Description
Book SynopsisPart novel and part memoire, Not Far Away recounts the life of a female Ojibwe schoolteacher in northern Michigan as she endures the most caustic forms of racism.
Trade ReviewOnce again Lois Beardslee goes right to the heart, both figuratively and pointedly. Through her own voice and experiences, and through that of her semi-fictional, semi-autobiographical alter-ego, Ima Pipiig, she effectively makes abundantly clear the many forms that racism takes, permeating social institutions and every aspect of our daily lives. Her words, carefully considered, yet straight from the wounds of experience, speak powerfully to Native and non-Native readers alike. This book is highly recommended to the general reader and to every student seriously seeking insights into contemporary American society. -- Susan Lobo, University of Arizona
Lois Beardslee, notable scholar, storyteller, artist, philosopher, and writer, brings us Ima Pipiig, who brings us clarity in contemporary aboriginal living. The journey Ima Pipiig speaks of is the journey of reason, the journey of the just cause, the journey of Indigenous Northern Michigan. Ima Pipiig speaks of freedom at long last. She calls upon the mainstream to take the Indians of Sleeping Bear seriously; she calls on all of us to doubt the message of the mainstream until that stream converges and runs clear for all past generations and for all coming generations. Not Far Away calls upon us to renew, reclaim, and reinvigorate our place in the world. Lois Beardslee gives us ourselves in Ima Pipiig and Ima brings us home. -- Allison Hedge Coke, professor of poetry and creative wriitng, University of Nebraska, Kearney
Told in alternating voices—the author’s and that of her fictional protagonist, Ima Pipiig—Not Far Away deals with the issues of racism, poverty, and struggles over the remaining natural resources in the Northern Great Lakes as well as access to public lands, jobs, education, and even social comfort. Unlike other scholars whose works emphasize individual responsibility for racism and environmental degradation, Beardslee unflinchingly points her finger directly at the educational system that willingly participates in the racist practices of America’s “heartland.” Not Far Away appeals to educators and students of higher education, multiculturalism, women’s studies, Native American studies, sociology, contemporary literature—and anyone else who is interested in understanding racism and ending it. -- Beverly Slapin, Oyate
Table of ContentsPart 1 Introduction 2 The Real Life Adventures of Ima Pipiig 3 Koolaid 4 Solstice 5 Indian Boarding School 6 Not Far Away 7 Falcon Clan Meets Indian Boarding School 8 Venn Diagrams 9 Educating Ima 10 Before I Offend Most of You, I Would Like to Thank You for Coming 11 Turtle TV 12 Public Education As a Form of Media 13 Racism 101 14 The Lecture They Want to Hear 15 Sweetgrass 16 The Play 17 Creation Stories 18 No Wait, I Know a Part That Comes Before the Beginning 19 The Lore of the Turtle 20 Book Reviews 21 The Lars Nederstadt Holocaust Museum 22 Men in Brown 23 Why Ima Pipiig Did Not Vote 24 Jim Crow- Culture of Convenience 25 The Chair 26 F-ed By the V-Monologues 27 The Throw-Away People 28 Laughing Man 29 I Wannabe a Delicacy 30 Dead Horses, and How to Beat Them 31 Toxins 32 Gambling for Dollars 33 Big Waldeau and Pork Patty 34 Shiigawk 35 On Warriors, Living and Dead 36 The Shirt 37 We Did Not Come Over Here on the Mayflower 38 The Ladies Sat There Patiently
