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Aboriginal Prison Literature

Page history last edited by Terriss Paliwoda 11 years, 11 months ago

Aboriginal    Prison    Literature

 

     Aboriginal Prison Literature is literature written by Aboriginal Inmates while incarcerated in prison that is about their personal life experiences and life stories. The literature written by Aboriginals incarcerated in prisons recounts their life experiences, personal histories, background information, thoughts and feelings including events and circumstances that led to their conviction.  Aboriginal Prison Literature created by Aboriginal Inmates is presented in various genres: autobiographies, collaborative story-telling, memoirs, poems, and video documentaries. 

 

Contents

 

 

Overview

  • ·         Understanding
  • ·         Genres
  • ·         Current Aboriginal Prison Statistics /What This Could Mean for Future Inmates

 

 

 

1

Pieces of Writing Made by Aboriginal Prisoners

  • ·         Canada`s Aboriginals
  • ·         Aboriginals Outside of Canada

 

2

Discussion

3

Sources

4

 

 

 

Overview    

      Aboriginal Prison Literature are influential pieces of writing for Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals to read as they provide valuable insight into the lives of Aboriginal Inmates prior to, during and after incarceration. Although the exact origin and date of when Aboriginal Inmates began to write their stories and experiences is unknown, Aboriginal Prison Literature serves as a means to enlighten readers to the plight of Aboriginal Inmates and the struggles and challenges Aboriginals face in their daily lives.  The Aboriginal Prison Literature written by Aboriginal Inmates in various genres offer Aboriginals a way to get their voices heard and inspire other Inmates to tell their stories. The Literature written by inmates conveys stories of their life experiences, feelings, emotions, past injustices, racism from society, experiences with the criminal justice system and the circumstances or events that led to their incarceration. While it is important for Aboriginals to have their voices heard through their writings, Aboriginals also have other reasons for wanting to express their life experiences and emotions. Some of the other functions the writings provide are the hope of liberation, an alternative hearing of their court case, an apology, a confession, distance from feelings of guilt and healing.(12) Each author has their own personal reason for writing and sharing their experiences and stories.  

 

 

Genres

     To effectively tell their stories, the incarcerated Aboriginals use different types of genre in literature as a means of getting their story heard.  The various forms of literature used by Aboriginal inmates to have their stories heard include autobiographies, collaborative story-telling, memoirs, poems and video documentaries.

 

 

Autobiography

     One of the forms of literature Aboriginal Inmates use to tell their life story is an autobiography. Aboriginal Inmates write their autobiography as a means to relay their life stories, thoughts, and feelings as well as their experiences with the Criminal Justice System from their vantage point. One of the first published writings by an Aboriginal Inmate was the life story of Anthony Thrasher, called “Skid Row Eskimo”. In the book Thrasher describes his life in the “White world” and his life experiences prior to being charged with Manslaughter.  One of the hopes for Thrasher's writing was to help Aboriginals “know what to watch out for so they (won’t) end up like me, in a white man’s cage”. (15)

 

 

   

Memoirs

     Written Memoirs is one form of literature included in Aboriginal Prison Literature.  Aboriginal Inmates write Memoirs about their life stories, experiences with the Criminal Justice system, events prior to incarceration and life inside a correctional facility.  Memoirs written by Aboriginals assist in providing a better understanding of the challenges and struggles Aboriginals undergo in their lives. Aboriginal inmates choose to write Memoirs of their life experiences for people to read, hoping that people will connect with their life experiences and the difficulties they have faced. An example of an Aboriginal Inmate's Memoir is Leonard Peltier's book called "Prison Writings; My Life Is My Sun Dance." Leonard Peltier is an American Aboriginal convicted of the first degree murders of two FBI officers. Aboriginal inmate Leonard Peltier’s claims his innocence although he was convicted of first degree murder of two FBI officers and now is serving his life sentences in Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, Florida. In his memoir he explains that he is providing an “alternative hearing” (12) for his story to be heard. He describes his wrongful conviction as “Innocence has a single voice that can only say over and over again, "I didn't do it." Guilt has a thousand voices, all of them lies.”(8)

 

 

Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance

 

 

Collaborative Story Telling

     Collaborative story telling is a type of literature in Aboriginal Prison Literature where Aboriginal Inmates collaborate with writers to communicate their stories. Some of the Aboriginal inmates may not possess the writing skills needed to write their stories so they hire an author who they feel can write their story effectively. An example of this type of literature is the collaborative works of Yvonne Johnson and Rudy Wiebe.  Yvonne Johnson, a Cree woman convicted of first degree murder, collaborated with Rudy Wiebe to get him to convey her life story in the book called "Stolen Life." The collaborative book describes Yvonne's upbringing along with the physical and sexual abuse she suffered in her childhood and how these traumatizing experiences formed a path that led her to commit murder. One of the descriptions Johnson describes in her life is “I see now that most children, growing up, are taught options, choices, personal strategies. I never was, and even though I understood that choices must exist, they couldn’t even mean anything to a dirty “breed” like me. There were just two possibilities: get by, or commit suicide”. (17)

 

 

 

Poems

     Poems are another type of Aboriginal Prison Literature that Aboriginal Inmates have written to express themselves. Poetry is a genre used by Aboriginals to convey their life experiences, stories and emotions in a creative and effective manner.  An example of poetry in Aboriginal Prison Literature is a poem written by Theresa Ann Glaremin called “Four Seasons of Prison.”(4)

 

“The Four Seasons of Prison”

 

Darkness never comes in prison, at night we are all children.

