How much cultural sensitivity do you need to have while writing a novel?
My friend Kathleen read “The Gold Rush Christmas” and wrote me a note of appreciation, however making an interesting observation:
“I was leery of the totem pole, when I heard you had one in the story. However, I appreciated how it was used and the fact that it was something actually done added to that. You were so skillful on the dignity given to the natives, too.”
I appreciated her comment because I worked hard to make sure my story line was respectful and honest. Native Americans have had a difficult time assimilating to western culture and those of southeastern Alaska were no exception.
I first ran into the question of how to represent Native Americans in a culturally sensitive way in my first novella, “The Dogtrot Christmas.”
My characters were living in 1836 Texas, how would they have referred to the locals who were often trying to steal, if not kill them?
Texas during the 19th century had a lot of problems with Native Americans. The Comanche Indians were basically hunted down by the Texas Raiders and killed indiscriminately for years. (See Empire of the Summer Moon for more details). “Native American” would not have been a term used by either the Tejanos or the Anglos of that time period.
Since my characters were speaking in dialect anyway, I just had them use “injuns” or “red man.” It seemed the least controversial while being historically accurate.
Political Correctness Needed?
Jane Kirkpatrick, one of my co-writers in A Log Cabin Christmas Collection, recently discussed the topic: On the Use of Political Correctness in Historical Fiction.
Jane had two important points to make. In regards to Native Americans, she observed that “squaw” was a derogatory term that would not have been used at the time and so she saw no reason to use it herself.
She also noted the state of Oregon recently renamed many locations that used squaw–such as, say, Squaw Lake.
She then quoted writer Joyce Carole Oates as to why it’s important to respect others through the use of words:
A writer should do three things in a story: create empathy for a character and the flawed world in which they live, be a witness for people who otherwise might not have a voice, and memorialize. Given those things, I think that when writers use the more politically correct, present day terms, we are memorializing something with integrity and we’re giving voice to an otherwise silent witness.
Totem Poles
In my case, I didn’t give political correctness much thought when I wrote about a totem pole in my story. I wanted to be accurate and respectful, and so I went in search of a culturally accurate totem pole to represent Christmas. I found one carved by Rev. David Fison, based on his years of living with Native Americans in southeastern Alaska.
When I contacted Rev. Fison, he was pleased to have me use his totem pole but asked that I not invent anything–he wanted me to only use the information he provided. He’d spent years making sure his version made respectful sense to both the Natives Americans, but also to Jesus.
I didn’t have a lot of excess words to use in my novella, but since it was his totem pole and he had done the research, I honored his request. That’s what Kathleen was responding to in her note to me.
Rev. Fison, it turns out, also carved a totem pole for Easter. You can read an expanded discussion of his carving in an article here.
Tools to remember stories
Totem poles were used by Native Americans as religious symbols, but also as a tool to remember their important stories. Rev. Fison provided an excellent representation of how a totem pole could be adapted to Christianity.
I liked the totem pole so much, I bought a small version for myself.
Writers walk a fine line between historical accuracy and political correctness. It’s important to be accurate, but also respectful. I’d never given the term “squaw” a second thought until I read Jane’s article. I’ll be more careful from here on in.
Of course, reading primary source documents can also help a writer understand how minorities were viewed in their time and society. I wouldn’t go so far as to include some of Mark Twain’s terminology used in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I’d try to find a different way to refer to slaves. Perhaps the way diarists during the Civil War did it? The slaves were always referred to as “servants.”
I like that better.
What have you run into while trying to write about culturally sensitive topics? How have you reacted to upsetting terms when you’ve read them in books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Do you think writers should feel free to write anyway they like no matter how someone might be offended?
Doesn’t offensiveness sell more?
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This is a very important topic, because the way we view and write about history is something of a judgement on us.
In my still-unpublished novel “The Last Indian War” I used cultural references that would have been in use at the time of the story’s setting – 1943-45, on the fringes of the Big Rez in New Mexico.
I did a LOT of research to blend traditional Navajo and Christian beliefs and worldviews, in trying to craft a story that was respectful to both – and that, I hope, showed how people can live together in harmony.
The most important part is respect – if you’re writing about people for whom you have both affection and respect, you’ll probably do pretty well. On the other hand, if there’s any antipathy, it will come through.
Michelle, I loved your Gold Rush Christmas story and too, especially how you handled the totem pole inclusion, using it to tell the Christmas story – and then to find out it had actually been done!
