Native literature in Canada: from the oral tradition to the present

Abstract

Canadian native literature is increasingly commanding scholarly and critical attention. Beginning with an examination of the old tradition from which it grew, Canadian Indian Literature provides a critical analysis of sermons, letters, autobiographies, diaries, petitions, historical and travel writings, speeches, journalism poetry, short stories, drama, novels, myths, and essays. The Indian sensibility and imagination are seen to have given birth to a rich literature and a unique aesthetic.