This book is the first life history of a Northwest Coast Indian woman. Florence Davidson; daughter of noted Haida carver and chief Charles Edenshaw; was born in 1896. As one of the few living Haida elders knowledgeable bout the culture of a bygone era; she was a fragile link with the past. Living in Masset on the Queen Charlotte Islands; some fifty miles off the northwest coast of British Columbia; Florence Davidson grew up in an era of dramatic change for her people. On of the last Haida women to undergo the traditional puberty seclusion and an arranged marriage; she followed patterns in her life typical of women of her generation.Florence's narrative ― edited by Professor Blackman from more than fifty hours of tape recordings ― speaks of girlhood; of learning female roles; of the power and authority available to Haida women; of the experiences of menopause and widowhood. Blackman juxtaposes comments made by early observes of the Haida; government agents; and missionaries; with appropriate portions of the life history narrative; to portray a culture neither traditionally Haida nor fully Canadian; a culture adapting to Christianity and the imposition of Canadian laws. Margaret Blackman not only preserves Florence Davidson's memories of Haida ways; but with her own analysis of Davidson's life; adds significantly to the literature on the role of women in cross-cultural perspective. The book makes an important contribution to Northwest Coast history and culture; to the study of culture change; to fieldwork methodology; and to women's studies.
#3529780 in Books 1981-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.25 x 9.00 x 1.25l; #File Name: 0292738242382 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A First-Rate History of Spanish/Maya Conflict in Central AmericaBy NeodoeringThis is nonfiction; so these categories don't really apply to this book. The book is about the conquest of the Maya Indians by the Spaniards. It covers 5 centuries of conflict; the 1500's right up into the 20th century. There are a bewildering number of characters in the book; as the Indians rise up again and again to try to throw off the Spanish yoke. The main thing I took away from it was that it was a bad thing to be a Mayan leader. The Spaniards will kill you if they catch you; and if they don't; your own people will grow disgruntled with you and kill you themselves. The story follows literally dozens of leaders over the centuries; and most of them are killed before they get very far. I never realized that there were half a dozen uprisings over the centuries. I thought the Caste War of the Yucatan was it. Not so. There are many uprisings over the years. The Maya are still rising up; as the Zapatista Movement showed. They're fighting to make things better for themselves and their children. Only time will tell if they will succeed. An excellent history of conflict in Central America; from both the Spanish and Indian viewpoint.
