Native Literature is Not Postcolonial

Abstract

Native Literature is Not Postcolonial Jesse Archibald-Barber, Associate Professor The scholarly idea that has had the greatest impact on English studies in Canada is Thomas King’s argument that Native literature is not postcolonial (“Godzilla vs. Post-Colonial”). Over the past forty years, First Nations literature has often been included within Canadian literature and interpreted through the lenses of Western critical theory. While this had positive effects, it also became another form of appropriation and colonizing practice. However, King’s argument liberated the field from Western criticism. It helped establish First Nations literature as its own discipline, with a focus on decolonization, requiring that First Nations critical theories must emerge from the literature itself. This is key to ongoing literary inquiry, for while First Nations works are still a part of English studies in Canada, one must recognize that the literature is also distinct from Canadian literature: its literary sovereignty flows from recognition of First Nations as distinct nations with distinct histories. [End Page 14] Jesse Archibald-Barber, Associate Professor Department of Indigenous Languages, Arts, and Cultures First Nations University of Canada Copyright © 2015 Association of Canadian College and University Teachers