Yellow Bird : Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country, written and read by Sierra Crane Murdoch
There are two books out, with similar titles. One is a novel about the Holocaust, “The Yellow Bird Sings”, the other one is this one which is described as a true story of crime on the Indian Reservation. It is, however, more of a story about the woman, Lissa Yellow Bird, who is part of the Arikara nation. Lissa can only be described as obsessed with solving the mystery of the disappearance of Kristopher “KC” Clarke a white man who worked for an oil company on The Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The author, Sierra, who is white, and Lissa , who is Native American, traverse both worlds as they investigate crime and injustice on the reservation. Neither one of the women is either welcome nor comfortable, in both worlds, though the two of them get along perfectly well, proving that differences are not always hard to overcome.
The book is long and has an over abundance of characters. The time line fluctuates forward and back to impart information, but it is often confusing. The author is narrating the book and her voice is neither mellifluous nor resonant, but rather it is raspy and rough, leaving a lot to be desired. I recommend this book in a print edition.
The author and Lissa maintain a relationship for eight years until pretty much the time that Sierra completes the book. She writes the book from Lissa’s point of view. Lissa returned to her reservation after being released from prison. She served time on drug charges and is a recovering addict with five children. She has never been married. She discovers, upon her return, that her home, the reservation, has changed. The people have been convinced by unscrupulous oil company employees, some of whom are Native Americans, to lease their land at less than its real value. The oil companies are thriving, and although the terms may have been unfair, many of the Indians who participated are thriving as well. On the down side, many are now also addicted to drugs and alcohol, and have lost their Native values, having been corrupted by “the white man”..
When Lissa learns of the disappearance of KC, she is completely overwhelmed with the idea of finding out what happened to him, and she often takes time off from her welding job to investigate it, eventually leading to her being fired. Still, her input is invaluable, since she has an inner instinct which helps her in the investigation. She is often able to discern facts and clues intuitively, which others fail to see and often overlook. She is quite spiritual. The Indians in charge have maintained little oversight when it comes to the oil companies, except when it comes to lining their own pockets. Some have been embezzling. Lissa is thwarted by them and by the U.S. regulations, as the investigation takes place, because the rules concerning jurisdiction are confusing and often fail the Indian community.
When the oil businessv

Very well-written nonfiction of the effect the fracking oil boom had on the native population on a reservation in North Dakota