The Journey of

First Nation Literature

Compiled by Sharon Meyer NESD FNMI

First Nation people have long been thought of as being non-writers from the Europeanperspective. That is because the early Europeans validated the spoken word through the written word in the form of writing thoughts on paper.

The bible is the oldest written form of communication and it is thousands ofyears old.

The First Nation people had forms of communication but it was not validated in the eyes of the early Europeans.

Buffalo robe or animal hide paintings

Pictographs – painting on rock

Petroglyphs – carvings in rock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfSB4uyhMUkWIIGWAASSABAKOON / BIRCH BARK SCROLLS 24:06

First Nation written system consisted of picture symbolism and syllabics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_08Kxo424sgCree Syllabics 1:16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41XtWSDvyZgkinīhithowān - Do you speak Cree (song) 1:38Cree written and sung using the English alphabet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDplYRMhrhEMaking a Winter Count on a Bison Hide 6:21

First Nation language is connected to Mother Earth based on the relationship and connection to all that exists in the natural world.

Before the Europeans arrived we did not have Cree words for colors and our number system only consisted of base ten starting at zero.For colors there was an association building on connection to that which was already a part of Mother Earth. Such as if one wanted to say ‘the bear is black’ it would be stated in Cree such as “brother bear is like the night sky.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr6jOI8wHEcHelen Chief Speaking in Cree about Mother Earth 1:37

First Nation people had an oral tradition and their stories , legends, myths were passedon from storyteller to storyteller.

Legends involving creation and how things came to be were only shared when there was snow on the ground. This is to respect the plant and animal world – for they arebusy in the seasons of Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Spring – the birthing season for the animals and the budding season forthe plants.

Summer – the teaching season of the adult animals to their young and the growing season for the plants.

Fall – the harvest season for the animals and wilting season for the plants.

Winter – the resting season for the animals and the plants. Story and learning time for the humans.

When the Europeans settled on Turtle Island they imposed the English language on the First Nation people. As further settlement occurred, a government formed then formal education was introduced. Some First Nation families wanted their children to learn the ways of the Europeans because they wanted to understand the ways of the settlers. The government became aggressive in imposing European education and developedResidential Schools.Within the education of that era it was intention to eradicate all cultural and language teachings of all First Nation and Inuit students attending the Residential schools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seHId1hKq_sResidential school survivor Howard Walker 5:39

During the Residential school era the students were only allowed to achieve grade 8.Once the child reach grade 8 or turned 16 years of age – whatever came first thenthe child was sent home. At the time it was illegal for a First Nation to attend collegeor university. If a First Nation did choose to attend college or university they had to give up their status rights – they would no longer be recognized as being an ‘Indian’.

The First Nation people had no voice in sharingthe education process.

The First Nation people wereconsidered to have no voiceand to become invisible.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b1ZFjLZl94

Residential School Survivors in Canada by Bita Bardi 2:38

The Indian Act 1876 was imposed on the First Nation people. It allowed the government to control most aspects of aboriginal life: Indian status, land, resources, wills, education, band administration and so on.

First Nation people had revolted against Residential Schools and wanted control of their own education.James Smith (1973) was the first school in Saskatchewanto implement the servicing of their own education on their reserve.

This era began a change for First Nation people to become educated and join the Literal world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgCqG3Gv0AgTEDxUTSC 2015: Lee Maracle 1:12

The First Nation literary timeline:- The 1960’s – First Nation

political writing – FN political activists reacted to Government policies and wrote such documents as the White Paper.

- The 1970’s – First Nation and Métis begin to speak out. The first to be published:- Métis – 1973 – Maria Campbell - First Nation - 1975 – Lee Maracle Halfbreed an autobiography Bobbi Lee: Indian Rebel an autobiography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as5q8mRrHJYMaria Campbell 2:00

Many authors were trying to correct history and compose about the losses, victimization , and disempowerment that has been imposed on Aboriginal people.

• Some authors wrote about legends but they were considered as unromantic and non-influencing because of the lack of cultural understandings of First Nation cultures. The legends were treated as children’s literature.

The 1980’s - More First Nation and Metis peoples entered universities and colleges. Aboriginal writers seek a balance between criticism of social practice (racism, passive dismissal, restrictive legislation) and celebration of social potential.

Trickster Tales began to emerge as a part of interest growth in First Nation culture.

The 1990’s – a surge of books that verge against appropriation and enter representations of truth and real life experiences.

As school districts begin to include First Nation, Metis, and Inuit teachings there is a need for children’s literature.

2000’s – the First Nation, Metis, and Inuit people have gained much education and are gaining publishing support. Here are some topics that are addressing contemporaryIssues:

Minorityrepresentationin a colonial structuredsociety.

Treaty TeachingsAndUnderstandings

Media

Validating contributions

No more silence – reactive gatherings

Residential School System

Two spirited people

MissingAboriginal Women

Examples of some contemporary First Nation, Metis, and Inuit authors, playwrights, poets, etc.

Richard Van Camp

RichardWagamese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ZNMn7D0J4Drew Hayden Taylor on Storytelling and Humour 15:54

You Tube visits with FNMI writers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEofXFSgT68Joseph Boyden on Writing about the Aboriginal Experience 16:23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BxwY_ApXDERichard Wagamese - My Dog the Philosopher 2:28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF4acS2hMnERichard Van Camp 9:15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1sh3Frn6oThey Called Me Number One Bev Sellers 4:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_5cTMn9VgEMonique Gray Smith and Tilly 5:14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPPhdIomwz0Michael Kusugak 2:00

http://curriculum.org/storage/30/1278480166aboriginal.pdfAboriginal Literatures in Canada – good resource for background info of various cultural groups

http://www.bctf.ca/IssuesInEducation.aspx?id=5654Many book titles by BC sourcehttp://secondstorypress.ca/books/244-great-writers-from-our-first-nationsAdvertises book about FNM authorshttp://books.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/AbCat2013_Web.pdfBC librarian list of books

Additional sites that offer connections to many FNMI writers of all genres:

http://firstnationswriter.com/category/aboriginal-publishers-in-canada-updated-list/List of Canadian Publishers that have FNMI books

http://library.usask.ca/indigenous/holdings/az_list-non-fiction.phpList of access to Saskatchewan writers

http://library.usask.ca/indigenous/holdings/az_list-non-fiction.phpSite to search for writers

http://canlit.ca/reviews/first_nations_identityList of Canadian literature that has FNMI writers listed

E’Kosi – I am doneKinanaskomitin – Thank you to one personKinanaskomitinawaw – Thank you to morethan one person

Sharon MeyerNorth East School DivisionFirst Nation and Metis Instruction Consultant (306) 401 - 7848

Let yourself be moved by words!