by Charlotte\u00a0Cot\u00e9, American Indian Studies<\/p>\n
For Native scholars in Canada and the United States, writing is both an act of resistance and an act of re-empowerment. However, many challenges arise when we write about ourselves and our respective communities. I used this presentation to discuss the challenges I faced when writing my recent book, “Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors. Revitalizing Makah and Nuu-chah-nulth Traditions”. I discussed the process of writing about my experiences growing up in a First Nations community in Canada and some of the issues this raised about sharing cultural and community knowledge. I faced two main questions: How do I write about something that is so personal? How do I write myself into the history I am analyzing?<\/p>\n
I discussed how difficult it was to decide what family, community, and cultural knowledge I would share in my book and talked about how I decided what I would share. As Native scholars, we are challenged to present a study that is comprehensive and academically rigorous while at the same time is sensitive to our communities and respectful of our people. I discussed how I attempted to balance the utilization of written and archival material with my community’s oral stories, my family history, and my own personal reflections. I ended my presentation by sharing with the other panelists and audience that, while this process was deeply challenging, and at times, very stressful, I also found it to be very rewarding. I was able to write our history using the words of my ancestors, my relatives, and my community members, utilizing stories that informed my day-to-day life. This was truly rewarding.<\/p>\n
Charlotte Cot\u00e9 presented her paper, “Writing from the Inside Out,” at the Native American\/Indigenous Studies Association conference held May 19-21 in Sacramento, California. Travel was supported, in part, by funding from a Canadian Studies Center Program Enhancement Grant, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Government of Canada.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Charlotte\u00a0Cot\u00e9, American Indian Studies For Native scholars in Canada and the United States, writing is both an act of resistance and an act of re-empowerment. However, many challenges arise when we write about ourselves and our respective communities. I used this presentation to discuss the challenges I faced when writing my recent book, “Spirits<\/p>\n