“She Better Off Dead than Jest Livin’ for the Whip” — Celia E. Naylor
“I don’t think a lot of people know about the history of Native Americans enslaving African Americans, so this is worth a read just for that fascinating history. One connection Dr. Naylor makes evident is that between the categorization of the ‘five civilized tribes,’ and their adoption of Euro-American practices including chattel slavery--not only was slavery not seen as barbaric, enslaving others was actually viewed as a sign of being civilized. Naylor explores the small private and public acts of rebellion of the enslaved people of Cherokee Nation through close reading of narratives and runaway postings. She especially draws attention to the fallacy of benign enslavers, especially in the context of family separation, through the acts of resistance she charts, sometimes extreme. I think this could pair well with the article ‘Decolonization is Not a Metaphor,’ which discusses the settler-native-slave triad; or for any discussion of American history that seeks to move beyond simplistic representations of what it has meant to be Black or Native. Moreover, the close reading of primary documents gives a model for the power of critical attention for students of texts.” - Alexandra Watson, English & First-Year Foundation
🟠