Indigenous Novels, Indigenized Worlds by Don K. Philpot, is a fascinating look at Indigenous culture, values, and traditions. The distinctiveness of the worldview and customs of Indigenous people is captured in this work. This book makes a significant contribution to the value of Indigenous knowledge and brings light to the world of Indigenous thought and story. The cultural values and traditions are authentic and well researched. The exploration of how these novels can provide deeper insight into Indigenous life is timely and supports understanding of Indigenous identity.
— Angelina Weenie, PhD. Associate Professor, First Nations University of Canada, Indigenous Education Program Coordinator, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Indigenized Novels, Indigenized Worlds is a valuable resource for educators wishing to instill an understanding of Indigenous literatures and world views in classrooms with 10-16 year old readers. The book examines works of Indigenous fiction from a broad cross-section of nations and cultures, emphasizing their textual features and common themes/tropes. Philpot does not make the mistake of using a “Pan-Indian” approach in his analysis. The wide variety of languages and cultures represented in the texts emphasizes the heterogeneity of Indigenous experiences, as well as what these fictionalized worlds of Indigenous experience have in common. The books that Philpot draws from span Canadian and US contexts. This breadth is not often found in discussions of North American Indigenous literatures, which tend to focus on either the Canadian or the American experience exclusively. Indigenized Novels is well organized and provides educators, especially those with little background in Indigenous literatures, with a functional teaching tool. The annotated references and descriptions of the novels make it a very useful and practical guide. Of particular note is Philpot’s section on “Language Use, Stories, and Storytelling.” Ironic in the most positive sense of the word, here the author shows an understanding of Indigenous knowledge making in terms of story, while simultaneously unpacking other narratives, including those of Western style educational discourse.
— Blanca Schorcht, PhD, Professor Emerita, Comparative Literature, University of Northern British Columbia