On our first day of class a question was asked: how can we define an Indigenous author? Many suggestions came forth; they might write about Indigenous culture, it may read like spoken word, and it could be in the form of a story. But the thing is that all Indigenous authors don't fit into these strict parameters, and they don't have to. An Indigenous author is simply an author who is Indigenous, the same way that a white author is an author who is white. Indigenous authors can write about romance, crime, facts, fiction, humor, and more. It is valuable when Indigenous people write about their cultures because they can portray it most accurately. However, writing about Indigenous culture it is not a requirment of being an Indigenous author. These expectations, which were presented by educated and reasonable people, unintentionally created a box for Indigenous authors.
This unintentional yet problematic situation is mirroed in the narrative in The Truth About Stories when author Thomas King's "nativeness" was judged to be insufficient due to the Westernized clothing he wore. This situation is reflected in Tiffany Midge's Typical Schedule for Native American which sheds light on the insurmountable expectations and stereotypes that modern Indigenous people deal with. The expectations include the ideas that Indigeous people need to be connected to nature, be in tune with their spiritual side, live off the land, indulge in alcohol and violence, be involved in activism, and hate the government. Midge's writing sheds light on the expectations that Indigenous poeple live with and the boxes that Western culture creates. On our first day, we accidentally created some boxes. And as we become more sensitive and culturally responsive, we will understand that to be Indigenous is not to have a set of prescribed character traits. It is simply to be.