Symbolism and Expression Information

Reclaiming Stories

First nations and Metis authors write from a distinctly different perspective.  After suffering generations of cultural disruption, many write to reclaim their cultural heritage and the right to tell their own stories in their own way.

Metis writer Maria Campbell is one such writer.  In 1973, she published the book Halfbreed, which chronicled her life as a Metis Woman in Canada.  This work was significant because it was the first book that honestly depicted the reality of being Metis.  It also inspired many other Aboriginal people to tell their own stories.  Autobiography remains an important genre in Aboriginal literature.