A Critical Bond: Cultural Transmission and Nation-Building in Métis and Chicana/O Picture Books

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Critical Bond: Cultural Transmission and Nation-Building in Métis and Chicana/O Picture Books 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
Recommended publications
  • The Geographic Limits to Modernist Theories of Intra-State Violence
    The Power of Ethnicity?: the Geographic Limits to Modernist Theories of Intra-State Violence ERIC KAUFMANN Reader in Politics and Sociology, Birkbeck College, University of London; Religion Initiative/ISP Fellow, Belfer Center, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Box 134, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA 02138 [email protected] ——————————————————————————————————————————— Abstract This paper mounts a critique of the dominant modernist paradigm in the comparative ethnic conflict literature. The modernist argument claims that ethnic identity is constructed in the modern era, either by instrumentalist elites, or by political institutions whose bureaucratic constructions give birth to new identities. Group boundary symbols and myths are considered invented and flexible. Territorial identities in premodern times are viewed as either exclusively local, for the mass of the population, or ‘universal’, for elites. Primordialists and ethnosymbolists have contested these arguments using historical and case evidence, but have shied away from large-scale datasets. This paper utilizes a number of contemporary datasets to advance a three-stage argument. First, it finds a significant relationship between ethnic diversity and three pre- modern variables: rough topography, religious fractionalization and world region. Modernist explanations for these patterns are possible, but are less convincing than ethnosymbolist accounts. Second, we draw on our own and others’ work to show that ethnic fractionalization (ELF) significantly predicts the incidence of civil conflict, but not its onset . We argue that this is because indigenous ethnic diversity is relatively static over time, but varies over space. Conflict onsets, by contrast, are more dependent on short-run changes over time than incidents, which better reflect spatially-grounded conditioning factors.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Inter-Group Conflict and Violence in Modern Fiji
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Sydney eScholarship History of Inter-Group Conflict and Violence in Modern Fiji SANJAY RAMESH MA (RESEARCH) CENTRE FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY 2010 Abstract The thesis analyses inter-group conflict in Fiji within the framework of inter-group theory, popularised by Gordon Allport, who argued that inter-group conflict arises out of inter-group prejudice, which is historically constructed and sustained by dominant groups. Furthermore, Allport hypothesised that there are three attributes of violence: structural and institutional violence in the form of discrimination, organised violence and extropunitive violence in the form of in-group solidarity. Using history as a method, I analyse the history of inter-group conflict in Fiji from 1960 to 2006. I argue that inter- group conflict in Fiji led to the institutionalisation of discrimination against Indo-Fijians in 1987 and this escalated into organised violence in 2000. Inter-group tensions peaked in Fiji during the 2006 general elections as ethnic groups rallied behind their own communal constituencies as a show of in-group solidarity and produced an electoral outcome that made multiparty governance stipulated by the multiracial 1997 Constitution impossible. Using Allport’s recommendations on mitigating inter-group conflict in divided communities, the thesis proposes a three-pronged approach to inter-group conciliation in Fiji, based on implementing national identity, truth and reconciliation and legislative reforms. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis is dedicated to the Indo-Fijians in rural Fiji who suffered physical violence in the aftermath of the May 2000 nationalist coup.
    [Show full text]
  • Nationalism in the Middle East: the Development of Jordanian National Identity Since the Disengagement of 1988
    Durham E-Theses Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988 ABDUL-HADI, AHMAD,OMAR,BAHJAT How to cite: ABDUL-HADI, AHMAD,OMAR,BAHJAT (2016) Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11770/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988 Name: Ahmad Omar Bahjat Abdul-Hadi A Thesis submitted for a Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy At The school of Government and International Affairs Durham University 2016 1 2 Abstract This thesis attempts to explain the development of national identity in Jordan in the post-disengagement period since 1988.
