In the early twenty-first century, much ink has been spilt debating the politics of indigeneity—its instrumentalization by right-wing populists; its commercial exploitation, especially by the heritage and tourism industry; and the broader global question of how those described as “no longer Indigenous to place” may communicate—in the widest sense of that term—with Indigenous peoples (see, e.g., Kockel 2024). The present collection of essays, edited by John Borrows and Kent McNeil, and drawing primarily on the Canadian experience, is a timely contribution that shines a critical searchlight on perspectives and practices in academic engagement with issues of indigeneity.
There have been several high-profile cases of individuals from the mainstream culture misappropriating Indigenous identity to authorize claims to Indigenous dignity and to exploit traditional knowledge. In academic contexts, this has generated some debate over whether non-Indigenous academics have any standing when it comes to research, writing about, and teaching Indigenous issues and knowledge systems. Along with contributors to this collection, the editors contend that scholars from a non-Indigenous background have a duty to engage in these concerns. In their introduction, they argue that “the more appropriate question may not be what is their place, but rather what are their responsibilities” (10, emphasis in original). Voicing Identity: Cultural Appropriation and Indigenous Issues offers the reader directions on how those responsibilities might be fulfilled in a respectful manner. Exemplifying a respectful approach in their introduction, the editors begin by speaking individually before offering a joint perspective and summary of the book. This structural device illustrates an approach of speaking with, rather than at, for, or merely to, another.
Half of the contributors to Voicing Identity identify as Indigenous, and most come from a background in Aboriginal and Indigenous law. They write from different geographical and demographic perspectives located across Turtle Island. Many of them warn against a conceptual homogenization and essentialization of distinct Indigenous communities. Most of the essays in this collection offer personal perspectives following a storytelling format rather than a conventional academic one. The contributions touch on a broad range of issues and experiences, reflecting the fact that their authors come from Indigenous, non-Indigenous, and mixed backgrounds. Most authors open their narrative by emplacing themselves and their work in relation to kin and locality.
Well aware of their potential cultural blind spots, non-Indigenous authors are cautious in claiming any authority to speak on Indigenous issues. In chapter 8, for example, Michael Asch suggests it may at times be proper for non-Indigenous advocates to restrict expression of their own views in order to safeguard Indigenous culture. Robert Hamilton, in chapter 10, advises that non-Indigenous people should carefully consider what engaging with their culturally conditioned arguments demands of others. These non-Indigenous contributions expose inevitable tensions between protecting and enhancing Indigenous jurisdiction and endeavoring to discover cultural common ground.
Flagged in the title of the book as one of its key themes, cultural appropriation is defined in different ways by the authors, ranging from the (often insulting) use of Indigenous cultural images and objects by mainstream culture to research projects about Indigenous communities without meaningful involvement of Indigenous people. To address issues arising from such forms of cultural appropriation, some of the authors in this book—e.g., Sara Morales in chapter 1, Aimée Craft in chapter 3, and Lindsay Borrows in chapter 5—juxtapose cultural appropriation with “cultural collaboration” founded on respect, reciprocity, and humility. This process is challenging for non-Indigenous people trained in a hegemonic onto-epistemology that privileges certain ways of knowing. Indigenous knowledge is not a commodity with a more-or-less fixed market value; rather, it is knowledge based on lived experience that is grounded in cultural practices.
The authors in Voicing Identity tend to be critical of identity binaries. Given that they share a legal background, it is not surprising that their concern centers on legally enshrined markers of Indigeneity, which Joshua Nichols, in chapter 11, sees as perpetuating racist assumptions. The focus on aspects of law running as a red thread throughout this book is both its strength and its weakness. On the one hand, it is quite fascinating to see issues of cultural appropriation and identity discussed from an intercultural legal angle; on the other hand, this might make the collection appear rather specialist in nature and thus deter readers with broader interests. While the introduction goes some way towards bringing the contributions together and reflecting on their mutual relevance, it would have been valuable to tease out wider implications of the perspectives presented. If the essays have been arranged in some thematic sequence, this is not obvious, but again, that would have been useful. The volume does benefit from a helpful, detailed index.
This collection will be essential reading for anyone interested in Canadian-Indigenous issues, especially in relation to aspects of law and social relations. Beyond the Canadian focus, it offers valuable insights for a wide range of comparative study, including study of the dangerous forms of Indigenism peddled by a rising populism and the more benevolent indigeneity that human ecology activists experiment with on the European periphery. Writing as a non-Indigenous person critical of the Indigenous/non-Indigenous binary, and as one interested in developing mutually respectful and relational ways of land-based learning, I find much food for thought in the pages of this collection.
Work Cited
Kockel, Ullrich. 2024. "'Are You (Or Could You Be) Indigenous?' A Perspective from Europe." In Routledge International Handbook of Heritage and Politics, edited by Gönül Bozoğlu, Gary Campbell, Laurajane Smith, and Christopher Whitehead, Routledge: London, pages 173-78.
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[Review length: 944 words • Review posted on April 1, 2024]