9 things I learned from Chelsea Vowel’s “Indigenous Writes”

15 thoughts on “9 things I learned from Chelsea Vowel’s “Indigenous Writes””

  1. Outstanding and illuminating. As I said we’re following your writing in my class and they’re going to be so pleased with this post as it echoes some of the learning we’re doing – you should check out Kairos Canada and the work they’re doing, especially the Blanket Exercise which teaches Canadian history not taught to us. The idea that you had a better chance of surviving as a soldier in WWII (1 in 26) than a residential school (1 in 25) is something my students find truly insane about it all.

  2. You say “I don’t know how to write an actual book review.” I say, you just did write an actual book review. Thank you.

  3. Excellent article Chris! I am loving her book- she is brilliant and wickedly funny- dangerous combination😊

  4. This is a great review! I’ve been searching for a review of this book from someone in its intended audience – that is, someone who doesn’t already know and/or spend a good chunk of their time dealing with and thinking about Indigenous issues in Canada. This was perfect and are the same sort of things I learned too.

  5. What you don’t learn from many of these writers is that they are just as much European as Native (if not more so). I find it strange when people of mainly European descent decide to claim only part of their heritage (the part that makes them feel special, and apparently, sinless), and then call others settlers and colonizers. I wonder, if in later years, this may be recognized as a disorder of some sort.

    1. You will learn that from most of them if you put any effort in. Most of them are upfront with their positionality. They don’t claim just a part of their heritage they are representing the part that is largely ignored and often directly assaulted by the majority culture.

      If you are struggling in engaging with this content, I suggest taking up a practice of self-reflection to help you feel less personally attacked. Check out the link below for some help with that personal issue.

      https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279539507_Leaning_in_A_student's_guide_to_engaging_constructively_with_social_justice_content

    2. I actually call them much worse things than settler and colonizer but that’s just my own personal problem that I have to work on. I have a small part of me that is indigenous and I don’t make claims to being something I am not – that small chunk. It’s the part of me that is part of the genocide that I don’t cherish, not in a racist sense despising the folks of Europe but the part that is so disappointed in the races that have lied, buried, hidden from view the very things that may have long ago ended this ugliness, … that is still ongoing. Why can’t we all simply be truthful? We didn’t originate this ongoing genocide but we all stand accused of perpetuating it.

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