Reinventing the Enemy's Language: Contemporary Native Women's Writings of North America

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language is the ultimate compilation of indigenous women’s writings and their respective works that span from numerous authors capturing a number backgrounds each providing a unique and profound take on issues and themes prevalent in Indigenous cultures that would often go marginalized or unnoticed entirely in a modern American society. While the authors here are an eclectic bunch from numerous corners of America, they all emphasize common themes of identity and the preservation of culture in an era where these voices are simply not heard or fall upon deaf ears. Poems featured here range from light hearted and humorous to ones that will make you question the good of humanity but each and everyone has a message to share and a story to tell.

The fascinating thing about this anthology is that each one is an act of cultural preservation. These author’s experiences are translated into writing where they’ll be forever more, exposed to the public in all of their glory and honesty. Like all works of literature, they lead themselves to interpretation, everyone will get something different or latch onto a particular theme or idea unlike anyone else. Just as these authors have accumulated and composed experiences themselves, you as a reader will experience something all to yourself. By sharing their stories, those of us who have no foot in Native tradition can get a glimpse into the joy, sorrow, and struggles that are prevalent in the livelihoods of indigenous peoples from all over.

This book helped me step outside myself and embrace the complexities of a culture outside my own and I’m a more worldly person for it. I would highly recommend this anthology, my personal favorite is “Confession”, this is one of those poems that makes you squirm in your seat throughout its duration. Don’t fight or deliberately avoid that “squirm” sensation, allow yourself to conceptualize and empathize with the stories these author’s so graciously shared with us, if you're open to it, you too will experience something profound that has been so often glossed over and lost to the passage of time.

4.5/5

n  White men put flesh on dinosaur bones to reconstruct the entire animal, to show they are smarter than the animal they construct out of their own egos. They do the same thing with us by rewriting our history. They do not have to be right, they only have to do the act itself.

-Scott Kayla Morrison ("Kela Humma" (Red Hawk)), Choctaw, 'An Apokni by Any Other Name Is Still a Kakoo'n

If you've been following #NoDAPL at all, you'll know that a recent presidential decision has effectively halted construction of a oil pipeline too toxic for white suburban communities but, apparently, just right for indigenous reservations. This victory seems, perhaps, in the wake of 2016's unique nightmare before the holidays less than it could have been, but it still marks a triumph in the midst of the horror that is 500+ years of rape in terms both archaic and otherwise. Seizure of another's property. Land grab. Woman grab. Children grab. Cultural eradication. Kill the indigenous, save the man. Treaties put into place two centuries and more in place that, despite having been violated less than a week letter, still control the language with which the original inhabitants of what is currently known as the Americas use to refer themselves. Should they refuse this language, they come under the threat of being stripped of what little they have left. What, then is there left to be done?

n  I feel that writing is an act of survival. But there is more than my own survival that is at stake. These days I feel a kind of urgency to reconstruct memory, annihilate the slow amnesia of the dominant culture, and reclaim the past as a viable, if painful entity.

-Janice Gould, Maidun

Joy Harjo. Janet Campbell Hale. Paula Gunn Allen. Velma Wallis. Leslie Marmon Silko. Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. Linda Hogan. Beth Brant. Wilma Mankiller. Louise Erdrich. These are reinventers of the enemy's language that I and a sizable number of other enemies have come into contact with without having read this compilation. Muscogee. Couer D'Alene. Laguna. Sioux. Athabascan. Crow Creek Sioux. Chickasaw. Mohawk. Cherokee. Turtle Mountain Chippewa. These are the nations I and a sizable number of other enemies are still swallowing up. Scott Kayla Morrison aka Kela Humma, Choctaw. Susan Power, Yanktonnai Sioux. Janice Gould, Maidu. Jeannette Armstrong, Okanagan. These are reinventers of the enemy's language that I found 'striking' and, perhaps mistakenly, believe other enemies have not yet come into with. There are many others, and because I pushed too hard when it came to which women owned their names in artistry and which ones didn't, I can neither create nor ameliorate their author profiles on this particular website. That is probably for the best, though. I already conduct too much free labor for this corporatized library as is.

More than half of the states composing the US owe their linguistic sustainability to the indigenous people, metaphorical roots which do little to combat sequestering in reservations and genocide everywhere else. It's not the only reason why I still get friend requests from people with whom a share nearly 300 works, of which a mere three are by women of color, but the situations run on the same fuel. Within the already sunken realm of writings by women of color there is still yet further stratification, and I will admit to having fallen into their trap while devoting two thirds of 2016's reading to this oft neglected but still hierarchical demographic. Good intentions will always pave the road in hell if they are ever considered anything more than a work in progress.

n  I didn't feel rebellious. I felt honest.

In the other world of the preparatory school I attended, experience felt abstract, refracted through the distancing process of intellectual analysis.

-Susan Power, Yanktonnai Siouxn

The half star I took off of this is for arbitrary reasons such as personal aesthetics when it comes to compilations such as these, as well as the fact that I couldn't follow my transient reading footprint with a more stable digital directory one. As such, I leave the shinier one up top unmarked, as there is a vast difference between positive ratings for the sake of socioecononmic prosperity and boosting works in order to actively resist annihilation. Nowadays, it is possible for works such as Weweni and Sanaaq to exist, so perhaps the Overton window can be pushed past the need to reinvent the enemy and into the right to exist on less lethally linguistic terms. However, that won't happen on its own, or in a vacuum, or without effort which should rightfully rest on the shoulders of those who rendered the language lethal in the first place, not those doing their best to survive it. #NoDAPL continues on despite assurances of victory, for that is only one branch of the beast sunk into the heart of myriad peoples, and such monstrosities always sleep with one of many eyes open.

n  I watched rocks
hurled and smashed
into cars of old Mohawk men
women and children
on a bridge
in Montreal
and the million-dollar
rock slide
blockages
on ten BC roads
after stones rained
down rock cliffs
on police lifting
human blockades
protecting the slow disintegration
of bones into sand
resting under headstones
on Liliwat land

-Jeanette Armstrong, Okanagan, 'I Study Rocks'n

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language is a powerful collection of works from many different Native American women authors. These women write about what they know and are able to show the reader some of the problems they face in everyday life. Most of the stories and poems are beautifully written and intensely thought provoking. One of my favorites is The Constellation of Angels which tells the story of a woman who faces violence and racism on a daily basis.
tViolence and poverty are apparent in many of the stories throughout the book. Many of the authors come from rough backgrounds and this shows in their raw, open style of writing that makes it hard not to let out some feeling while reading. Because these women are writing about what they know, the unfiltered storytelling creates a collection that sends a message of survival and defiance.
tThe anthology as a whole is an act of rhetorical sovereignty. All the stories are about trying to stay alive in a world where they are not accepted for who they are. These women are writing from their experiences and knowledge and showing anybody who reads their words that what was done to their ancestors is still having adverse effects on the present. The racism and sexism that is still present is made apparent in many of these stories and paints a horrific picture of what these women are forced to go through. However, by writing about these experiences and leaving nothing out, they are performing an act of defiance against the people that put them into their current predicament in the first place.
tThis book is for anybody that wants to get a look into the harsh life many Native American women go through. With the whole thing being short stories and poems, there are many different perspectives and styles of writing on display that help keep the reader turning pages. Reinventing the Enemy’s Language is well worth the read.

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language: Contemporary Native Women’s Writings of North America is an anthology of Indigenous Women writers compiled by former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird. The introduction is written as a conversation between the two as they discuss the process of choosing who to include in the collection. Following the introduction, there are four distinct sections and a conclusion. This book is incredibly important and the first of its kind. Though I have not read every single work included in it, I find myself picking it up often and slowly working through it.

What I have read is magic. These women are extremely talented storytellers whose voices deserved to be heard. Often, the stories are told in ways that deviate from Eurocentric literary techniques and forms. This anthology promotes voices that the master narrative has shut out and it does not conform to settler colonialism academic standards. Additionally, it is helping break the cycle of the double colonization of Indigenous Women by providing them a platform to tell their stories, speak out, and create.

Each story, essay, or poem begins with an author bio and informs the reader what Nation the author is from. Each one is deeply personal to the author and these bios themselves weave a complex narrative of Indigeneity, challenging and dismantling stereotypes. From these bios come outstanding lines of courage, challenge, and beauty. For example, Linda Hogan writes “For me, the act of writing comes out of my deepest wanting of justice and survival. I began writing with a sense of urgency about stories that were beginning to be told. I wanted to speak the value of human beings, and the absolute significance of all the rest of living nature, to show others that everything is alive and worthy of care” (331).

A vast array of themes are included in the stories told by the women in this anthology. It is a mosaic of experience arranged beautifully by Harjo and Bird.

I am sure there are many other favorites I have yet to explore, but these are a few poems and short stories I have loved from the collection.

