“Through Poetry a Community is Brought Together”: Vera Manuel’s Poetry, Poetry Activism, and Poetics

Chapters in this book

1. Front Matter i
2. Contents vii
3. Editors’ Note ix
4. Acknowledgements xi
5. Introduction 1
6. Plays
7. Strength of Indian Women 25
8. Song of the Circle 70
9. Journey Through the Past to the Future 101
10. Echoes of Our Mothers’ Past 116
11. Every Warrior’s Song 134
12. Stories
13. That Grey Building 199
14. Theresa 209
15. The Letter 228
16. The Abyss 239
17. Poetry
18. The Storm 251
19. Woman Without a Tongue 253
20. Ghosts & Predators 256
21. L.A. Obsession Song 259
22. Addictions 261
23. Lies 263
24. Life Abuse of Girls 264
25. The Woman I Could Be 265
26. Fools 267
27. Loneliness 268
28. Abused Mothers, Wounded Fathers 271
29. Hunger 273
30. The Catholic Church 276
31. Deadly Legacy 278
32. Keeping Secrets 280
33. Forgiveness 282
34. When I First Came to Know Myself 283
35. When My Sister & I Dance 285
36. The Girl who Could Catch Fish with her Hands 290
37. Two Brothers 291
38. La Guerra 294
39. Keepers in the Dark 295
40. Inheritance 298
41. For the Child Who Knew 300
42. Never Ever Tell 302
43. Ottawa 304
44. The Truth About Colonization 305
45. Justice 308
46. Beric 311
47. Christmas Inside of Me 312
48. Spring Fever 314
49. Megcenetkwe 315
50. Dying 316
51. Afterwords
52. Narrative Acts of Truth and Reconciliation: Teaching the Healing Plays of Vera Manuel 323
53. Embedded Teachings: Vera Manuel’s Recovered Short Stories 344
54. “Through Poetry a Community is Brought Together”: Vera Manuel’s Poetry, Poetry Activism, and Poetics 356
55. Appendix
56. Indians and Residential School: A Study of the Breakdown of a Culture 367
57. Notes 385
58. Bibliography 389