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What Was Said to Me: The Life of Sti’tum’atul’wut, a Cowichan Woman
A narrative of resistance and resilience spanning seven decades in the life of a tireless advocate for Indigenous language preservation.
Life histories are a form of contemporary social history and convey important messages about identity, cosmology, social behaviour and one’s place in the world. This first-person oral history—the first of its kind ever published by the Royal BC Museum—documents a period of profound social change through the lens of Sti’tum’atul’wut—also known as Mrs. Ruby Peter—a Cowichan elder who made it her life’s work to share and safeguard the ancient language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’.
Over seven decades, Sti’tum’atul’wut mentored hundreds of students and teachers and helped thousands of people to develop a basic knowledge of the Hul’q’umi’num’ language. She contributed to dictionaries and grammars, and helped assemble a valuable corpus of stories, sound and video files—with more than 10,000 pages of texts from Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers—that has been described as “a treasure of linguistic and cultural knowledge.” Without her passion, commitment and expertise, this rich legacy of material would not exist for future generations
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 18, 2021
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1588 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 21, 2021
What Was Said to Me immediately captured my attention and did not let go until it’s final page. This is a beautiful account of one woman’s life and her desire to preserve her heritage.
This is a first-person oral history of Sti’tum’atul’wut, also known as Ruby Peter, a Cowichan Elder in British Columbia. Ruby weaves together an engaging narrative of her life from the time she was a young girl learning her traditional indigenous ways from her mother to her time as an Elder, teaching the same lessons to others in her family and community. Ruby was a major contributor in teaching and preserving the Hul’q’umi’num language. She worked extremely hard on transcribing the spoken language into a written version.
Ruby discusses various key moments in her life, from her youth to being an Elder. She talks about what it was like during WWII in her community, as well as what prejudices the soldiers faced. She discusses the atrocities of residential schools and the lessons from her mother on being a Thi’tha, which is a very private training on how to help people using prayers, songs, and things from nature. She is very clear that it is completely different from being a shaman.
Helene Demers, a longtime friend of Ruby Peter, helped to transform Ruby’s audio recordings into the book that it is today. Helene strived to decolonize the methodology by not including any academic notes or commentary in this text, which I appreciated. Originally told over nine separate recordings, the book is divided into 26 chapters.
Sometimes when reading nonfiction, I find myself drifting off and having to go back and reread the same passage again, but that wasn’t the case here; I was totally immersed in reading Ruby’s story. This is not your typical biography or memoir. There are repetitions, but that is part of an oral account; the major points need to be driven home.
Ruby passed away recently, but she will never be forgotten.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Royal BC Museum for this wonderful ARC.
This is a first-person oral history of Sti’tum’atul’wut, also known as Ruby Peter, a Cowichan Elder in British Columbia. Ruby weaves together an engaging narrative of her life from the time she was a young girl learning her traditional indigenous ways from her mother to her time as an Elder, teaching the same lessons to others in her family and community. Ruby was a major contributor in teaching and preserving the Hul’q’umi’num language. She worked extremely hard on transcribing the spoken language into a written version.
Ruby discusses various key moments in her life, from her youth to being an Elder. She talks about what it was like during WWII in her community, as well as what prejudices the soldiers faced. She discusses the atrocities of residential schools and the lessons from her mother on being a Thi’tha, which is a very private training on how to help people using prayers, songs, and things from nature. She is very clear that it is completely different from being a shaman.
Helene Demers, a longtime friend of Ruby Peter, helped to transform Ruby’s audio recordings into the book that it is today. Helene strived to decolonize the methodology by not including any academic notes or commentary in this text, which I appreciated. Originally told over nine separate recordings, the book is divided into 26 chapters.
Sometimes when reading nonfiction, I find myself drifting off and having to go back and reread the same passage again, but that wasn’t the case here; I was totally immersed in reading Ruby’s story. This is not your typical biography or memoir. There are repetitions, but that is part of an oral account; the major points need to be driven home.
Ruby passed away recently, but she will never be forgotten.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Royal BC Museum for this wonderful ARC.
February 8, 2021
Oral Histories tend to ramble, because that is the nature of what they are. Oral histories are not all nicely tied up with a bow. The authors of this book wrote down the oral history of Ruby Peter, and this is rather like sitting down to talk to an old friend. The story rambles, goes back on itself, and continues forward in great strides.
