Book Review: Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron

About:

Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron collects legends, myths, and folk tales from the First Nations women of the American Northwest.  Ms. Cameron is a Canadian writer who wrote novels, poetry, as well as screenplays.

• 200 pages
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harbour Publishing
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 155017245X

My rating for Daughters of Copper Woman – 5
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Thoughts:

This is a short, yet fascinating book that is not just about Native American mythology. Like many other cultures, myths tell of history and culture not just of the “why” behind the “how”.

I enjoyed reading a different take on how we came to be here. From the Copper Woman who made the first male from snot (“Snot Boy”), to a female spirit that took on a man form so men can learn to do as much as women. The stories are often whimsical, with a sense of fun and, of course, feminism. Not in a militant way, but in a way that shows how important women were during that time.

However, I thought the real strength of the book is telling of the culture of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. The family structures, the community foundations, hunting, war, and more are many told through the eyes of “Granny”, women who shared their stories with the author.

Some of the stories I found interesting were the ones about the European “Keestadores”.  They were viewed as guests but brought with them disease, rape, murder, and a misogynist religion that clashed loudly with the culture they were attempting to impose it on.

Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron manages to convey the adversity and triumphs of the culture. Even though it’s a short book, it’s filled with wisdom and stories, some of which struck a chord with me.

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer: I bought this book
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