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appendix II 317 OR ANYONE involved in the making of culture in Canada there is a very real concern that Native peoples are not seen as active participants. The need and desire for more Native images and more stories by and about Native peoples is world wide. But who determines whether a piece of writing or a story is “too Indian” or “not Indian enough”? Who knows best how to present the Native perspective? How many times have you heard “We've already done Indians this week”? Well, today it seems, there's a host of professionals dealing with the printed word (editors, publishers, producers, directors, writers, storytellers , journalists), all nonNative , who have taken over the work of the missionaries and the Indian agent. They now know best how to present the Native perspective , never dreaming, of course, it is basically their own perspective coloured with a few canoes, beads, beaver ponds, and a buffalo or two - romantic cliches of how they see Native peoples or how they want to see Native peoples. (Artifacts and history do not make Native culture, or any culture , for that matter. The collection of mental constructs, ideas do. These describe how a people think and how they determine things.) The loss of Native sensibility through the benevolent and fine professional efforts of these people , is of little concern. When Native people advocate WE CAN TELL OUR OWN STORIES - IN OUR OWN WAY, there is always great lamentation from those who see it as their god-given right, as Canadians, as editors, publishers, producers, directors, writers, storytellers , and journalists, to tell the Native Canadian stories. (The country is theirs now, why not our stories too, eh?) Our most basic right - to speak for ourselves, to tell our own stories - threatens them! No matter the goodness in their hearts and intentions, they cannot or they refuse to see that to continue telling our stories, writing our stories, is to continue speaking for us and paraphrasing us. As Native Canadians, we don't have hundreds of years of a written literary legacy supporting us! But, we do have hundreds and hundreds of years of a vibrant and vital “oral literature” to support us. Native cultures in Canada are basically oral cultures, and a major component in any oral culture is the body of ceremonial stories and songs, games, incantations, prose cycles (Trickster tales), the popular stories, and songs/poems (lullabies, work songs, jokes, anecdotes). These in a traditional or contemporary setting reflect the deepest perceptions , relationships and attitudes of Native cultures. LET’S BE OUR OWN TRICKSTERS, EH F Symbols, figurative and metaphoric bendings, themes, organization and structure that characterize tribal rural and urban life, from traditional times to now, contribute to a variety of cultural meanings. Only the most perceptive and careful translator (Native writer/storyteller) should confront these. They know best what goes on in the hearts and minds of Native peoples. The Native and non-Native have basic differences about the universe and basic reality … space for one is spherical and time is cyclical; for the other, space is linear and time sequential. The universe moves and breathes for one, but not the other. It is this particular detail that is reflected in work by Native writers, and it is this particular detail that will give this body of work its universal appeal. And sure, some of our stories do not look good on Canadian society and Canadian people. Heck some of them don't even look good on us, but these stories deal with the experiences of humanity, and as such they are not always pretty or pleasant. Let's cut out the anthro-apologizing and anthologizing. Let's be our own tricksters, eh. The formation of the Committee to Re-Establish the Trickster (CRET) in 1986 arose out of awareness by a group of Native writers to consolidate and gain recognition for Native contributions to Canadian writing - to reclaim the Native voice in literature. To facilitate the creation and the promotion of literature by Native writers, CRET offers a series of workshops and seminars dealing with relevant themes, readings by CRET members, critiquing and consultation services, and publications. CRET encourages literacy on all levels and in all languages used by Native people . The production and appreciation of a literature of artistic excellence is its goal. The Trickster is a figure found in oral cultures the world over, but he is special and central in the cultures of North America. Among his names...

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