Summer Reading: Aboriginal narratives and the ‘art of storytelling’
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Books_indigenous literature.jpg” caption=”In honour of National Aboriginal History Month, faculty from the Indigenous Studies Program highlight some of the exceptional literary works that have emerged from the aboriginal community in the past decade. Photo by Xelcise.”]
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The Daily News' Summer Reading Series is a compilation of
literature-related ideas, expert picks, and teaching philosophies.
Over the course of the summer, you will read about and hear from some
of McMaster's faculty, librarians, and literature fanatics. You may be surprised by the
books they pick and the things they have to say.
June is National Aboriginal History Month in Canada. To highlight some of the
exceptional literary works that have emerged from the aboriginal community in the
past decade, we've called on experts in McMaster University's
Indigenous Studies Program (ISP) to share insights and recommended
summer reads.
“It's only recently that we've found our voice,” says Dawn Martin-
Hill, director of ISP. “Aboriginal writers always return to the art of
storytelling, and try to create a space that reflects and honours
ancestors.”
Rick Monture is a professor in the Indigenous Studies Program. When
teaching indigenous literature, he calls attention to the subtle
nuances in prose and unravels the history and politics of aboriginal
culture.
“Indigenous authors write to heal, entertain, and to promote
understanding,” says Monture. “Keep in mind, also, that they write for
two audiences – people from their communities as well as non-
indigenous readers.”
Monture recommends works by Sherman Alexie, whom he describes as “one
of the most dynamic Native American writers today.” Alexie's young
adult fiction includes
href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/review/Barcott3-t.html”>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2009) and
“Funny, irreverent and painfully honest, Alexie effectively captures
the emotions felt by many Native people today as they work to carry on
cultural traditions and maintain a distinct political identity in the
21st century,” says Monture.
Some of Monture's other summer picks:
Motorcycles & Sweetgrass (Drew Hayden
Taylor, 2010)
The Moon of Letting Go (Richard Van Camp,
2009)
Three Day Road (Joseph Boyden, 2005)
Power (Linda Hogan, 1999)
href=”http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46277.Green_Grass_Running_Water”>Green Grass, Running Water (Thomas King, 1993)
Monture hopes readers will “appreciate the humour and liveliness of
writing in these works, but also think deeply about the political
messages and the stories behind headlines of poverty, loss, and
incarceration.”
He notes that indigenous literature has branched out with the
emergence of aboriginal hip-hop artists, visual artists, and the
generational shift.
Students interested in aboriginal literature may wish to look over the
ISP's course list, which includes Contemporary Native Literature in
Canada, Indigenous Creative Arts & Drama, and Traditional Indigenous
Ecological Knowledge.
“We try to create a safe place where both aboriginal and non-
aboriginal students can have conversations that challenge assumptions
to create a new conception of aboriginal culture,” says Martin-Hill.
“We don't preach to students. Our pedagogy is to let them discover it
for themselves.”
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