    [Show full text]
  • Predicting Ethnic Boundaries Sun-Ki Chai
    European Sociological Review VOLUME 21 NUMBER 4 SEPTEMBER 2005 375–391 375 DOI:10.1093/esr/jci026, available online at www.esr.oxfordjournals.org Online publication 22 July 2005 Predicting Ethnic Boundaries Sun-Ki Chai It is increasingly accepted within the social sciences that ethnic boundaries are not fixed, but contingent and socially constructed. As a result, predicting the location of ethnic boundaries across time and space has become a crucial but unresolved issue, with some scholars arguing that the study of ethnic boundaries and predictive social science are fun- damentally incompatible. This paper attempts to show otherwise, presenting perhaps the first general, predictive theory of ethnic boundary formation, one that combines a coher- ence-based model of identity with a rational choice model of action. It then tests the the- ory’s predictions, focusing in particular on the size of populations generated by alternative boundary criteria. Analysis is performed using multiple datasets containing information about ethnic groups around the world, as well as the countries in which they reside. Perhaps the best-known innovation in contemporary encompassing all ascriptively-based group boundaries, theories of ethnicity is the idea that ethnic boundaries including those based upon race, religion, language, are not predetermined by biology or custom, but malle- and/or region. Characteristics such as religion, language, able and responsive to changes in the surrounding social and region are viewed as ascriptive rather than cultural environment. Ethnicity is seen to be socially con- because they are typically defined for purposes of ethnic- structed, and the nature of this construction is seen to ity to refer not to the current practice or location of indi- vary from situation to situation.1 This in turn has linked viduals, but rather to their lineage, the customs of their to a more general concern with the contruction of social ancestors.
    [Show full text]
  • Nationalism and Ethnosymbolism History, Culture and Ethnicity in the Formation of Nations
    A/459272 NATIONALISM AND ETHNOSYMBOLISM HISTORY, CULTURE AND ETHNICITY IN THE FORMATION OF NATIONS edited by Athena S. Leoussi and Steven Grosby EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS CONTENTS Notes on the Contributors v Introduction i I Theories of Nationalism and the Ethnosymbolic Approach i Mapping the Field: Theories of Nationalism and the Ethnosymbolic Approach Daniele Convent 15 i The Ethnic Enigma: Nationalism, Racism and Globalisation John Stone and Polly Rizova 31 3 Warfare, Remembrance and National Identity John Hutchinson 42 II Music and Poetry in the Ethnosymbolic Approach 4 Music and Nationalism: Five Historical Moments Jim Samson 55 5 The Sound of England David Martin 68 6 Myth, History and Nationalism: Poetry of the British Isles David Aberbach 84 III Antiquity in the Ethnosymbolic Approach 7 The Successor Territory Steven Grosby 99 8 Ethnosymbolism in the Ancient Mediterranean World Sebastian Garman 113 IV Ethnosymbolism in Eastern Europe and Russia 9 The Jews and the Formation of Modern National Identity in Poland Joanna B. Michlic 129 10 Lev Gumilev and Russian National Identity During and After the Soviet Era MarkBassin 143 iv Nationalism and Ethnosymbolism 11 National Symbols: Ethnicity and Historical Continuity in Post-communist 'New Europe' Athena S. Leoussi 161 V Ethnosymbolism in the Middle East 12 Dilemmas of Middle East Politics John A. Armstrong 189 13 The Muslim Umma and the Formation of Middle Eastern Nationalisms Haim Gerber 209 14 Historical Ethno-symbols in the Emergence of the State of Israel Allon Gal 221 VI Ethnosymbolism in the Far East and India 15 Ethnosymbolism in China and Taiwan Peter Ferdinand 233 16 The Making of a Language of Patriotism in Modern Bengali Sudipta Kaviraj 248 VII Ethnosymbolism in Africa 17 Holy Nigerian Nationalisms Obi Igwara 267 18 Ethnic Demobilisation: The Case of the Afrikaners David Welsh and].
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Nationalism E R I C Ta Y L O R Wo O D S, 2016
    Cultural Nationalism E r i c Ta y l o r Wo o d s, 2016 INTRODUCTION Nationalism may involve the combination of culture and politics, but for many of its most prominent students, the former is subordinate to the latter. In this view, nationalist appeals to culture are a means to a political end; that is, the achievement of statehood. Hence, for Ernest Gellner (2006 [1983]: 124), culture is but an epiphenomenon, a ‘false- consciousness … hardly worth analyzing …’. For their part, Eric Hobsbawm and Terrence Ranger (1983) suggest that national traditions are ‘invented’ by elites concerned with the legitimization of state power. Similarly, John Breuilly (2006 [1982]: 11) defines national movements as ‘political movements … which seek to gain or exercise state power and justify their objectives in terms of nationalist doctrine’. A broadly similar characterization of nationalism can be found in the writings of many other esteemed scholars (Giddens, 1985; Laitin, 2007; Mann, 1995; Tilly, 1975). The privileging of politics over culture remains the dominant approach to understanding nationalism, but it is not without criticism. There is now a vast and rapidly growing body of literature insisting that the role of culture should be made more prominent. In opposition to the argument that nationalist appeals to culture are but an exercise in legitimation, this body of literature suggests that they can be ends unto themselves. This latter phenomenon, generally referred to as cultural nationalism, is the subject of this chapter. The chapter proceeds as follows. I begin with the definition and history of cultural nationalism before discussing several key themes in its study.
