“Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial
In 2012, the Mohawk saint Catherine Tekakwitha was finally canonized by the Catholic church. She has been the subject of many accounts and narratives —both historical and fictional—and figures as the main subject of Leonard Cohen’s 1966 novel Beautiful Losers. While having been lauded for its post-m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Canada and Beyond |
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/2254-1179/article/view/30676 |
| _version_ | 1797986660000989184 |
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| author | Emma Charlotte Weiher |
| author_facet | Emma Charlotte Weiher |
| author_sort | Emma Charlotte Weiher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 2012, the Mohawk saint Catherine Tekakwitha was finally canonized by the Catholic church. She has been the subject of many accounts and narratives —both historical and fictional—and figures as the main subject of Leonard Cohen’s 1966 novel Beautiful Losers. While having been lauded for its post-modernist and presumably postcolonialism stance on Tekakwitha’s figure, Cohen’s novel remains controversial in its depiction and appropriation of Indigenous womanhood. Beautiful Losers relies heavily on missionaries’ accounts of Tekakwitha and is entrenched in the male protagonist’s sexual claim and fixation on her character. Given the significant status of women in Indigenous communities, I argue that Cohen’s novel not only participates in an ongoing violation of the Indigenous female body but also denies the integrity of Indigenous family structures and their social as well as narrative authority. It hinders, rather than encourages, a shift in narrative authority pertaining to Canada’s colonial heritage. While Cohen’s text remains a necessary testament to the shortcomings and failures of history and its criticism, what is required in forthcoming scholarship and narratives dealing with Tekakwitha and figures similar to her is a narration originating in Indigenous communities. An emergence of such narratives requires a definite reckoning with Canada’s violent history of mistreating Indigenous womanhood that continues to this day. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:35:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae0ad4250353459e9b9f031b802a8f0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2254-1179 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:35:27Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canada and Beyond |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae0ad4250353459e9b9f031b802a8f0a2022-12-22T04:36:44ZengEdiciones Universidad de SalamancaCanada and Beyond2254-11792022-10-0111537510.14201/candb.v11i53-7536140“Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-ColonialEmma Charlotte Weiher0Erfurt UniversityIn 2012, the Mohawk saint Catherine Tekakwitha was finally canonized by the Catholic church. She has been the subject of many accounts and narratives —both historical and fictional—and figures as the main subject of Leonard Cohen’s 1966 novel Beautiful Losers. While having been lauded for its post-modernist and presumably postcolonialism stance on Tekakwitha’s figure, Cohen’s novel remains controversial in its depiction and appropriation of Indigenous womanhood. Beautiful Losers relies heavily on missionaries’ accounts of Tekakwitha and is entrenched in the male protagonist’s sexual claim and fixation on her character. Given the significant status of women in Indigenous communities, I argue that Cohen’s novel not only participates in an ongoing violation of the Indigenous female body but also denies the integrity of Indigenous family structures and their social as well as narrative authority. It hinders, rather than encourages, a shift in narrative authority pertaining to Canada’s colonial heritage. While Cohen’s text remains a necessary testament to the shortcomings and failures of history and its criticism, what is required in forthcoming scholarship and narratives dealing with Tekakwitha and figures similar to her is a narration originating in Indigenous communities. An emergence of such narratives requires a definite reckoning with Canada’s violent history of mistreating Indigenous womanhood that continues to this day.https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/2254-1179/article/view/30676leonard cohencatherine tekakwithabeautiful losers (novel)indigenous studiespost-colonialismpost-modernismcanadian literature |
| spellingShingle | Emma Charlotte Weiher “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Canada and Beyond leonard cohen catherine tekakwitha beautiful losers (novel) indigenous studies post-colonialism post-modernism canadian literature |
| title | “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial |
| title_full | “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial |
| title_fullStr | “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial |
| title_short | “Catherine Tekakwitha, who are you?” — The Indigenous Female Body in the Colonial and Post-Colonial |
| title_sort | catherine tekakwitha who are you the indigenous female body in the colonial and post colonial |
| topic | leonard cohen catherine tekakwitha beautiful losers (novel) indigenous studies post-colonialism post-modernism canadian literature |
| url | https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/2254-1179/article/view/30676 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emmacharlotteweiher catherinetekakwithawhoareyoutheindigenousfemalebodyinthecolonialandpostcolonial |