-I’ve found Harde’s reading of the ambiguous status animals hold in Indigenous literature and oral histories interesting. If the relationship between animals and humans is not always perceived as benevolent—that animals offer themselves to humans—does this not challenge the ethics of killing/using animals within the framework of veganism? I’m curious to know how would a vegan scholar take on this issue.
-In general, I found the genre of the comic book quite fascinating. The visual strategies effectively bolster the oral storytelling in Trickster. However, I couldn’t help but wonder do the comic strategies help reinscribe indigeneity and cultural specificities and traditions. (How is indignity constructed in other literary genre—for example, in short story?) I’m particularly thinking about “Rabbit’s Choctaw Tail Tale” here, which at first glance looks “western” (at least to me?). Do illustrators intentionally “racialize” their animals; if not, how do the animals help speak for the radicalized histories and experiences of Native Americans? Or, as readers, we should presume that the animals are already inflected by a notion of “personhood”? In that case, how should we understand animal subjectivity?
Hi Sophia,
Yes “Rabbit’s Choctaw Tall Tale” reminds me of some of the old cartoon animation from the 1970s…I wonder if there is a self-conscious attempt to challenge the very notion of “authenticity” and point to some kind of cross-cultural hybridization….which could be judged as a bold move, or problematic, depending on your point of view. And I would love to read a vegan response to Harde! CH