(Re) telling to disrupt: Aboriginal people and stories of Canadian history

Textual analysis of library books.

In this essay, the author reflects on the process of writing "Braiding Histories," a book of biographical Indigenous stories. This book is intended to be used within grade 7-12 classrooms, with the goal of (re)telling these stories from an Indigenous perspective and disrupting the standard (colonial) telling of Canadian history. The essay is organized around three major themes: Indigenous conceptions of history and story, the relationship between testimony and witnessing, and questions of representation.

Storytelling is a legitimate and respectful way of telling Indigenous history from an Indigenous perspective.

Indigenous people telling their own stories disrupt the 'taken-for-granted' standard history of Canada. Indigenous stories are powerful, as they link the past, present and future. Telling the stories re-centres Indigenous people in Canadian history, and challenges those who would rather forget, erase or choose to ignore the links between Indigenous and non-Indigenous histories.

Empirical examples, stories

Wrote Braiding Histories, a book of biographical Indigenous stories, to be used by teachers and students in grades 7-12 classroom.

"My practice is premised on an understanding that the study of history is concerned with understanding who we are, our relationships with others, and the kind of world we want
to create. Engaging with the stories is intended to provoke my reading audience to rethink their understanding of themselves, of Aboriginal people, and themselves in relationship with Aboriginal people." (p. 60)

"The stories both inform and reflect who we are. While the stories have everything to do with us, in contrast, they call Canadians to attend to a story they would rather forget." (p. 61)

Education
Curriculum Studies
Literature