The CSC keeps a night light on us while we sleep

Waking to the hourly shifts from the military boots on concrete floors.

Checking our bodies in our cages, as if we were some precious cargo.

The morning comes and the bright light floods our floors with artificial hope.

We live in cages where in Winter, the voices of our dead sisters warn us of the dishonour of suicide.

And in Spring, the rains the echo up from the concrete, cover our tears of desperation.

When Summer comes, we burn our bodies – nude in the sun – in the prison yard, hoping to die by nature, then by our own hands.

Then Autumn touches us and our spirits are deadened to the long winter ahead.

Where we listen to the wind howl in the barred windows as if our dead sisters want us to follow them, or fight our lives while we are alive.

Darkness never comes in prison, until they cut us down and carefully lay us in a body bag.

Then the CSC turn the night light off.

 

T.A. Glaremin (4)

 

 

Video Documentaries

     Through Video Documentaries Aboriginal Inmates visually present their life stories, experiences with the Criminal Justice System, thoughts and emotions to the viewer while incarcerated in prison. Video documentaries assist Aboriginal Inmates in making a stronger connection to the viewer by providing Aboriginals the means to express their stories in their own words for the viewer to both see and hear. Video documentaries are a powerful way for Aboriginal Inmates to express their emotions and have their stories heard. Through Video Documentaries, Aboriginal Inmates are humanized which helps to build a stronger connection with the viewer and helps in bringing an awareness of the struggles Aboriginal Inmates face in society.

 

Video - Iron Lodge - Link

http://play.kendincos.com/168182/Whlnrnrnrtxtxpt-iron-lodge-native-american-spirituality-behind-bars-.html

 

 

Aboriginal Prison Population 

     Currently in Canada there has been a steady increase in Aboriginal populations in prisons across Canada. Statistics from a 2006 Census show Aboriginals make up 4% of the Canadian Adult population and 18% of the Adult population in Federal prison compared to the 2001 census where Aboriginals made up 3% of the Canadian Adult population and 17% of the federal prison population.(10) Aboriginals make up a large part of the prison population in Canada and with the continuous rise in the number of Aboriginals incarcerated,  there is a strong need to gain insight into the events and circumstances leading up to incarceration in order to find solutions to reduce incarceration rates.  Aboriginal Inmates need an outlet to have their stories heard and having various genres to relay their life experiences presents a valuable tool for Aboriginals to express themselves and enlighten others to the struggles and challenges they face.  Aboriginal Prison Literature offers a constructive means to gain information on factors and reasons that lead Aboriginals to commit crimes so strategies and solutions can be devised to lower and prevent Aboriginal incarceration. Aboriginal prison literature can provide this outlet for inmates to have their life experiences and experiences with the criminal justice system heard.

 

PIECES OF WRITING BY ABORIGINAL PRISONERS

 

Prison Writings from Canada’s Aboriginals

   

Deena Rymhs. (2008)From the Iron House: Imprisonment in First Nations Writing.

 

 

Connie Braun. (1998) Colonization, destruction and renewal: stories from Aboriginal men at the Pe'Sakastew centre.

 

Wiebe, Rudy, and Yvonne Johnson. (1998). Stolen life: the journey of a Cree woman.

 

Arthur Solomon. (1994) Eating Bitterness: A Vision Beyond the Prison Walls.

 

Howard Davidson. (1990) “Special Issue on Native Peoples’ & Selected Articles” Journal of prisoners on prisons.

 

James Tyman. (1989). Inside out: an autobiography by a Native Canadian.

 

Sugar, Fran and Lana Fox. (1989) Nistum Peyako Séht'wawin Iskwewak: Breaking Chains.

 

Thrasher, Anthony Apakark, Gerard. Deagle and Alan. Mettrick. (1976) Skid row Eskimo

 

 

Prison Writings from Aboriginals outside of Canada

 

Martel, Joane, and Renée Brassard. (2008) Painting the Prison 'Red': Constructing and Experiencing Aboriginal Identities in Prison.

 

D. Quentin Miller. (2005). Prose and Cons: Essays on Prison Literature in the United States

 

Leonard Peltier. (1999) Prison writings: my life is my Sundance.

