Synopses & Reviews
Review
This profound book, which skilfully weaves biography, history, and scholarly discussions, offers a nuanced way of thinking about Native culture and its political uses within communities and in the larger society. A must-read for specialists of the Northwest Coast, it will also inspire scholars and students in Native studies, women's studies, ethnohistory, and sovereignty studies.
- Michael E. Harkin, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming
Review
Standing up with Ga'axsta'las breaks new ground in collaborative research. Leslie Robertson and the Kwagu'l Gixsam Clan have produced a volume that addresses recursive interpretations of Jane Cook's life and times from oral histories and archival documents. This book will enliven conversations about Northwest Coast anthropology for years to come. - Julie Cruikshank, Professor Emerita, Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia
Synopsis
Standing Up with Ga'axsta'las is a compelling conversation with the colonial past initiated by the descendants of Kwakwaka'wakw leader and activist, Jane Constance Cook (1870-1951). Drawing from oral histories, archival materials, and historical and anthropological works, they offer a nuanced portrait of a high-ranked woman who was a cultural mediator; devout Christian; and activist for land claims, fishing and resource rights, and adequate health care.
Synopsis
Standing Up with G_a'ax_sta'las tells the remarkable story of Jane Constance Cook (1870-1951), a controversial Kwakwa_ka_'wakw leader and activist who lived during a period of enormous colonial upheaval. Working collaboratively, Robertson and Cook's descendants draw on oral histories and textual records to create a nuanced portrait of a high-ranked woman, a cultural mediator, devout Christian, and Aboriginal rights activist who criticized potlatch practices for surprising reasons. This powerful meditation on memory and cultural renewal documents how the Kwagu'l Gix_sa_m have revived their long-dormant clan in the hopes of forging a positive cultural identity for future generations through feasting and potlatching.