    [Show full text]
  • Linguistic Diversity and Inclusion in Abu Dhabi
    Multilingua 2021; aop Sarah Hopkyns* and Melanie van den Hoven Linguistic diversity and inclusion in Abu Dhabi’s linguistic landscape during the COVID-19 period https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2020-0187 Received December 11, 2020; accepted March 18, 2021; published online April 5, 2021 Abstract: In Abu Dhabi, multilingualism amongst its highly diverse population is typical. However, with Arabic as the official language and English as the lingua franca, the population’s other languages are subordinate on public signage. Those proficient in English or Arabic have more access to information than those who are not. While effective communication is important in ordinary times, it is especially vital during a crisis. This study looks at COVID-19 signage in two Abu Dhabi live- work contexts: A beachside community and an industrial site. The study takes an ethnographic approach to linguistic landscaping in which a corpus of 326 top- down and bottom-up signs are investigated in terms of languages used, spacing, prominence and location, as well as intended audience and sociolinguistic im- plications. Key findings revealed that bottom-up handmade COVID-19 signage was mainly monolingual (English only) and municipality-produced warnings were predominately bilingual (Arabic and English). Despite the multilingual composi- tion of both contexts, only one third language (Korean) appeared on COVID-19 signage. The findings shed light on existing inequalities in linguistically diverse contexts, and the need to ensure access to information for all at a street level. The article concludes with practical suggestions for greater linguistic inclusion in the COVID-19 period and beyond. Keywords: COVID-19 signage; crisis communication; diversity and inclusion; lin- guistic landscaping; multilingualism; United Arab Emirates *Corresponding author: Sarah Hopkyns, College of Education, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, E-mail: [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Thinking South Korean Postcolonial Multiculturalism in the Fine Art Textbook for Fifth- and Sixth- Graders
    Re-thinking South Korean Postcolonial Multiculturalism in the Fine Art Textbook for Fifth- and Sixth- Graders Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Young Lim Nam, M.A. Graduate Program in Art Education The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Professor Christine Ballengee-Morris Advisor Professor Deborah L. Smith-Shank Professor Shari Savage Professor Vesta Daniel Copyright by Young Lim Nam 2014 i Abstract This study is a critical analysis of the context of image examples for the multicultural art education portion in a Fine Art textbook, which is currently used in South Korea for 5th and 6th graders. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how multiculturalism is represented in the text. To this end, this research focuses on ethnicity construction: how politico-economic contexts and cultural representation of ethnic arts have influenced the content of the textbook. Postcolonial multiculturalism is designated as a theoretical framework and a critical discourse analysis (CDA) as a methodological framework for this research. Through CDA, I understand invisible beliefs and cultural identities that people share by paying attention to power, ideology, and intertextuality that are infiltrated in language. The findings revealed that inside/outside the Fine Art textbook promotes the pedagogy of South Korean ethnicity construction through postcolonial multiculturalism, which disrupts the idea of multiculturalism. The government is involved in narrating South Korean ethnicity and its visual art forms in a traditional artistic format. This seems to be a response to the political context where this competitive particular culture is desired and promoted to engage and respond to both opportunity and crisis in the global economy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dark Side of Democracy : Explaining Ethnic Cleansing
    P1: ICD 052183130XAgg.xml CY448B/Mann-II 052183130 X August 2, 2004 11:12 This page intentionally left blank ii P1: ICD 052183130XAgg.xml CY448B/Mann-II 052183130 X August 2, 2004 11:12 The Dark Side of Democracy This book presents a new theory of ethnic cleansing based on the most ter- rible cases – colonial genocides, Armenia, the Nazi Holocaust, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda – and cases of lesser violence – early modern Europe, contemporary India, and Indonesia. Murderous cleansing is modern – it is “the dark side of democracy.” It results where the demos (democracy) is confused with the ethnos (the ethnic group). Danger arises where two rival ethnonational movements each claims “its own” state over the same territory. Conflict esca- lates where either the weaker side fights rather than submit because of aid from outside or the stronger side believes it can deploy sudden, overwhelming force. But the state must also be factionalized and radicalized by external pressures like wars. Premeditation is rare, since perpetrators feel “forced” into escalation when their milder plans are frustrated. Escalation is not simply the work of “evil elites” or “primitive peoples.” It results from complex interactions among leaders, militants, and “core constituencies” of ethnonationalism. Understand- ing this complex process helps us devise policies to avoid ethnic cleansing in the future. Michael Mann is a professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is author of The Sources of Social Power (Cambridge, 1986, 1993) and Fascists
