
First Person Plural
Aboriginal Storytelling and the Ethics of Collaborative Authorship
Sophie McCall(Author)
University of British Columbia Press
Will be published approx. on 15. May 2011
Book
Hardback
268 pages
978-0-7748-1979-4 (ISBN)
Description
In this innovative exploration, told-to narratives, or collaboratively produced texts by Aboriginal storytellers and (usually) non-Aboriginal writers, are not romanticized as unmediated translations of oral documents, nor are they dismissed as corruptions of original works. Rather, the approach emphasizes the interpenetration of authorship and collaboration. Focused on the 1990s, when debates over voice and representation were particularly explosive, this comprehensive study examines a range of told-to narratives -- ethnography, life narrative, documentary -- in conjunction with key political events that have shaped the struggle for Aboriginal rights in Canada. Emphasizing the scope rather than the limits of the told-to narrative, McCall considers how Aboriginal voices have been represented in a variety of forums such as public inquiries, commissioners' reports, and land claims cases.
A captivating inquiry, First Person Plural offers a vital, interdisciplinary discussion of how told-to narratives contribute to larger debates about Indigenous voice and literary and political sovereignty.
A captivating inquiry, First Person Plural offers a vital, interdisciplinary discussion of how told-to narratives contribute to larger debates about Indigenous voice and literary and political sovereignty.
Reviews / Votes
I must begin by saying that this book has had more impact on me than any other scholarly text written by a non-Aboriginal person that I have read in years...A deeply thoughtful, extensively researched text, First Person Plural brings new ways of thinking about collaborations between Aboriginal storytellers and their non-Aboriginal associates...Whenever I open the book, I find myself totally engaged, often entranced, with a point the author is making. Sometimes I want to argue with her and then, as I keep reading, I see how she has nuanced each claim she makes, twisting herself to see from varied perspectives while constantly seeking an ethical stance.- Celia Haig-Brown, York University (Journal of the Canadian Association for the Curriculum Studies V10, N2) First Person Plural is a wide ranging, nuanced and perceptive book, one that researchers and writers will find extremely helpful in thinking through issues of collaboration. I recommend it very highly. - Elizabeth Yeoman, Memorial University (Canadian Journal of Native Studies, XXXI, 2)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Vancouver
Canada
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
513 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7748-1979-4 (9780774819794)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Sophie McCall teaches in the English Department at Simon Fraser University.
Content
Introduction: Collaboration and Authorship in Told-to Narratives
1 "Where Is the Voice Coming From?": Appropriations and Subversions of the "Native Voice"
2 Coming to Voice the North: The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and the Works of Hugh Brody
3 "There Is a Time Bomb in Canada": The Legacy of the Oka Crisis
4 "My Story Is a Gift": The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Politics of Reconciliation
5 "What The Map Cuts Up, the Story Cuts Across": Translating Oral Traditions and Aboriginal Land Title
6 "I Can Only Sing This Song to Someone Who Understands It": Community Filmmaking and the Politics of Partial Translation
Conclusion: Collaborative Authorship and Literary Sovereignty
Notes
Works Cited
Index
1 "Where Is the Voice Coming From?": Appropriations and Subversions of the "Native Voice"
2 Coming to Voice the North: The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and the Works of Hugh Brody
3 "There Is a Time Bomb in Canada": The Legacy of the Oka Crisis
4 "My Story Is a Gift": The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Politics of Reconciliation
5 "What The Map Cuts Up, the Story Cuts Across": Translating Oral Traditions and Aboriginal Land Title
6 "I Can Only Sing This Song to Someone Who Understands It": Community Filmmaking and the Politics of Partial Translation
Conclusion: Collaborative Authorship and Literary Sovereignty
Notes
Works Cited
Index