A Critical Bond: Cultural Transmission and Nation-Building in Métis and Chicana/O Picture Books
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A Critical Bond: Cultural Transmission and Nation-Building in Métis and Chicana/o Picture Books by Danielle Monica Lamb A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE University of Alberta © Danielle Monica Lamb, 2016 ABSTRACT It was not until the later part of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first century that Métis and Chicana/o authors began to create picture books as a counter-literary response to the discrimination that they faced as mixed-race peoples. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the literary contributions by Métis and Chicana/o writers to show how the bond between grandparent and grandchild shapes transcultural identities in picture books. I analyze Métis identity and nation-building elements in Relatives with Roots: A Story About Métis Women’s Connection to the Land/ Lii Peraantii avik la Rasin: Eñ Nistwaar Taanishi lii Faam di Michif E’ishi Kisheyitakik li Tayraeñ (2011) by Leah Dorion; Flour Sack Flora (2001) by Deborah L. Delaronde; Fiddle Dancer/Li daanseur di vyaeloon (2007), Dancing in My Bones/La daans daan mii zoo (2009), and Call of the Fiddle/ Li Vayaloon ka Tapypwatikooyen (2011) by Wilfred Burton and Anne Patton; and Jenneli’s Dance (2008) by Elizabeth Denny. I compare those Métis picture books with Chicana/o texts like Pat Mora’s The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe (2012); Gloria Anzaldúa’s Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del otro lado (1993) and Prietita and the Ghost Woman/Prietita y La Llorona (1995); and Amada Irma Pérez’s My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá (2002). My disseration offers a comparison of the children’s literature of New Peoples in North America. I argue that in this self-validating literature Métis and Chicana/o authors promote visual and textual literacy to create a sense of pride in being a member of their respective nations. Picture books provide the required space for identity recovery, assertion, and transmission of their transcultural identities. ii For Denis Blakeman—it a privilege to call you my grandfather For Nana and Papa—you have shown me the crucial bond that exists between generations iii I would like to acknowledge: The traditional territories of the Treaty Six Nations and Métis, and the Okanagan Nation, and the space I occupied in writing this dissertation Dr. Albert Braz, thank you for giving of your time, guidance, comments, knowledge as well as your meticulous attention to detail throughout this project—I am very grateful Dr. Irene Sywenky, your dedication to this endeavour is appreciated Dr. Isabel Altamirano-Jiménez, your thoughtful, considered, and insightful feedback was most valuable Dr. Pamela V. Sing and Dr. Monika Kaup, words cannot express my gratitude for your constructive and perceptive suggestions Dr. Vicky Ruétalo and Eva Glancy, your reassurance, encouragement, and assistance will never be forgotten Tegan, Amy, Jennifer, Lidiane, and Lisa, for going before me and leading the way Melanie, your prayers were always a source of encouragment Heather, for always taking an interest in my work Nelson, Jesse, Brea, and Carly, for your love and encouragement Rick, Jan, and family, your prayers were answered Emmett and Daniel, you are my reasons for never giving up Mom and Dad, your unwavering belief in me, unconditional love, roadtrips, and deep desire to connect with our boys is more than I could ever ask for Randy, for being there from the beginning and for helping me see this through to the end iv Table of Contents INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 Corpus of Literature and Methodology ...................................................................... 9 Grounds for Comparison ........................................................................................... 16 Métis and Chicana/o Literature ................................................................................ 24 Picture Books ............................................................................................................... 31 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 36 Decolonize Me.............................................................................................................. 38 CHAPTER I: TRANSCULTURAL NATIONS ........................................................... 44 Mixed Race .................................................................................................................. 46 Transculturation ......................................................................................................... 56 Transcultural Nations ................................................................................................. 59 The Métis Nation ......................................................................................................... 64 The Chicana/o Nation ................................................................................................. 77 Connecting to the Nation: Literature and Transcultural Identity Keepers .......... 90 CHAPTER II: THE MÉTIS GRANDPARENT AND THE ELDERS: CULTURE, TRADITION, AND LANGUAGE KEEPERS ............................................................. 98 Storytelling and Connecting to the Land ................................................................ 101 Reminiscing, Remembering, and Rites of Passage ................................................ 111 The Nolin Trilogy: People, Place, and Language ................................................... 118 Be Proud of Your Differences .................................................................................. 136 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 144 v CHAPTER III: THE CHICANA GRANDPARENT AND THE CURANDERA: STORYTELLING, RE-IMAGINING THE NATION, AND CULTURAL TRANSMISSION .......................................................................................................... 150 Storytelling, Insider-Outsider, and La Virgen de Guadalupe .............................. 153 Contested Spaces, Healing, and the Curandera ..................................................... 163 Reimagining La Llorona .......................................................................................... 174 Never Forget Your Roots ......................................................................................... 184 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 195 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 200 WORKS CITED............................................................................................................ 212 vi INTRODUCTION “The most important aspect [. .] for those who are Chicano, is that in writing history they will contribute modestly to their heritage and self-knowledge of the community, and perhaps contribute to a structural analysis for positive action on behalf of the community.” —Juan Gómez-Quiñones, “Toward a Perspective on Chicano History” (1971) “They started a new nation with equality for all. But Ottawa’s oppression finally made it fall.” —Adrian Hope, “Ode to the Metis” (1968) Colonization radically altered the physical and mental landscapes of North America. The invasion by Europeans produced a different social order and, among other effects, led to the ethnogenesis of New Peoples,1 notably the Métis and Chicanas/os.2 In this study I will compare and contrast the picture books of these two nations on the grounds that the two collectivities share similar defining historical trajectories that have shaped their identity: birth as New Peoples, war and rebellion (nineteenth century), dislocation and discrimination (early twentieth century), and revolution and renaissance (late twentieth 1 I have chosen to capitalize and pluralize New Peoples and Indigenous Peoples out of respect and also to recognize that more than one group exists. 2 The term Chicana/o could be discussed and defined at length. At one time, the expression Chicano was used in a pejorative manner to refer to “lower-class persons of Mexican descent” (Gutiérrez 184). However, since the Chicano Movement, in the 1960s, the word has been appropriated by people of Mexican-American ancestry to redefine and reassert Chicana/o identity (184). I use the term Chicana/o to refer to individuals who trace their lineage back to Mexico and self-identify as members of the Chicana/o nation. 1 century). For years, it was a constant struggle for Métis and Chicanas/os to assert their print culture as nation-building artifacts because of the discrimination they faced living within their respective dominant Euro-American societies. It was not until the later part of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century that Métis and Chicana/o authors began to create picture books as a counter-literary response to the long- suppressed racism they experienced as mixed race peoples. Even though the nineteenth century is often regarded as the catalyst for Métis nationhood, the Métis were born out of the economic motives of the fur trade; they united and formed a distinct group within Canada. Their national pride increased with the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816), and later the Red River Resistance