Short Stories: “Beaded Soles” by Susan Power (374), “Hard-To-Kill-Woman” by Arlene Fire (300), and “Ogitchida Ikewag: The Women’s Warrior Society, Fall 1993” by Winona LaDuke (263).

Poetry: “Sisters” by Haunani-Kay Trask (519), “I Study Rocks” by Jeannette Armstrong (498), and “Dear Webster” by Connie Fife (479).

This is not simply an academic anthology to be stashed away on a bookshelf. It is meant to be read and re-read. It is a book you leave out on a coffee table or a nightstand and pick up whenever there is a free moment. The stories, poems and essays contained inside will make you laugh, cry and shake with anger. More importantly, they will change the way you see the world. This anthology brings to light the social structures that reinforce generational trauma and will challenge your preconceived notions of North American history.

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language is a narrative of survivance, beauty and hope.

This anthology is an amazing and impactful representation of Native stories from all different walks of life. The excerpts I read from Reinventing the Enemy’s Language were extremely impactful. I’d say there was two that stuck out to me the most, those being The Housing Poem and Confession. The Housing Poem gives you so much substance in such a small amount of words. It really shows you the amount of ‘punch’ words really do have. Being a middle-class white person, I can’t say I have any ounce of an idea what life is like for a Native family living in unfortunate circumstances. We get a glimpse into the lives of a family living together in a small apartment that is very under-developed. We also learn a lot about the definition of family in regards to different people. Everyone has a different definition of family, and we get to see here what it can mean to other people in difference to us readers. Confession also really packs a punch. A Native woman is recalling an experience she had as a young child (basically ‘confessing’ to an assault that happened to her at a very young age). The ways she tells the story shows that she is ashamed, and that it is something she shouldn’t talk about. She feels immense guilt from the situation, even though she was just five years old. These are just two of the many stories this book tells. I also really like the fact that most of the essays and poems showcased have a bit of history about the author beforehand. If you’re reading, those are not something you want to skip over. A lot of times, they can give a lot more context into the purpose of the writing itself. Not only are so many Native voices represented, but they all have stories very different- yet they all have universal truths. I think it’s really important for something like this to be read and understood by everyone. The sovereignty present in this book is important for everyone to hear.

Reinventing the Enemy's Language is the first time a collection of Native American Women's writing has been published. Every poem, story, essay has been carefully thought out and put together with a deep respect for the Nations. This book is a must read for all who are interested in America's original people.

Rhetorical Sovereignty at its Finest
This book is somewhat inspiring to me. Being a woman sometimes you don’t really feel that your voice is heard and that is one thing that I loved about this book. This book is entirely written by female authors and they did a wonderful job. There are stories that are about anything and everything. From trauma to a simple recipe this book really captures the Native American culture and I would definitely not shy away from it just because it is written by all woman (that means you boys!). This book really gives voices to women from across the nation, which I believe is great because having to have read this for a class, I was not to thrilled at first. But I understood later why this book is so important. It gives writers, and Native American, female writers the opportunity to tell and share their stories which is why I think this is really rhetorical sovereignty at its finest.

“Reinventing The Enemy’s Language” edited by Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird with help from Patricia Blanco, Beth Cuthand, and Valerie Martinez. Out of these readings, there were a couple that stuck out to me: "99 things to do before you die" by nila northSun and "The Constellation of Angels" by Anita Endrezze. Both of these, a poem and an essay, had so much depth to them, leaving our readers filled with interesting insights and questions. With "99 things to do before you die" by nila northSun the text is set up as a “bucket list” of sorts, jotting down what the author believes should be done before she dies, but as the list goes on we see a change in perspective from the author as she decides the wishes she had in the beginning were not practical. The list continues by the author now recording more small scale desires, more realistic such as “curl up in a bed with a good indian novel” and the author shows her humor with the line following this wish stating “better yet, curl up in bed with a good indian novelist”. The main lesson or overall message from this poem we agreed was that happiness can come in everyday tasks and that bigger (desires) doesn’t always mean better. However, with“"The Constellation of Angels" by Anita Endrezze, readers dive into an essay filled with surprises about a Native girl named Mary. Readers see Mary’s strength throughout this text as she endures physical, mental, and emotional damage from her husband and his actions. With such serious content, the text is put together rather poetically creating a beautiful, realistic series of events that can be relatable to many different kinds of audiences. Both of these excerpts from this book unravel life truths and realities for Native women, and I highly suggest all women to read this since it showed important life lessons. A theme of loss (of life and one’s self) is common in this book, and most people who have lost someone or struggle with their identity can get something from these readings.