If you are thinking that you are going to be reading a book about an elder of the Cowichan people, you are, but it will not be like most biographies you have read. It is not polished. It is the way the story is told, and that is it. The authors said they felt that was the best way to present it.
Ruby is a Thi'tha, the equivalent of a shaman, but her story of how she got there is, as she said, was by listening to her elders.
She talks about how residential school destroyed so many native peoples. She tells how she was lucky enough to go to day school, so was not separated from her culture the way the others were.
She does not go into detail of how her magic works, which is just as well. Why should we be allowed to know something scared. What she does go into detail is how important it is to listen. That the elders have much to say. She relates a cautionary tale, akin to Little Red Riding hood, about how you should not talk to strangers.
Very easy to read. Very conversational. Very interesting. Highly recommend it.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
If you are thinking that you are going to be reading a book about an elder of the Cowichan people, you are, but it will not be like most biographies you have read. It is not polished. It is the way the story is told, and that is it. The authors said they felt that was the best way to present it.
Ruby is a Thi'tha, the equivalent of a shaman, but her story of how she got there is, as she said, was by listening to her elders.
She talks about how residential school destroyed so many native peoples. She tells how she was lucky enough to go to day school, so was not separated from her culture the way the others were.
She does not go into detail of how her magic works, which is just as well. Why should we be allowed to know something scared. What she does go into detail is how important it is to listen. That the elders have much to say. She relates a cautionary tale, akin to Little Red Riding hood, about how you should not talk to strangers.
Very easy to read. Very conversational. Very interesting. Highly recommend it.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
August 27, 2021
This is the oral history of Sti’tum’atul’wut of the Cowichan in what is now British Columbia, also known as Ruby Peter, written down by Helene Demers. It´s very interesting to read about Ruby´s life from the mid-20th century on, her hope to preserve her language and culture, her family and the medicine of her people. Her life wasn´t always easy with colonialist schools (although at least they were schools), war and much work to bring up her (foster) children and build a house. It´s always hard to rate one´s autobiography, so just to say this is a highly recommended book when you´re interested in history and Indigenous culture.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2021
In her biography, Ruby tells what it is like to grow up as an Indian native in the Cowichan Bay area in the mid-20th century. She has an impressive track record of preserving her language and culture, which is of great importance because many of the old teachings were lost when children went to residential schools. Now only the Longhouse and the winter dances remain. Read this biography by Ruby Peter (recorded by Helene Demers) if you are interested in history and oral traditions and enjoy learning about other cultures.
Storyteller
The written form of the biography stays true to the nature of the narrative. The story is written down as it was told by Ruby, with all its repetitions, colloquialisms, and imperfections. Sometimes you have to wait for an explanation because with each chapter a tip of the veil is lifted until you see the full picture.
Reading What Was Said To Me feels like having a conversation with Ruby, as if she is personally telling you her story. A story that reads smoothly and continues without pause. You just have to keep reading, and at the same time, you also have to take breaks because you can only take so many repetitions of the same part of the story in one day.
Although the suppression of the culture and language of the native Indians of Cowichan Bay, coupled with the general hardships of life, is not something to look back on with a positive feeling, Ruby’s account is not bitter or regretful. You read of her and her family’s hardships, but also of their strength and sense of community. Eventually, you will know more about the Sxwuyxwi mask, the Thi’tha line, and the Rattler. But only to a certain level, because true knowledge of these things is not for you.
Expectation versus reality
There is a certain mismatch between the expectations I had after reading the synopsis and the actual content of the biography. I expected to read more about Ruby’s efforts in the later years of her life. For example, how she worked to preserve her culture and language, and the difficulties she faced in creating the writing system and streamlining education. These are the things I wanted to read about, but they are pretty much left out.
Instead, the biography is more of a history book focusing on life and society in Ruby’s childhood and early teenage years. Don’t get me wrong: I love history and I enjoyed reading about life in the mid-20th century. It’s just that I would have preferred a deeper conversation about the language and education part.
Perseverance
If only one thing stays with you after reading this biography, let it be the power of commitment. Take care of your community and the community will take care of you. Be passionate about your culture and language, and the passion will spill over to others. And when times are tough, focus on what’s important – often the people – because better times will come. Preserve what is worth preserving for later generations. Together you will find a way.
Many thanks to Royal BC Museum and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Storyteller
The written form of the biography stays true to the nature of the narrative. The story is written down as it was told by Ruby, with all its repetitions, colloquialisms, and imperfections. Sometimes you have to wait for an explanation because with each chapter a tip of the veil is lifted until you see the full picture.
