The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions Paula Gunn Allen Beacon Press 1986 This groundbreaking collection of seventeen essays investigates and celebrates Native American traditions, with special focus on the position of the American Indian woman within those customs. Divided into three sections, the book discusses literature and authors, history and historians,…
Category: Indigenous
Halfbreed
Halfbreed Maria Campbell E P Dutton 1973 Maria Campbell’s biography is a classic, vital account of a young Métis woman’s struggle to come to terms with the joys, sorrows, loves and tragedies of her northern Saskatchewan childhood. Maria was a strong and sensitive child who lived in a community robbed of its pride and dignity…
My Place
My Place Sally Morgan Fremantle Arts Centre 1987 Looking at the views and experiences of three generations of indigenous Australians, this autobiography unearths political and societal issues contained within Australia’s indigenous culture. Sally Morgan traveled to her grandmother’s birthplace, starting a search for information about her family. She uncovers that she is not white but…
Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel
Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk Association Inuksiutiit 1984 From the University of Manitoba Press: Sanaaq is an intimate story of an Inuit family negotiating the changes brought into their community by the coming of the qallunaat, the white people. Composed in 48 episodes, it recounts the daily life of Sanaaq, a strong and outspoken young widow,…
Sojourner’s Truth and Other Stories Lee Maracle Press Gang Publishers 1990 In the tradition of Native oratory, these stories are layered with unresolved human dilemmas. Maracle writes with love and humor about the pain and triumphs, and the spirit of resistance. From Robin McGrath: In her preface, “You Become the Trickster,” Maracle outlines her objectives:…
Telling It: Women andLanguage Across Cultures Lee Maracle and Marlatt Warland Raincoast Books 1990 Featuring prominent Native, Asian-Canadian and lesbian writers, Telling It is a celebration of their work and an exploration of how the power of language can be both spiritually nourishing and politically effective. The collection is based on talks and performances given…
A Gathering of Spirit: A Collection byNorth American Indian Women Beth Brant Firebrand Books 1984 From Wikipedia: A Gathering of Spirit: A Collection of Writing and Art by North American Indian Women was the first published collection of Indigenous women’s writing in North America, as well as the first anthology edited by an aboriginal woman.…
I Am Woman: A Native Perspectiveon Sociology and Feminism Lee Maracle Write-On Press Publishers 1988 Lee Maracle’s visionary book I Am Woman links teaching of her First Nations heritage with feminism. In her own words: I Am Woman represents my personal struggle with womanhood, culture, traditional spiritual beliefs and political sovereignty, written during a time…
She Had Some Horses
She Had Some Horses Joy Harjo Thunder’s Mouth Press 1982 First published in 1983 and now considered a classic, Creek Indian Joy Harjo explores womanhood’s most intimate moments in this collection of poetry. Harjo’s prose speaks of women’s despair, of their imprisonment and ruin at the hands of men and society, but also of their awakenings,…