In The Night Watchman, the 2024‒25 One Book One Northwestern selection, author Louise Erdrich explores themes of identity, family, and tradition as well as poverty, oppression, and exploitation. Erdrich’s novel is based in part on the experiences of her grandfather, Patrick Gourneau, a night watchman in a jewel bearing plant who also fought against House Concurrent Resolution 108. The Resolution would have dissolved recognition of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa’s tribal status and dispossessed many of its members of their land.
One Book One Northwestern, 2024-25
Erdrich’s novel takes us back to the early 1950s through the lives of several characters, weaving a complex and interconnected network of events and actions. Erdrich provokes reflection about readers’ own personal and family histories, our ties to place and to each other, and our responsibility to learn from and understand our collective histories. Inspired by the book, this selection of artwork from The Block’s collection highlights experiences of kinship, rural and urban life, community action, and standing up for one’s rights.
We invite members of the Northwestern community and beyond to use these works as opportunities to connect to the text's themes, whether for private contemplation or as a springboard in discussion with others. We include short contextual descriptions of the artworks and suggest some of the ways they connect with ideas in Erdrich's book. We invite you to browse our online collection and see what other works resonate with themes in the book or your own experiences.
We are happy to provide a shareable