Reading What Was Said To Me feels like having a conversation with Ruby, as if she is personally telling you her story. A story that reads smoothly and continues without pause. You just have to keep reading, and at the same time, you also have to take breaks because you can only take so many repetitions of the same part of the story in one day.
Although the suppression of the culture and language of the native Indians of Cowichan Bay, coupled with the general hardships of life, is not something to look back on with a positive feeling, Ruby’s account is not bitter or regretful. You read of her and her family’s hardships, but also of their strength and sense of community. Eventually, you will know more about the Sxwuyxwi mask, the Thi’tha line, and the Rattler. But only to a certain level, because true knowledge of these things is not for you.
Expectation versus reality
There is a certain mismatch between the expectations I had after reading the synopsis and the actual content of the biography. I expected to read more about Ruby’s efforts in the later years of her life. For example, how she worked to preserve her culture and language, and the difficulties she faced in creating the writing system and streamlining education. These are the things I wanted to read about, but they are pretty much left out.
Instead, the biography is more of a history book focusing on life and society in Ruby’s childhood and early teenage years. Don’t get me wrong: I love history and I enjoyed reading about life in the mid-20th century. It’s just that I would have preferred a deeper conversation about the language and education part.
Perseverance
If only one thing stays with you after reading this biography, let it be the power of commitment. Take care of your community and the community will take care of you. Be passionate about your culture and language, and the passion will spill over to others. And when times are tough, focus on what’s important – often the people – because better times will come. Preserve what is worth preserving for later generations. Together you will find a way.
Many thanks to Royal BC Museum and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2021
I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley.
It feels strange to assign a star value and write a review for this book. It is a printed form of an oral history, and is alive with Sti'tum'atul'wut's voice--it is very easy to imagine being told the story verbally while reading it.
It's worth reading, and it's absolutely fascinating. I'm glad that she shared her story, and that the story is being shared with the world at large through the medium of this book. But assigning a rating is rather like rating someone's lived experience, and that feels strange.
It feels strange to assign a star value and write a review for this book. It is a printed form of an oral history, and is alive with Sti'tum'atul'wut's voice--it is very easy to imagine being told the story verbally while reading it.
It's worth reading, and it's absolutely fascinating. I'm glad that she shared her story, and that the story is being shared with the world at large through the medium of this book. But assigning a rating is rather like rating someone's lived experience, and that feels strange.
Read
July 29, 2021I have a hard time rating memoirs/autobiographical work as it is, and it feels even less appropriate here, but suffice it to say this was wonderful and just packed full of wisdom.
CW: references to residential schools and alcoholism
CW: references to residential schools and alcoholism
Read
June 22, 2021Sti’tum’atul’wut also known as Ruby Peter is remarkable and inspiring!
"What Was Said to Me" is a first-person oral history told by her, to anthropologist Helene Demers from Vancouver Island University. Her life story was recorded in 9 sittings in 1997, and this book is the transcript of those conversations. The result is an engrossing story of a woman who worked tirelessly to preserve and share her heritage as well as the language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’.
This reads like a conversation with your grandmother and it is therefore not polished. Instead, it is raw, with moments of rambling, repetition, and the use of very plain language.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Royal BC Museum for an ARC. This was published on June 18th and is now available.
"What Was Said to Me" is a first-person oral history told by her, to anthropologist Helene Demers from Vancouver Island University. Her life story was recorded in 9 sittings in 1997, and this book is the transcript of those conversations. The result is an engrossing story of a woman who worked tirelessly to preserve and share her heritage as well as the language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’.
This reads like a conversation with your grandmother and it is therefore not polished. Instead, it is raw, with moments of rambling, repetition, and the use of very plain language.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Royal BC Museum for an ARC. This was published on June 18th and is now available.
June 22, 2021
a fitting book to finish on National Indigenous Peoples Day. I really enjoyed reading Sti'tum'atul'wut’s stories and I appreciate how the text maintained some of the oral features despite the difference in format. I learned a lot about Cowichan culture, medicine, and Thi’tha. Ruby also gives advice and talks about the impact of Residential Schools. Really enjoyable glimpse. Thank you to NetGalley and the Royal BC Museum for an ARC.
January 1, 2022
"Remember there's always hard times; you can always do something."
