Ways of Knowing

The real truth about stories: Book recommendations from the Indigenous Literatures Lab by Jennifer Brant, Erenna Morrison, Gayatri Thakor, Jasmine Rice, and Miyopin Cheechoo
The Conversation (Canada Edition), March 26, 2026

“Indian or pretendian?” This provocative question points to what is more formally described as Indigenous identity fraud, in which individuals claim First Nations, Métis, or Inuit ancestry or affiliation — sometimes deliberately and sometimes based on long-held but mistaken understandings of family history. Such claims can confer professional or cultural authority, access to roles intended for Indigenous people, and opportunities to represent communities to which one does not belong. “The real truth about stories” situates itself within these debates while moving beyond individual cases to examine how Indigenous voices are selected and taught. In doing so, it turns to Thomas King as an example. His work has often served as an entry point for non-Indigenous readers. The question, however, is not simply who is included, but why certain texts become dominant. The authors argue that replacing one text with another is insufficient. Instead, they call for greater attention to works that “dispel settler myths about Indigeneity” and reflect more complex Indigenous ways of knowing. They also invite educators to consider how accessibility, audience, political context, and narrative style shape what is taught. For secondary and post-secondary teachers, the article offers both practical resources and a clear challenge: to rethink not just which texts are selected, but how they are framed within a more critical, decolonizing approach to literature.