Wrestling with Colonialism on Steroids: Quebec Inuit Fight for Their Homeland
by Zebedee Nungak
Véhicule Press, 129 pages, $15.95
In his memoir, entitled Wrestling with Colonialism on Steroids, writer and broadcaster Zebedee Nungak shares with readers both a history of Nunavik (the Arctic region of Quebec) and his first-hand experience of the James Bay hydroelectric project in the early 1970s. Nungak helped to negotiate the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and is a signatory.
The major themes of his book are the relationships among the Cree, the Inuit, the province of Quebec, and the government of Canada; the fight for recognition and the development of representation for Inuit in northern Quebec; and the roles of and relationships to language, environment, and policy.
In what seems to be a conversation with the reader, Nungak brings this episode in Canadian history to life through his metaphors, humour, and matter-of-fact tone. The pocket-sized book includes photos of Nungak and of other people featured in his story.