In this Book
- Read, Listen, Tell: Indigenous Stories from Turtle Island
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
- Series: Indigenous Studies
“Don’t say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You’ve heard it now.” —Thomas King, in this volume
Read, Listen, Tell brings together an extraordinary range of Indigenous stories from across Turtle Island (North America). From short fiction to as-told-to narratives, from illustrated stories to personal essays, these stories celebrate the strength of heritage and the liveliness of innovation. Ranging in tone from humorous to defiant to triumphant, the stories explore core concepts in Indigenous literary expression, such as the relations between land, language, and community, the variety of narrative forms, and the continuities between oral and written forms of expression. Rich in insight and bold in execution, the stories proclaim the diversity, vitality, and depth of Indigenous writing.
Building on two decades of scholarly work to centre Indigenous knowledges and perspectives, the book transforms literary method while respecting and honouring Indigenous histories and peoples of these lands. It includes stories by acclaimed writers like Thomas King, Sherman Alexie, Paula Gunn Allen, and Eden Robinson, a new generation of emergent writers, and writers and storytellers who have often been excluded from the canon, such as French- and Spanish-language Indigenous authors, Indigenous authors from Mexico, Chicana/o authors, Indigenous-language authors, works in translation, and “lost“ or underappreciated texts.
In a place and time when Indigenous people often have to contend with representations that marginalize or devalue their intellectual and cultural heritage, this collection is a testament to Indigenous resilience and creativity. It shows that the ways in which we read, listen, and tell play key roles in how we establish relationships with one another, and how we might share knowledges across cultures, languages, and social spaces.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- pp. xv-xvii
- “The Way of the Sword” (2011)
- pp. 14-29
- “King of the Tie-snakes” (2001)
- pp. 29-46
- “As It Was in the Beginning” (1899)
- pp. 46-54
- “Deer Woman” (1991)
- pp. 54-62
- 2. Land, Homeland, Territory
- pp. 79-80
- “Like Some Old Story” (2002)
- pp. 80-85
- “Borders” (1993)
- pp. 85-95
- “Rita Hayworth Mexicana” (2002)
- pp. 95-97
- “An Athabasca Story” (2012)
- pp. 98-103
- “Goodbye, Snauq” (2004)
- pp. 109-122
- 3. “Reinventing the Enemy’s Language”
- pp. 123-124
- “Ghost Trap” (1992)
- pp. 126-131
- “Aunt Parnetta’s Electric Blisters” (1990)
- pp. 136-141
- “Land Speaking” (1998)
- pp. 141-156
- 4. Cree Knowledge Embedded in Stories
- pp. 157-159
- Chapter 14 from Kiss of the Fur Queen (1998)
- pp. 160-165
- Excerpt from Darkness Calls (2004)
- pp. 165-169
- “I’m Not an Indian” (2007)
- pp. 170-172
- “The Republic of Tricksterism” (1998)
- pp. 172-177
- “Delivery” (2013)
- pp. 179-186
- “Rolling Head’s Grave Yard” (2006)
- pp. 186-192
- “Beaded Soles” (1997, 2004)
- pp. 213-226
- “The Devil” (1921)
- pp. 227-228
- “Coyote and the People Killer” (2004)
- pp. 228-235
- 6. Community, Self, Transformation
- pp. 245-246
- “The Toughest Indian in the World” (2000)
- pp. 246-256
- “Devotion” (2012)
- pp. 259-264
- “Grandma and the Wendigo” (2000, tr. 2017)
- pp. 264-268
- Excerpt from Red: A Haida Manga (2009)
- pp. 268-273
- “The Boys Who Became a Killer Whale” (2006)
- pp. 273-286
- 7. Shifting Perspectives
- pp. 287-288
- “Never Marry a Mexican” (1992)
- pp. 288-300
- “Weegit Discovers Halibut Hooks” (1956)
- pp. 300-302
- “The Many Lives of Anakajuttuq” (1969)
- pp. 302-305
- Excerpt from Wendy (2014)
- pp. 305-309
- “Lullaby” (1974, 1981)
- pp. 310-318
- 8. Indigenous Fantasy and SF
- pp. 325-326
- “Tatterborn” (2017)
- pp. 327-336
- “Men on the Moon” (1978, 1999)
- pp. 337-345
- “Father, Son, Holy Rabbit” (2010)
- pp. 345-352
- “Terminal Avenue” (2004)
- pp. 352-359
- “On Drowning Pond” (2010)
- pp. 360-364
- “The Space NDN’s Star Map” (2015, 2017)
- pp. 364-372
- Works Cited
- pp. 377-382
- About the Editors
- pp. 383-386
- Copyright Acknowledgements
- pp. 387-390
Additional Information
Copyright
2017