"If you do something proper, then that will be you. You'll be doing the same thing. Whatever you do, you'll do it properly."
"If you raise your child for something, to do something, then that's how they will be. You have to listen and teach them things. And then as I was having children, my mother used to say the same thing to me. 'Remember your child is a human being, your child is somebody.' The way you talk to your child is the way they are going to be when they grow up - how you talk to your children, how you discipline them...They know you. How you look at them, how you give them love, how you feed them."
"If you do something proper, then that will be you. You'll be doing the same thing. Whatever you do, you'll do it properly."
"If you raise your child for something, to do something, then that's how they will be. You have to listen and teach them things. And then as I was having children, my mother used to say the same thing to me. 'Remember your child is a human being, your child is somebody.' The way you talk to your child is the way they are going to be when they grow up - how you talk to your children, how you discipline them...They know you. How you look at them, how you give them love, how you feed them."
October 7, 2021
A very thought provoking read.
January 26, 2022
This is a complicated book for me to review. I wanted so badly to like it but I just couldn't connect. I'll start with some neutral information about the book. The story is about an Indigenous Elder, Ruby, from British Columbia who is dictating her oral history to her daughter and another author. Indigenous Elders are knowledge keepers and their stories are essential elements of their cultures. Ruby tells of residential and Indian day schools, longhouses, potlatch bans, the indian act and more. She also shares elements of her culture such as Mask dances, rites of passage and funeral/mourning procedures. The novel is written in a unique way, in keeping with oral histories which are typically passed down from an elder to a younger person orally through storytelling, the novel was written through dictation. The story reads very much like a conversation with a grandparent.
In theory, this is the perfect book for me, I love learning about cultures, especially Canadian Indigenous cultures, I enjoy a great story from a grandparent, but I didn't love this book. I think that because of the way it was written, while I completely support what the authors were trying to accomplish, was at times a bit difficult to follow and while some chapters were very interesting, others were more mundane. There was a fair amount of repetition and some confusing timelines, which added to the slow pace.
I think this book is such an important piece of history and cultural information. I am so glad that it was written and wouldn't change anything about it. However, I think it is important that readers understand what kind of book they are picking up so that they can look to this book for what it is meant to be. This is not a mainstream novel, it wont make it to the top of all the reading lists for 2021, but it is definitely a worthwhile piece of literature that deserves to be available for audiences through the future. Losing an elder can be like losing a culture, especially when we consider the atrocities the Canadian government has created when imposing the Indian act. But Ruby and her community are resilient and by working until her death to pass on her knowledge, Ruby has made it impossible for her culture to be lost.
I'm so appreciative of Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
In theory, this is the perfect book for me, I love learning about cultures, especially Canadian Indigenous cultures, I enjoy a great story from a grandparent, but I didn't love this book. I think that because of the way it was written, while I completely support what the authors were trying to accomplish, was at times a bit difficult to follow and while some chapters were very interesting, others were more mundane. There was a fair amount of repetition and some confusing timelines, which added to the slow pace.
I think this book is such an important piece of history and cultural information. I am so glad that it was written and wouldn't change anything about it. However, I think it is important that readers understand what kind of book they are picking up so that they can look to this book for what it is meant to be. This is not a mainstream novel, it wont make it to the top of all the reading lists for 2021, but it is definitely a worthwhile piece of literature that deserves to be available for audiences through the future. Losing an elder can be like losing a culture, especially when we consider the atrocities the Canadian government has created when imposing the Indian act. But Ruby and her community are resilient and by working until her death to pass on her knowledge, Ruby has made it impossible for her culture to be lost.
I'm so appreciative of Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
July 4, 2021
This book is a necessary and beautiful teaching of life from the perspective of an indigenous woman. The words are transcribed from audio recordings made with her throughout her life, and have been edited up to the date of her death this past year (2020).
Her history and that of the Cowichan tribe is of such crucial importance, especially in light of the recent discoveries at former residential school sites all over Canada. For me, it was a precious window into the world as it existed before colonization and up through the many many years of oppression, suppression, and legalized racism carried out against the Native tribes of Canada, but it was also a sacred glimpse into the healing practices, rituals and language of the Cowichan. There were many times a piece of Sti'tum'atul'wut's wisdom resonated with me, especially in the passages about how as a healer she would work on widows, orphans and those who experienced the death of a loved one.
I'm so grateful that Sti'tum'atul'wut created this oral history for all of us to consume, learn from and memorialize. I hope it becomes required reading across Canada and into the US.
Her history and that of the Cowichan tribe is of such crucial importance, especially in light of the recent discoveries at former residential school sites all over Canada. For me, it was a precious window into the world as it existed before colonization and up through the many many years of oppression, suppression, and legalized racism carried out against the Native tribes of Canada, but it was also a sacred glimpse into the healing practices, rituals and language of the Cowichan. There were many times a piece of Sti'tum'atul'wut's wisdom resonated with me, especially in the passages about how as a healer she would work on widows, orphans and those who experienced the death of a loved one.
I'm so grateful that Sti'tum'atul'wut created this oral history for all of us to consume, learn from and memorialize. I hope it becomes required reading across Canada and into the US.
October 4, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a beautiful story of a woman and her people. Ruby Peter was a a Cowichan elder who narrates the story of her hard life as an Indian native and hard work in order to protect the ancient language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’ and their traditions and culture.
I loved it so much, it was so interesting to read and to learn more about those people that faced hardships in different ways, we feel bitter for what happened to them. I loved to read about her childhood and her mother who was an exceptional person that taught her a lot and then, as she became the elder, she taught everything to the youngsters. In this book, Helene Demers worked only on transforming Ruby's audiorecordings into a text without adding any of her commentaries, it's pure Ruby's words in this book and I really loved that.
I hope that there were more books either for kids or adults and documentaries about the native Indians' culture for the future generations. There is a lot of things that I learnt from this book and I hope that a lot of people will take the time to read this beautiful book.
This was such a beautiful story of a woman and her people. Ruby Peter was a a Cowichan elder who narrates the story of her hard life as an Indian native and hard work in order to protect the ancient language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’ and their traditions and culture.
I loved it so much, it was so interesting to read and to learn more about those people that faced hardships in different ways, we feel bitter for what happened to them. I loved to read about her childhood and her mother who was an exceptional person that taught her a lot and then, as she became the elder, she taught everything to the youngsters. In this book, Helene Demers worked only on transforming Ruby's audiorecordings into a text without adding any of her commentaries, it's pure Ruby's words in this book and I really loved that.
I hope that there were more books either for kids or adults and documentaries about the native Indians' culture for the future generations. There is a lot of things that I learnt from this book and I hope that a lot of people will take the time to read this beautiful book.
September 19, 2021
“What Was Said to Me” is a powerful narrative with no agenda and no political platform to present. It is simply the story of a young indigenous girl who was chosen by her Cowichan Elders to learn, and pass down, the teachings that have endured since time began for her people. Sti’tum’atul’wut, aka Ruby Peter, did not disappoint. The Hul’q’umi’num language, her native tongue, is not written; all the information paid forward was handed down orally through daily sessions with her mother (and other elders) as she walked through her daily life. She went on to pioneer the development of a written form of her language, efforts for which she received much deserved accolades from Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. But the real gem of this book is the story of Ruby Peter herself. It is the hard story of an honest, hard-working, socially and morally conscious person who forever had her finger on the pulse of the future for her family and her people. It is a life that anyone, anywhere would be proud to live.
September 6, 2021
An excellent worthwhile read. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading and learning from this book. I randomly picked up What Was Said to Me at the local bookstore but hadn't expected much from it. It is about traditional teaching, ways of being, transmitting knowledge and values from generation to generation and Indigenous parenting in particular. Fascinating and engaging throughout. I was sad when I finished because I wanted to continue learning from Elder Ruby Peter. My book is tagged with so many interesting passages about family life, things like saving before spending, parenting and knowledge transfer.
I particularly liked this passage ... "your lifetime is your learning span, by giving what you know and handing things down to the young people as a gift, the teachings" continue. I am so glad that Ruby's story was written into a book.
I particularly liked this passage ... "your lifetime is your learning span, by giving what you know and handing things down to the young people as a gift, the teachings" continue. I am so glad that Ruby's story was written into a book.
Want to read
October 18, 2021I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What Was Said to Me is an oral history by Sti’tum’atul’wut (also known as Ruby Peter), and written down by Helene Demers. It is a powerful book about the life of Sti’tum’atul’wut, a Cowichan elder, and her tireless efforts to preserve her people's culture and language. Like many indigenous peoples, the Cowichan faced an oppressive genocidal regime that stole their children, their land, and the culture.
