Description
Plain Speaking: Essays on Aboriginal Peoples and the Prairie is an anthology of 11 thought-provoking essays presented as proceedings from the 2001 conference, Plain As the Eye Can See: Aboriginal Peoples and the Prairies. The conference brought together academic researchers and local experts in a public forum to share knowledge about the long-standing connection of First Nations to the prairie environment. The organizers sought a holistic approach that celebrated a cross-disciplinary environment where standard lectures, drama, comedy, demonstrations, and an Elders Roundtable could flourish. The essays explore the historical, social, political, and artistic themes relating to past and present connections between Aboriginal Peoples and the land. Key pieces include Floyd Favel Starr's essay, Theatre and the Pictograph, and an interview conducted by Heather Hodgson with Cree/Inuit/Scottish artist Sheila Orr, an instructor in the Indian Fine Arts Program at Saskatchewan Indian Federated College. The Elders Roundtable, chaired by Maria Campbell, features a stimulating discussion with Elders Willie Hodgson, Irene Jacques, Beatrice Lavallee and Marie-Louise Rockthunder. Whether the discussion revolves around the spiritual, the creative, the intellectual or the everyday lifestyle, Aboriginal Peoples of the prairies express their deep roots to the land.