Re the “squaw” issue, however – I’ve just finished reprinting – and updating, in that sense – a couple (out of 5) books written – and set – in the early 1900s – one of which had practically a whole chapter centered around – and using the term – a “squaw”, so I just went through this dilemma and originally removed all references to the term – until – I ran across a whole article by a Native American deriding our – white man’s – removal of “their” term – now, having said that, she did also go on to also deride they “why” in that sense, that “we” had made it a derogatory term in the first place, thus causing us to want to then remove it, so she did not concur with the way it’s used by “us” in so many places but…if used properly, it is actually considered a term of respect in their culture and since it was not used derogatorily in the book I was working on, after reading this, I went back and reinserted the term. I debated how much of this explanation to put in the book, for the very reason of this discussion – and maybe depending on the response here, will yet go back and do that; wonderful age we live in – but for now (or then) at least I did not – opted to just go ahead and put it out there and see how it goes. (I’ll try to find and link to the article, if you’d like)
That’s a really interesting question, and I can see both sides based on what you’ve written.
My thoughts are that while it is important to be historically accurate when writing historical fiction, if the point is to entertain your reader and immerse them in the setting, it’s probably best to not use a term that would make them stop and debate in their mind about whether it’s a problem or not. A writer wants their story to be seamless so the reader isn’t taken out of the experience.
To that end, I don’t think I would use the word squaw if I could get away with “native woman.” I might put “squaw” into someone’s dialogue–but probably only if the speaker was being inflammatory because that’s the way “squaw” might be perceived today.
It also might be pertinent to examine the word usage within the context of the tribe you are writing about–while squaw might not be a problem with one tribe, it could be a problem with another. That’s probably where I would start and if possible, would contact a current member of the tribe to ask.
It never hurts to ask because the question itself is a way of honoring the people.
I’d be interested in reading the article if you have the link at hand, thank you.
And thank you for your kind words about The Gold Rush Christmas; it’s one of my favorites, too.
Best wishes and thanks for asking such an interesting question!
http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/squaw.html
Michelle, thank you so much for responding; I’m not sure if the books I’ve done would properly be called “historical fiction”; they are “juvenile” (the term used at the time) fiction written, as I said, although set as well, so current for their time, in the early 1900s, but I do understand what you’re saying, although possibly my target audience now, in my mind, is somewhat more specifically those homeschooled young adults/children who would be studying that time era, so….maybe not strictly entertainment but instead with the intent to make them stop and debate; now, however, having said that, if they won’t read them because of the term then of course they wouldn’t stop and debate anyway but I was probably more concerned re the whole revisionist aspect of updating/editing old books controversy, replacing all the old language with new, upsetting the purists, but yet wanting them to appeal to – as I believe I put on my blurb – the “modern kids” so I did replace a fair number of anachronistic terms that I felt would add nothing – and more to the point – would detract from the reading experience – just one example, there’s a usage of an outdated term (can’t even remember now what it was; would have to go look) of what we would now call nitroglycerin – yes, somebody had a heart attack – that I used that word instead – why not? no controversy there that I know of (hope one doesn’t come up now) but this article re “squaw” threw me – I’ve gone back and reread it myself, although I don’t remember the addendum and I’m sure I read it originally since the date on it, so…would love to have your thoughts if you care to – thanks!
Thanks, Donna, the article was very interesting and I’m sorry the author got such backlash in only trying to redeem many people’s historical misunderstanding.
Based on what happened to the author, I would avoid using words that ignite controversy unless used deliberately to spark controversy or goad the reader into reacting. The date on the two article–17 and 15 years ago– and the sense that political correctness has gotten only more strict, suggests to me that you carefully examine your intention in the story before making a word choice.
Best wishes.
Thanks, Michelle, after reading her addendum, particularly the statement about not using the term – how did she word it – generically? to refer to just any “Indian”, which is yet another controversial term, though, in itself, isn’t it? but yet didn’t she address the “native American” term as well? so was going to say maybe needed to go “back” to the “Indian” term, not that it was what was used but in the sense that that’s what we used to say and certainly the “native American” term wouldn’t have been used at that time, like you were saying earlier so you think that might be the thing to do? maybe that’s why that book didn’t get all worked out to be put out there; after all, I’m the one who ran across this article after I’d decided to remove the “squaw” term to begin with then because of that decided to put it back in but not sure realized at the time the backlash she got over it.
Thank you; even though it’s a whole chapter, it is only one and not really the focus of the book, so I really would hate for the controversy over that to take away from the overall point I’m trying to make in putting these books back out there. And here I was thought I was trying to be so careful; like you, I was just trying to be accurate.
Thank you so much!