This book is at times intensely heartbreaking, and extremely uplifting. I think hearing the stories of indigenous people in their own words is so important, because they provide a doorway into the rich, living cultures and ways of thinking that are part of the greater human tapestry.
What Was Said to Me is an oral history by Sti’tum’atul’wut (also known as Ruby Peter), and written down by Helene Demers. It is a powerful book about the life of Sti’tum’atul’wut, a Cowichan elder, and her tireless efforts to preserve her people's culture and language. Like many indigenous peoples, the Cowichan faced an oppressive genocidal regime that stole their children, their land, and the culture.
This book is at times intensely heartbreaking, and extremely uplifting. I think hearing the stories of indigenous people in their own words is so important, because they provide a doorway into the rich, living cultures and ways of thinking that are part of the greater human tapestry.
July 7, 2021
I think that this book is culturally and linguistically important. In current times, as we discover more and more of the terrors of residential schools and exactly how much has been taken away from Indigenous people's in Canada and beyond, What Was Said to Me is another important book which highlights the importance of Indigenous voices and culture and the struggle to maintain that culture. This book is an amazing read and I hope everyone adds it to their bookshelf not only to educate themselves but to learn and empathize with Indigenous people.
July 14, 2021
What a wonderful gift of real lived story telling. For anyone who has not had the opportunity to sit and listen to a Cowichan elder speak, this is the real McCoy. In this book, Ruby repeatedly says that she was told to listen, that her mother and the other elders talked & talked & repeated the teachings. This is what oral history is. How fortunate we are to get this glimpse into the world of a rich culture, a culture that we non-indigenous people have much to learn from. Thank you, Ruby. Thanks you, Helene.
March 31, 2022
This was a beautifully written book in which the author shared a detailed recount of life growing up as an indigenous woman in the early 1900s. This book reads as though my grandmother were sharing her stories, and this gave me a deeper appreciation for the teachings and values my parents passed on to me growing up. This also gave me a much better understanding of how inter-generational trauma is passed down in our communities, and offered much insight insight into what life might've been like for my grandparents.
July 18, 2021
Reads like a conversation with an old friend, which may not be neat and at times can seem like rambling, but still powerful and interesting. Would recommend purely based on the topic.
November 27, 2021
Inspiring read. The only first person oral history I have ever read.
May 11, 2022
Moving account providing context and valuable reference.
July 16, 2022
Wonderful narrative of the context of First Nation life in dominant paradigm. Recc.
August 17, 2022
Fell hard into the embrace of this book. A different perspective on so many things, told in a straightforward, careful voice.
February 25, 2024
Absolutely must read to learn more about Indigenous cultures and traditions.
May 27, 2021
This was a beautiful insight into Ruby's life. More a stream of consciousness than a well structured story but that didn't really take away from the story.
Ruby's life was truly amazing and it was very interesting to read about what Native Americans have gone through. And how despite all the difficulties she still managed to become an elder in her community and give back so much. The idea that one person can achieve this is truly inspiring. A very interesting insight into the Native American community. Highly recommend this book.
Ruby's life was truly amazing and it was very interesting to read about what Native Americans have gone through. And how despite all the difficulties she still managed to become an elder in her community and give back so much. The idea that one person can achieve this is truly inspiring. A very interesting insight into the Native American community. Highly recommend this book.
May 3, 2021
What Was Said To Me is an oral history, as recounted by Ruby Peter to Helene Demers. Ruby or Sti’tum’atul’wut, is a Cowichan Elder who has worked tirelessly to help preserve the traditions and particularly the language of her people. In the course of this work she has worked on dictionaries and grammars for the Hul’q’umi’num’. language and helped to prevent its passing into extinction. As well as learning about her conviction about the importance of language, heritage and tradition, in the course of the book she also tells her life story , which spans a time of huge social change globally and more locally.
Since the book is an oral history, it has something of a stream of consciousness feel, it is not broken down into specific chapters but rather one topic flows naturally into the next. As every effort has been made to preserve the oral testimony in its purest form, there are times where it can feel a little confusing or repetitive but these are few and far between. The book provides a valuable and educational insight into a unique culture and way of life.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Since the book is an oral history, it has something of a stream of consciousness feel, it is not broken down into specific chapters but rather one topic flows naturally into the next. As every effort has been made to preserve the oral testimony in its purest form, there are times where it can feel a little confusing or repetitive but these are few and far between. The book provides a valuable and educational insight into a unique culture and way of life.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews