Dr. Toni Jensen On Indigenous Survival under US Gun Culture

On this week’s episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Toni Jensen, who teaches in the MFA program at the University of Arkansas, Institute for American Indian Arts. Her memoir, Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land, was named a Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist and New York Times Editors' Choice book. In our conversation, Dr. Jensen details how her identity as a métis woman and firsthand experiences with violence have shaped how she perceives gun identity in America. Dr. Jensen explores the shift in gun identity from hunting to self-defense during the Reagan years and discusses how modern sensationalism associated with mass shootings leads people to overlook the role “we” play in gun violence. Dr. Jensen’s most recent book can be found here. More information on Dr. Jensen can be found here.