Why Indigenous Literatures Matter
Written by Daniel Heath Justice
Published in 2018 by Wilfred Laurier University Press
In Why Indigenous Literatures Matter Daniel Heath Justice invites readers to join him on a journey of thought, personal reflection, and exploration of Indigenous literatures to address four essential questions:
- How do we learn to be human?
- How do we behave as good relatives?
- How do we become good ancestors?
- How do we learn to live together?
Daniel Heath Justice examines these questions through the power of stories, particularly those from Indigenous literatures: “… this is a book about Indigenous peoples’ diverse literatures and why they are (or should be) important to Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike, although perhaps for different reasons.” Justice expects the arguments presented in this book to prompt readers to engage in meaningful discussion and some debate leading to the larger goal of “expanding the circle of welcome and making our ongoing relationships stronger, more honest, and more just.”
Central to Justice’s reflection on why Indigenous literatures matter is the premise that “literature as a category is about what’s important to a culture, the stories that are privileged and honoured, the narratives that people—often those in power, but also those resisting that power—believe to be central to their understanding of the world and their place in relation to it.” He asserts that it is necessary to use the plural Indigenous literatures because “these texts and traditions are far too diverse and multifaceted to neatly fit the presumptions behind the idea of the monolithic category of literature.”
Justice concludes with a powerful summary statement about why Indigenous literatures matter:
Our literatures connect us to one another, build imaginative possibilities for and between our varied forms of community, show us possibilities we didn’t know existed, or return us to knowledge we had forgotten or put to the side. It’s a sacred trust. In all their forms and functions, in themselves and in their study, on their own merit and in accord with our other expressive methods and ceremonial practices, our literatures give us guidance and keep our nations going; they help us make sense of continuity and strengthen our struggle to put the world, at long last, back in balance.
Learn more about Daniel Heath Justice:
View Daniel Heath Justice’s bio page
Read this The Word on the Street interview
Learn more about the book Why Indigenous Literatures Matter:
View the Educator’s Guide