Description
Trying to Get It Back: Indigenous Women, Education and Culture is an exercise in moderating Indigenous women's voices through a Non-Aboriginal scholar. Gillian Weiss examines the lives of six Indigenous women from three generations of two families. Three intergenerational family members from Sechelt, British Columbia, and three Adnyamathanha people from the Flinders Ranges in South Australia were interviewed over a three-year period. Their discussions with the researcher and then together as a group via video conferencing are reproduced here in this volume. Discussions range from early family life, growing up in strong family settings, education, loss of language and cultural traditions, and language recovery efforts in each community. The book begins with brief background histories of the two cultures, and a discussion about the inherent problems of a Non-Aboriginal scholar writing about the lives of Indigenous women. The narratives of each woman are organized around specific themes. The editor sets off each new topic with a brief introductory paragraph. In this way the editor allows the women to speak with their own "voices". The final section includes the discussion of the six women during a video conference session. In spite of technical difficulties and the formal atmosphere in a studio, the women share their educational experiences and their hopes for future generations. There is minimal analysis from the editor and each woman is allowed to present her views on reclaiming language and traditional cultural practices. These women represent a mainstream Indigenous voice in the area of education and cultural revitalization. Recommended for Native Studies, women's studies, and anyone interested in language and traditional culture in the 21st century.