<i>Lighting the Eighth Fire: The Liberation, Resurgence, and Protection of Indigenous Nations</i> (review)

Abstract

book is part of an emerging field known as Resurgence (see, for example: Taiaiake Alfred. Wasase: Indigenous Pathways oj Action and Freedom. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005; Ty P. Kawika Tengan. Native Men Remade: Gender and Nation in Contemporary Hawai'i. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2008) that emphasizes community regeneration by reconnecting Indigenous people with the sources of their spiritual and cultural power (relationships, homelands, ceremonial life, languages, histories, etc.). Inspired by Nishnaabe prophecies that detail the emergence of the Oshkimaadiziig (new people) from the Seventh Fire and their revival of the cultural, political, and economic traditions of the people, Nishnaabekwe scholar Leanne Simpson has put together an impressive collaboration of Indigenous scholars with thirteen chapters that heavily on the growing, yet still marginalized, body of fourth-world theory theories, strategies, and analysis strongly rooted in the values, knowledge, and philosophies of Indigenous Nations (15). One of the unique features of this edited volume is that each of the contributing authors writes from a strong foundation within their own Indigenous nation in connecting sacred living histories with present and future actions. This marks a departure from previous works that all too often rely on artificial pan-Aboriginalism, which emphasize a manufactured hegemonic 'Aboriginal' culture (16). Additionally, each of these chapters is written in a manner that makes them accessible to Indigenous communities while also reporting the latest and most innom vati ve research that Indigenous scholars have to offer. > Whether examining Haudenosaunee land ethics and treaty agreements as the basis for restructuring relationships (Hill, chapter 1), * the cultural and political implications of the Douglas Treaties and ° the WSANEC Reef Net Fisheries (Claxton, chapter 2), or the power 2 and connection to land that can be found in a Mi'kmaq Honour Song 5 135 (Metallic, chapter 3), each of the chapters addresses the power of trao ditional teachings and wisdom, and their importance in regeneraiS ing and maintaining our contemporary roles and responsibilities. For 1 example, in Anishnaabe scholar Renee Bedard's chapter on Keepers of the Water (chapter 5), she describes how Nishnaabe-kwewag are responsible for praying and caring for the water during ceremonies. As