I recently read Yellow Face, a novel by R.F.Kuang, where the discourse on ‘who can write what’ and preconceptions within the literary world resonates. The notion of employing a sensitive reader got my attention. A sensitive reader is someone who reads a literary work, looking for perceived offensive content, stereotypes and bias, and creating a report for an author or publisher with suggested changes. While Indigenous style guides are different from it, I could notice similarities too.
The need to Indigenize publishing is important when the literature focuses on matters related to Indigenous Peoples and the responsibility lies within the publishing companies and editors to authentically and insightfully portray their cultures. However, the body of literature on Indigenous Peoples often falls short of achieving that standard and has become a concern in between the literary world and Indigenous Peoples.
The 22 principles mentioned in the Elements of Indigenous Style by Gregory Younging hold the potential to Indigenize literary works. One of the principles I find as important is collaboration. Collaborating with Indigenous Peoples and authors ensures that Indigenous content is portrayed with the highest possible level of cultural authenticity, and in a manner that follows Indigenous protocols and maintains Indigenous cultural integrity. Editing in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples can mitigate potential concerns that may come up.
As someone who isn’t Indigenous nor from Canada, I recognize a larger responsibility when editing works relating to issues of Canada or Indigenous Peoples. It requires thorough research on Indigenous names, terms, historical incidents, and adherence to relevant style guides. Consulting Indigenous individuals to address uncertainties will be a crucial step for me.
Regardless of whether the author is Indigenous or not, I believe the editor still has the responsibility to respect and edit the piece in a way that later publishing an Indigenous reader might not have a concern. If it is an Indigenous writer, I can discuss it with them and can do edits accordingly. I would have to be careful during the discussion so that any of my editing suggestions won’t hurt them. If the writer Is not Indigenous then I will take extra steps to make sure the piece is edited properly also for Indigenous audiences.
My limited exposure and experience in reading works of North American Indigenous authors, could be reflected in my editing, especially within Indigenous literature. Familiarizing myself with their works, terminology, and preferences would enrich my editing capabilities. To me, this Indigenous literature and the trauma they went through, and how they are still recovering and asking for rights from the euro-centric world is something I have newly learned. More research and more discussions on this matter would give me insights into why this Indigenization is necessary in our literature and how to do edits.
In my view, there shouldn’t be rigid constraints on ‘who can write what’ or in other words who can edit what. However, it is the responsibility of the writers and editors to prioritize cultural authenticity and be respectful of cultural integrity when talking about any culture. The Guide- Elements of Indigenous Style serves as a starting point for editors to understand and learn about Indigenous style. It was for me.