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The Right to Enjoy and the Responsibility to Understand: Reading Indigenous Literatures as a Settler

Written by Alex Gallaway 

It’s human instinct to avoid a feeling of displacement at all costs, and for good reason, too. Nobody wants to feel as though they’re intruding on something they aren’t a part of – it naturally makes us feel like an imposter, a burden. While Indigenous literatures are an essential piece of Indigenous Resurgence in a field that is often settler-dominated, there are still several people, even avid enjoyers of storytelling and literature, who distance themselves from these works. It wasn’t difficult to notice that the Indigenous Literature classes I took this year had notably low student numbers compared to other survey/literature classes. When I asked some of my peers who major in English why they decided not to enroll, the answer for many of them was simply “Because I’m not Indigenous.” Many settler students and scholars aren’t deliberately avoiding these topics because they don’t have an interest in them, but rather to naturally avoid that same feeling of outcast that we have forced upon Indigenous Peoples for centuries. There seems to be a great deal of confusion surrounding the engagement of other cultures in Indigenous Literatures, and as someone who comes from a settler background but who has thoroughly enjoyed studying them in the past year, I hope to play a role in clearing some of this confusion up. Although it can feel intimidating to read Indigenous Literatures as a non-Indigenous person, there is a wealth of stories and information within these works that can be enjoyable and beneficial to people from all cultural backgrounds. 

What are Indigenous Literatures? 

And why do we use a plural form of the word? The choice to use “Indigenous Literatures” rather than “Indigenous Literature” is an attempt to capture the plurality of Indigenous cultures themselves. Indigenous groups are unique and diverse, and their stories reflect the same. Toronto Metropolitan University defines Indigenous Literatures as “Literature[s] produced by original or native people and their descendants” (2024). However, there is much more to this genre than a textbook definition. Indigenous cultures offer truly incredible literature, which can be read, studied, and enjoyed by people from all cultures. These can vary from chapter books to other genres such as oral stories or graphic novels. There is a tremendous majority of readers and scholars who are unaware of just how settler-dominated the field of published literature has become, and Indigenous Literatures challenge these ideologies through their very existence. 

Why is it important for settlers to engage in Indigenous Literatures?

It is crucial to consider that by Indigenous Peoples does not mean exclusively for Indigenous Peoples. The benefits of exploring literature from other cultures in the first place are outstanding, and Indigenous Literatures are no exception. They have the ability to challenge what we see as exclusively “White” genres, even though many settlers don’t realize that they think that way. For example, Métis Author Chelsea Vowel has released a variety of Indigenous Literatures and stories. One of her most renowned pieces is her short story, “Unsettled.” Taking place in a futuristic setting and tackling an “Indigenous Sci-Fi” theme is something that is not unheard of, but is often overshadowed by more popular science fiction pieces written primarily with settler cultures in mind. Just by tackling these topics, authors like Vowel are contributing tremendously to reconciliation and decolonization. We can’t have reconciliation without truth and understanding first, and Indigenous Literatures allow us to observe these truths and come to an understanding regarding Indigenous Experiences. 

And the reality is; some of these truths can be graphic and unsettling. A strong example is “Terra Nullius,” a novel by Noongar author Claire Coleman, surrounding the struggles of Aboriginal Peoples during the height of violent colonization in Australia. Although novels like this often contain raw, graphic depictions of violence, they show the truth behind Indigenous/Aboriginal issues in the world. By reading authentic literatures that follow the truth behind these stories, we can develop a better understanding of colonization, equip ourselves with the truth, and become better advocates for Indigenous rights ourselves. 

Our lives are incarnations of the stories we tell, the stories told about us, and the stories we inherit…We know ourselves only through stories. 

– Daniel Heath Justice (Why Indigenous Literatures Matter, pp. 34) 

Sources 

• Coleman, Claire. G. “Terra Nullius.” Small Beer Press, 2018. 
• Justice, Daniel. H. “Why Indigenous Literatures Matter.” Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2018. 
• Vowel, Chelsea. “Unsettled.” Buffalo is the New Buffalo, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022. “What is Indigenous Literature?” Toronto Metropolitan University. 17 April 2024. https://learn.library.torontomu.ca/indigenous_lits#:~:text=Starting%20with%20a%20definitio n%20of,drama%2C%20fiction%20and%20creative%20nonfiction. Accessed 23 April 2024.