Standing Up with G̲a'ax̱sta'las

In this most innovative book, Robertson and the Gix̱sa̱m Clan collectively write a book that will quickly become a methodological model for ethnohistorians. The non-linear narrative, with the focus on an interaction between the anthropologist, the indigenous community (Cook’s descendants), and the memory of Cook, provides a way of dealing with memory and history through the presentation of multiple voices. As one committee member stated, ‘The book models a collaborative process that more and more of us will be challenged to undertake. I think the future of our profession is that we will be expected to write with, rather than about, Indigenous communities. That this book presented a cohesive narrative about a woman whose life was so complicated and whose memory has been so contested by weaving together the voices of so many contributors is stunning to me.’ Award citation, Wheeler-Voegelin Prize, American Society for Ethnohistory

Standing Up with G̲a’ax̱sta’las breaks new ground in collaborative research. Leslie Robertson and the Kwagu’l Gix̱sa̱m Clan have produced a volume that addresses recursive interpretations of Jane Cook’s life and times from oral histories and archival documents. This book will enliven conversations about Northwest Coast anthropology for years to come. Julie Cruikshank, Professor Emerita, Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia

This profound book, which skilfully weaves biography, history, and scholarly discussions, offers a nuanced way of thinking about Native culture and its political uses within communities and in the larger society. A must-read for specialists of the Northwest Coast, it will also inspire scholars and students in Native studies, women’s studies, ethnohistory, and sovereignty studies. Michael E. Harkin, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming