Fagan, Kristina. “‘Well Done Old Half Breed Woman’: Lydia Campbell And The Labrador Literary Tradition.” Papers Of The Bibliographical Society Of Canada/Cahiers De La Société Bibliographique Du Canada 48.1 (2010): 49-76. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 8 Aug. 2015.

This essay is taken out of a larger anthology called The Papers Of The Bibliographical Society of Canada, which deals with the history, description and transmission of texts in all media throughout the country. Fagan chronicles the life of maritime writer Lydia Campbell, and her rise to posterity in her home province. What is of particular interest though, is that while well known and influential in Labrador, Campbell is virtually unknown throughout the other provinces. Fagan describes Campbell’s stories as becoming “founding stories that define what it is to be Metis “ (72), and instrumental in many individual’s upbringing in her community. Mostly a celebration of her life and career, Fagan also converses with the many people Campbell has influenced, whether they be writers or not, to represent how an artist can touch the lives of anyone. This is particularly important when talking about diaspora and the denial of importance in a community: here we have evidence of community wide influence, “a long time and profound impact in terms of local identity, sense of history and practices of reading and writing “ (50) but we don’t see evidence of that on a larger scale due to the failure to comply with the majority’s idea of commendable, significant literature.

Of course, today many Metis authors who would have been considered esoteric are making their mark on international literary consciousness, Joseph Boyden being one of them. Yet we still have a long way to go in terms of striking he balance between what voices are considered to matter. This essay reminds us of the many native writers in the past, and today, who are making strides but still struggling to find their voice amidst oppression and attempts at making them invisible.

Works Cited

Bibliographical Society of Canada. Web. 9 Aug. 2015.

Bland, Jared. “Joseph Boyden Tackles Native Torture, Colonial Amnesia and Ongoing Racism.” The Globe and Mail. Web. 9 Aug. 2015.

“Lydia Campbell.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 8 Aug. 2015.