201cEmpire Falls\u201d\u2014novels that examine the dynamics of small communities where personal and political interests constantly collide.<\/p>\n

Who Should Read This Book<\/h2>\n

\u201cBig Chief\u201d by Jon Hickey will appeal to readers interested in:<\/p>\n

Political thrillers with moral complexity
\nContemporary Native American fiction
\nStories about identity and belonging
\nCharacter-driven narratives with flawed protagonists
\nExplorations of power dynamics in small communities<\/p>\n

Those seeking simple heroes and villains may be frustrated by the novel\u2019s moral ambiguity, but readers who appreciate nuanced explorations of complex issues will find much to admire in Hickey\u2019s debut.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict: A Compelling Debut with Minor Flaws<\/h2>\n

Despite occasional pacing issues and some unresolved plot elements, \u201cBig Chief\u201d announces Jon Hickey as a significant new voice in American fiction. His unflinching portrayal of reservation politics, his nuanced characters, and his exploration of identity make for a compelling read that lingers in the mind long after the final page.<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s greatest strength lies in its refusal to offer easy answers or moral certainties. Like the mysterious \u201cshiver\u201d that haunts Mitch throughout the narrative, the questions at the heart of \u201cBig Chief\u201d are persistent, unsettling, and resistant to simple resolution. In capturing this complexity, Hickey has created a debut that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.<\/p>\n

For readers seeking fiction that challenges as much as it engages, \u201cBig Chief\u201d is a welcome addition to the contemporary literary landscape\u2014a novel that uses the specific context of tribal politics to explore universal questions about power, belonging, and the possibility of redemption.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jon Hickey\u2019s debut novel \u201cBig Chief\u201d takes readers into the heart of tribal politics with a story as cold and biting as a Wisconsin winter. Set on the fictional Passage Rouge Indian Reservation, this political thriller explores the complex dynamics of power, identity, and belonging through the eyes of Mitch Caddo, a law school graduate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2668"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2668\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}