Vera Manuel

Vera Manuel (March 20, 1948– January 22, 2010) was a Secwepemc-Ktunaxa playwright, poet, writer, healer and educator. She was the daughter of cultural leader Marceline Paul and political leader George Manuel, Sr. Manuel grew up on the Neskonlith reserve in the interior of British Columbia, and lived for many years in Vancouver, Canada, where she died in January 2010, aged 61.[1] She worked in diverse communities across North America. She wrote and produced numerous Native American drama plays about cultural oppression and genocide,as an independent artist and through Storytellers Theatre, including The Strength of Indian Women[2] and Every Warrior's Song.[1] Her poetry and short stories were published in journals and anthologies, and—like her plays—performed at a variety of venues across Canada and the US.[1]

Vera Manuel
Kulilu Paⱡki (Butterfly Woman)
Born(1948-03-20)March 20, 1948
DiedJanuary 22, 2010(2010-01-22) (aged 61)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
NationalityCanada
OccupationPlaywright, poet, writer, healer, educator

Her play, Strength of Indian Women was staged throughout North America and published in the book, Two Plays about Residential Schools (along with Larry Loyie). Described by one critic as "beautiful in dramatic terms alone" the play has been staged as part of decolonization healing events across Canada.[3] Her work was honoured with inclusion at the Native American Women Playwrights Program, housed at Miaml University, in Oxford, Ohio.[4]

Life

Vera's mother, Marceline, was Ktunaxa while her father George was Secwepemc.

Both her parents were survivors of the Canadian Indian residential school system. This personal family history informed her work as a First Nations writer.

Works

Plays
  • Song of the Circle, 1989
  • Honouring the Strength of Indian Women, 1992
gollark: I'm giving people permission to try and gather data on me if they want, on the condition that they tell me while doing so, give me the results of this, and delete any copies they might retain of it without giving them to anyone else. Unfortunately this is pretty unenforceable. I can pay in melons, though.
gollark: <https://www.zdnet.com/meet-the-team/us/oliver-marks/> ← me
gollark: I think I've been pretty clear that I'd prefer Nobody to not gather people's datas without asking them *beforehand*, but if he does do that anyway then he should notify people he's doing it.
gollark: If he *isn't* telling people about his data gathering escapades then he may not receive the appropriate complaint volume, so maybe I should just *assume* he's looking up someone's data at random times and complain?
gollark: I'd prefer him to not do it *at all* over doing it and telling them, and would prefer doing it and telling them over doing it and not telling them.

References
  1. "Secwepemc-Ktunaxa writer Vera Manuel dies at 61". Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
  2. Manuel, Vera (2019). HONOURING THE STRENGTH OF INDIAN WOMEN : plays, stories, poetry. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN 978-0887558368. OCLC 1047797903.
  3. Haugo, Ann (2010). "Book review: Footpaths and Bridges: Voices from the Native American Women Playwrights Archive". Theatre Journal. 62: 687–688 – via ProQuest.
  4. Jones, Ashley; Tully, Kimberly (2009–2011). "Native American Women Playwrights Archive (NAWPA) (1967-present) [finding aid]" (PDF). Walter Havighurst Special Collections & University Archives. Retrieved 2019-08-12.

Books and other media
Library resources about
Vera Manuel
By Vera Manuel

Critical responses


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