    [Show full text]
  • Endangered Species of the Physical Cultural Landscape: Globalization, Nationalism, and Safeguarding Traditional Folk Games
    Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 3-17-2021 9:00 AM Endangered Species of the Physical Cultural Landscape: Globalization, Nationalism, and Safeguarding Traditional Folk Games Thomas Fabian, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Barney, Robert K., The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Kinesiology © Thomas Fabian 2021 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, and the Sports Studies Commons Recommended Citation Fabian, Thomas, "Endangered Species of the Physical Cultural Landscape: Globalization, Nationalism, and Safeguarding Traditional Folk Games" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7701. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7701 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Folk sports are the countertype of modern sports: invented traditions, bolstered by tangible ritual and intangible myth, played by the common folk in order to express a romantic ethnic identity. Like other cultural forms, traditional sports and games around the world are becoming marginalized in the face of modernization and globalization. In 2003, UNESCO ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in an attempt to counter such trends of cultural homogenization. As elements of intangible cultural heritage, folk sports now fall under the auspices of UNESCO safeguarding policies.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethno-Symbolism and Nationalism: a Cultural Approach/ Anthony D
    For more than four decades Anthony Smith has been intensely and productively investigating the nature, wellsprings, and ramifications of nationalism. This excellent and concise distillation of his principal findings and conclusions will prove of immense value to anyone interested in this most consequential phenomenon. Walker Connor, Middlebury College, USA Written with the clarity, sensitivity, and analytical nuance that have become hallmarks of Anthony Smith’s scholarship, this book presents a masterful distillation of the ethno-symbolist interpretation of nationalism – a school of thought that counts the author as its most influential founding father. In crisp and succinct prose, it presents a fair and balanced overview of the theoretical thrust-and-parry in the field of nationalism studies, while articu- lating a compelling defense of the ethno-symbolist approach against the attacks of its critics. Aviel Roshwald, Professor of History, Georgetown University, USA Anthony Smith has provided us with a conceptually powerful, clearly written statement of his life’s work devoted to the study of nationalism. By doing so, we have a compelling clarification of the nation as a historical community of culture. Thus, to view this book as merely a concise statement of the ethno- symbolic approach to the study of nations and nationalism is to fail to appreciate its significance; rather, it is a most convincing analysis of these crucially important phenomena – a book that must be read by all those who wish to understand these powerful factors that have shaped and are shaping our destiny. Steven Grosby, Professor of Religion, Clemson University, USA Ethno-symbolism and Nationalism Anthony D.
    [Show full text]
  • Collective Remembering and Rhetorical Colonization In
    DISRUPTING RACE, CLAIMING COLONIZATION: COLLECTIVE REMEMBERING AND RHETORICAL COLONIZATION IN NEGOTIATING (NATIVE)AMERICAN IDENTITIES IN THE U.S. by Christy-Dale L. Sims B.G.S. University of Kansas, 2006 M.A. University of Colorado Boulder, 2009 A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado Boulder in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Communication 2013 This dissertation entitled: Disrupting Race, Claiming Colonization: Collective Remembering and Rhetorical Colonialism in Negotiating (Native)American Identities in the U.S. written by Christy-Dale L. Sims has been approved for the Department of Communication Lisa A. Flores, Ph.D. (Committee Chair) John A. Ackerman, Ph.D. Marlia E. Banning, Ph.D. Emma Pérez, Ph.D. Bryan C. Taylor, Ph.D. Date: The final copy of this dissertation has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. iii Sims, Christy-Dale L. (Ph.D., Communication) Disrupting Race, Claiming Colonization: Collective Remembering and Rhetorical Colonialism in Negotiating (Native)American Identities in the U.S. Dissertation directed by Associate Professor Lisa A. Flores ABSTRACT This critical rhetorical critique interrogates rhetorics of memory in negotiations of national identity, especially as they address race and colonialism. We need to rethink race in more complex ways that disrupt homogenous conceptions of who belongs in the U.S., instead embracing the possibilities offered in those liminal spaces of racial national identities, such as (Native)American. Doing so requires acknowledging the reverberations of past rhetorics in contemporary sense-making and how those echoes vary across communities.
    [Show full text]