Steal My Rage: New Native Voices

David R. Hutchinson is an educator on the Peguis Reserve in Manitoba.

This is a powerful anthology of poetry, short stories, and essays by
aspiring Native writers. The topics are varied, and cover such areas as
traditional philosophy, aboriginal language recovery, land claims,
residential schooling, urban life, self-government, spousal assault, and
sexual abuse. The writers themselves represent Canada’s aboriginal
multicultural diversity, and are clearly unified around critical
concerns and issues. For most writers the genre of choice appears to be
poetry, which I found interesting because poets have a unique eye for
reality and truth. Clearly, with regard to the contemporary
circumstances of Native peoples, many of the writers are trying to draw
our attention to both. Some readers may be irked by the junior level of
development of some of the offerings, but I believe this speaks to the
strength of Native literary anthologies. Rather than publish on the
basis of accomplished literary ability alone, certain writers are
published as a confirmation and celebration of their potential—and of
their contribution to the enlightenment of others. This collection has
much to offer readers who want to check the pulse of Native writing in
Canada, and is particularly valuable for secondary and post-secondary
educators looking for an infusion of provocative contemporary Native
literature.