Blood Narrative: Indigenous Identity in American Indian and Maori Literary and Activist Texts

by Chadwick Allen

Blood Narrative is a comparative literary and cultural study of post-World War II literary and activist texts by New Zealand Maori and American Indians—groups who share much in their responses to European settler colonialism. Chadwick Allen reveals the complex narrative tactics employed by writers and activists in these societies that enabled them to realize unprecedented practical power in making both their voices and their own sense of indigeneity heard.
Allen shows how both Maori and Native Americans resisted the assimilationist tide rising out of World War II and how, in the 1960s and 1970s, they each experienced a renaissance of political and cultural activism and literary production that culminated in the formation of the first general assembly of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. He focuses his comparison on two first, the blood/land/memory complex that refers to these groups' struggles to define indigeneity and to be freed from the definitions of authenticity imposed by dominant settler cultures. Allen's second focus is on the discourse of treaties between American Indians and the U.S. government and between Maori and Great Britain, which he contends offers strong legal and moral bases from which these indigenous minorities can argue land and resource rights as well as cultural and identity politics.
With its implicit critique of multiculturalism and of postcolonial studies that have tended to neglect the colonized status of indigenous First World minorities, Blood Narrative will appeal to students and scholars of literature, American and European history, multiculturalism, postcolonialism, and comparative cultural studies.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kate♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5stars

Research for Native American studies in grad school

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely featured extensive descriptions of other Native and Indigenous texts. I started reading this to get a broader perspective on Indigenous identity and the bq system from a more global perspective. The book definitely succeeded in broadening that, and there is definitely alot of info about The Maori. I most appreciate the points made on the idea of "memory" especially during a time where popular discourse has been so critical in policing Native/Indigenous identity. With the nodapl resistance movement, the content related to AIM activism and hopes for a collective "Fourth world" movement of Indigenous resistance is so relevant. I do appreciate that there is nuances mentioned such as pan indianism , and strategic essentialism. also the mention of specific treaties and events/assertions of resistance. Would def recommend to anyone looking to learn more about concepts of identity and Tribal Sovereignty/ Nationhood.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chadwick Allen has completed a well-researched, highly insightful, and much-needed study based in comparative literary studies and cultural studies of the Maori and American Indians. Delving into literature and activists writings authored post-WWII, Allen suggests that there are more similarities between Maori and American Indian cultures than one would first think, despite the fact that there are also some vast differences between different American Indian communities themselves, and even more differences between any one AI community and any one Maori community. This is a wonderful discussion, one which should interest those working with American Indian literature, Maori literature, or Indigenous Literature at large.

Allen highlights the blood/land/memory complex, basing this partly on the work of the infamous N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa), which suggests that these three concepts are interwoven and ingrained in Indigenous identity. His discussion on blood memory is one that would be of great interest to those working with trauma theory, as the two are directly related. For those like myself, focussing on literary studies, Allen outlines several key authors/poets/activists that should be known in the field--and how they helped to shape the field.

I read through this book rather quickly, considering how much substance there is! There is also a great deal of appendix material and detailed end notes that any scholar would be pleased to sift through. Definitely worth a read.

[Kristiana Kahakauwila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Allen's project interesting-- the comparative analysis and cross-Native introspection offers a lot of fodder. I respect that kind of linking, and often do it myself, and I think it's fair. But I also felt, in many ways, that his comparisons were too loose, too much of stretches to be useful. His framework, especially when applied to the Maori texts, were uneasy for me. I worried that he wasn't letting the Maori texts have their own contexts. Perhaps had he compared Hawaiian texts, he might have made me feel more comfortable with these comparisons, as he would have at least been dealing with similar historical moments... But even there, I'm not sure. In the end, I'm glad I read the book, and it informed me personally and professionally, but I might return to some Vine Deloria classics and see what of his thinking I can apply on my own. In other words, I rather pick up the ideas and theories and apply them on my own rather than look for someone to do the application for me.

[hh · Rating 4 out of 5]

really excellent comparative work on native north american and maori texts. nicely written with insightful comments throughout. this is a book that i am likely to revisit.