Tommy Orange's novel There There follows the perspectives of multiple characters who all grapple in some capacity with what it truly means to be an Indigenous person. Of these characters, I was most intrigued by Opal and Blue, both of whom share a common characteristic: an 'onerous' last name. Orange seems to be very intentional in his assignment of these names as they reflect how Indigenous peoples in urban settings commonly lack a connection to their family name and heritage. This is also alluded to in the interlude of the book, where Orange reminds his audience that Indigenous peoples did not originally identify themselves through last names and were given them by white colonizers: "When they decided they needed to keep track of us, last names were given to us, just like the name Indian itself was given to us. These were attempted translations and botched Indian names, random surnames, and names passed down from white American(s)...Our names...make perfect sense and no sense at all" (Orange 136-137). This quote from the novel gives context as to why Opal and Blue show little to no connection to their given name; it carried all the generational trauma that colonization inflicted on their people and was a constant reminder that they had no clue what their name was supposed to mean.

What is most interesting to me in Oranges novel is that these same names that originally represent colonial subjugation also end up being a source for familial connection. In Blue's circumstance, her true last name was initially unknown to her until her adoptive mother revealed she was a Native American and was the only lead she had to find her birth mother who she connects with by attending the powwow with Edwin. For Opal, her last name was initally a cause for ridicule from her peers at school but became a strength for her after her mother communicated the importance of confirming her identity by sharing her heritages' stories: "And so what we could do had everything to do with being able to understand where we came from, what happened to our people, and how to honor themr by living right, by telling our stories" (Orange 60). This quote also shows how Orange and Thomas King may have agreed on how Indigenous peoples could move forward in the future; by having their voice be the one in the spotlight, shedding light and clarity on the truth behind their culture's story.