 

Dot Goulding. (2007). Recapturing freedom: issues relating to the release of long-term prisoners into the community

 

 

Another Form of Prison Literature

            Although many forms of prison literature are written another way Aboriginal inmates tell their stories is through artwork. An example of artwork being done by Aboriginal inmates is at a Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre where a booklet that incorporates Aboriginal inmates writings and artwork together is being created called “Creative Escape: Stories and Art from Prison”. (9)

 

 

SASKATOON, SASK.:  FEBRUARY 10, 2012 --  Inmate Artwork from SCYAP, February 10, 2012. (Gord Waldner/ StarPhoenix)

 

 

An exhibit of inmate art will be on display from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10 at the SCYAP Art Centre and Gallery in downtown Saskatoon.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Is there a place for this area of study in Native studies?

 

Do you think Aboriginal Inmates stories should be heard?

 

SOURCES

 

1)      Braun, Connie. 1998. "Colonization, destruction and renewal: stories from Aboriginal men at the Pe'Sakastew centre." Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan.

2)      Davidson, Howard. “Special Issue on Native Peoples’ & Selected Articles” Journal of prisoners on prisons. Vol.2 Number. 2 Spring 1990.

3)      Goulding, Dot. 2007. Recapturing freedom: issues relating to the release of long-term prisoners into the community. Hawkins Press.

4)      Glaremin, T.A. 1993. “The Four Seasons of Prison” Tightwire, Summer 1993:16.

5)      Martel, Joane, and Renée Brassard. 2008. "Painting the Prison 'Red': Constructing and Experiencing Aboriginal Identities in Prison." British Journal Of Social Work 38, no. 2: 340-361.

6)      Miller, D. Quentin. 2005. Prose and Cons: Essays on Prison Literature in the United States. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

7)      LaPrairie, Carol. 1996. “Examining Aboriginal Corrections in Canada” Accessed April 5, 2012. http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/apc/_fl/apc-14-eng.pdf

8)      Peltier, Leonard.1999 Prison writings: my life is my Sundance. United States of America: St. Martin's Press,

9)      “Poetic justice: Saskatoon’s prison literature” Accessed April 5, 2012. http://cupwire.ca/articles/43335

10)  Prison Justice. “Prison Justice Facts and stats” Accessed April 5, 2012. http://www.prisonjustice.ca/politics/facts_stats.html

11)  Rimstead, Roxanne L. and Deena Rymhs. 2011. “Prison Writing/Writing Prison in Canada” Canadian Literature #208: Prison Writing.pg.6-11.http://canlit.ca/editorials/21182

12)  Rymhs, Deena. 2008. From the Iron House: Imprisonment in First Nations Writing. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

13)  Sugar, Fran, and Lana Fox. 1989. "Nistum Peyako Séht'wawin Iskwewak: Breaking Chains." Canadian Journal Of Women & The Law 3, no. 2: 465-482.

14)  Solomon, Arthur. Eating Bitterness: A Vision Beyond the Prison Walls, ed. Cathleen Kneen and Michael Posluns. Toronto: NC Press, 1994.

15)  Thrasher, Anthony Apakark, Gerard. Deagle, and Alan. Mettrick. 1976. Thrasher ... skid row Eskimo By Anthony Apakark Thrasher in collaboration with Gerard Deagle and Alan Mettrick. 1976

16)  Tyman, James. 1989. Inside out: an autobiography by a Native Canadian. Saskatoon: Fifth House, 1989.

17)  Wiebe, Rudy, and Yvonne Johnson. 1998. Stolen life: the journey of a Cree woman. Toronto: Alfred A Knopf, 1998.

 

 

Comments (6)

Maddy said

at 11:39 am on Apr 10, 2012

This is amazing. If there is a place in Native Studies to study the reasons why Indigenous peoples in Canada have such a high incarceration rate, then there should be a place for their voices to be heard as well.

Toni Letendre said

at 12:07 pm on Apr 11, 2012

There is actually a sociology class on Aboriginal people in the Criminal Justice System and next fall there is an NS Aboriginal gangs course being offered for those who have a 300-level NS course, which we all have now after this course.

Toni Letendre said

at 12:21 pm on Apr 11, 2012

I definitely believe their voices should be heard and that we should stop constructing people as either "good" or 'bad." We construct criminality as something foreseeable and easily detectable, but it is not. This is something we should definitely look into.

Maria said

at 11:49 pm on Apr 11, 2012

I love the idea of your page, in the words of my favourite poet Maya Angelou "“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” To have an outlet for you voice is truly deserved by us all. Thank you for sharing

vtmorris said

at 2:06 am on Apr 12, 2012

This is a really good page. You know, my reading list keeps growing...

Davida said

at 5:14 pm on May 19, 2012

This page is brilliant, as it serves to recognize the "Aboriginal convict" as a human being and an expert. I believe that this page follows Freire's methodology beautifully, as it makes space for the stories that too often remain behind bars.

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