3. TPatT - Indigenous Texts in French | The People and the Text

: Les Papinachois; There are 18 books in this collection of stories for children and youth (5-15y) that speak of family, the land, animals, objects, seasons, hunting and work, amongst other themes.

: Les arts d’interprétation amérindiens. Un souffle de régénération et de continuité.; The author discusses here how the interpretive arts are a source for regeneration and conitnuity. He states that despite centuries of dispossession, erasure and infantilizing political practices, Indigenous peoples have not only survived but remained strong and patient. Despite – once again – the need to culturally adjust to Canadian society, he sees it as a challenge to renew and grow sronger. The interpretive arts – music, song, dance and theater – are, within the modern context, the means for constant individual, spiritual and territorial reaffirmation.

: Les valeurs et les croyances amérindiennes; This book details the values, beliefs, practices, ceremonies and Elders’ teachings of the Huron-Wendat. The author reflects on nature, love, life and death as well., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary.

: Lexique des noms indiens en Amérique du Nord, Tome 1 : Noms géographiques; Lexicon of geographical names. [Reprinted Lexique des noms indiens du Canada. Les noms géographiques. Leméac, 1996], Published as part of the series Coll. “Ni-t’chawama/Mon ami mon frère”, by Leméac.

: Lexique des noms indiens en Amérique du Nord, Tome 2 : Personnages historiques; Lexicon of important historical figures., Published by Leméac as part of the series: Coll. “Ni-t’chawama/Mon ami mon frère".

: Liberté; The author discusses the history of belittlement of Indigenous Peoples’ practices, civilizations, societies and technologies. Centuries later, he says, the actions and religion of the early colonizers should be looked down upon today, for they were the inferior ones. As with all other practices, Indigenous literature – albeit oral – has been passed down, has adapted, and is stronger than ever before. The author criticizes how the bestowing of literary awards, distinctions and grants is in the hands of officials who do not understand the context of Indigenous literatures; hence the writers of the latter never win. Until an all-Indigenous organization for these affairs is created, the situation, he says, will remain in a dead-end.

: L’ancêtre du caribou; The author wrote this piece as a homage to Mathieu André. It tells the story of an old man who knew he was going to die soon. The old man reflects on his life, his friends and parents, the way he felt whenever he saw a caribou. He knew he had to see another caribou before dying, to pay his respects to the animal world. He leaves his house and goes out into the cold night, but even in the forest he felt a sadness, that he might not get to see a caribou. His legs give and he collapses in the snow and starts to cry. The Creator hears the man’s cry, his love for nature, for the animals, especially for the caribou. Just as he is about to die, the old man hears a voice, offering him to be the master of the caribou; he accepts and becomes a caribou. The old man’s beard had turned white with frost; this is perhaps why the caribou is white above the mouth., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to consider how to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some writings fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to consider how to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some writings fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary.

: L’annonce faite à mari; “The denunciation of violence against women is the announcement made to husband, father, man.” The poem reflects on the case of Sarah Balahagan, a Filipina woman who was imprisoned and beaten for denouncing her employer and rapist.

: L’approche spirituelle amérindienne; Indigenous spirituality is based on patience and learning; one learns a little at a time, one day at a time, in order to know oneself, to recognize oneself in one’s humanity and dignity.

: L’avenir de l’algonquin; Before the arrival of the Hudson Bay Company, the Algonquins would meet every summer at La Pointe-aux-Indiens at the tip of Lake Abitibi to renew friendship and kinship ties. The author states however that since 1720, Algonquin Mamiwinni have had their lives impacted by the fur trade, missionaries, railroads and, worst of all, residential schools. As a consequence, language, culture and a way of life were disappearing until the 1970-1980s when communities decided to take back control of their children’s education. New schools were created where the children learned the Algonquin language and cultural practices; several other language revitalization projects soon followed., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary., While we have indicated a primary genre, there is a need to better represent Indigenous writings and contemplate how some fall outside the traditional fiction/non-fiction binary.

: L’avenir de l’atikamekw; The author discusses the future of the Atikamekw language; the desire to keep it alive, she says, is not enough. It requires valorization, dissemination and awareness-building by and large; in school, at home, a dedicated radio and/or tv channel. Those who write poetry and fiction, she urges, need to write more; to write a language, she says, is “to ennoble it.”

: L’avenir du mohawk; (Jacques Maurais, ed.) In this essay, the author discusses the future of the Mohawk language and it’s current state of survivance. If Canada is so concerned of what might disappear (endangered species, namely), should it not, asks the author, be concerned as well with its first languages? If anything, the Oka Crisis showed that the Mohawk people are alive and will stand together together assimilation policies and the Indian Act. Through education, Mohawk youth will learn about their history and their language; the author thus calls for funding through the different provincial ministeries.

Indigenous Writing to 1992