ollowing the AHRC-funded conference, ‘The Indigenous Nineteenth Century’, this open-access book aims to showcase cross-disciplinary scholarship, Indigenous-centred research and teaching methods and critical interventions that seek to re-present nineteenth-century historiography and literary criticism through an Indigenous perspective. The historical archives of imperial and colonial settlement are founded on what Mohawk scholar Audra Simpson has theorised as a foundational mis-recognition, a philosophical refusal to see Indigenous peoples’ cultures and lifeways outside of pre-conceived Eurocentric frameworks. One key aim of this book is to centre scholarship on Indigenous histories that is situated within Indigenous epistemologies and foregrounds Indigenous actors and scholars.
The violence perpetrated by colonial and state archives against First Nations people is ongoing. Literature and the creative arts can offer a space through which to challenge the harmful narratives of colonial and state archives, and their role in forming national, colonial and imperial identities across North America, Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. However, as Narungga poet and scholar Natalie Harkin has highlighted, the wounds created by the epistemic violence of the archive still bleed. Therefore, work in this collection that engages with colonial and state archives and historiographies will showcase methodologies that centre Indigenous 'ways of knowing' (Linda Tuhiwai Smith). These include (but are not limited to) work on genealogies, material culture, and oral and written Indigenous stories and authors.
Structure:
The book chapters will be grouped into three sections: genealogies, pedagogies and stories. As this is an open-access publication there is scope to include images, multimedia and web links. We also plan to include a bibliography of resources for scholars wishing to learn more about Indigenous history.
Chapter Proposals:
The editors are seeking chapters of 7,000 words to be submitted by July 2025. Expressions of interest should be made via a 300-400 word chapter abstract and 100 word biography to be sent to bartonjalison@gmail.com and l.e.atkin@kent.ac.uk by August 30 2024. Please indicate which section of the book you feel your work would fit into.
Created 31 July 2024