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Biography & Autobiography Personal Memoirs

Call Me Hank

A Stó:lõ Man's Reflections on Logging, Living, and Growing Old

edited by Keith Carlson & Kristina Fagan

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Nov 2006
Category
Personal Memoirs, Native Americans, Native American
Recommended Age
15
Recommended Grade
10
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780802094261
    Publish Date
    Nov 2006
    List Price
    $45.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780802091611
    Publish Date
    Nov 2006
    List Price
    $77.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442659056
    Publish Date
    Dec 2006
    List Price
    $33.95

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Where to buy it

Description

'My name is Henry George Pennier and if you want to be a friend of mine please you will call me Hank.' So begins 'Call Me Hank,' the autobiography of Hank Pennier (1904-1991): logger, storyteller, and self-described 'halfbreed.' In this work, Pennier offers thoughtful reflections on growing up as a non-status Aboriginal person on or near a Stó:lõ reserve, searching for work of all kinds during hard times as a young man, and working as a logger through the depression of the 1930s up to his retirement. Known only to a small local audience when it was first published in 1972, this expanded edition of Pennier's autobiography provides poignant political commentary on issues of race, labour, and life through the eyes of a retired West Coast Native logger. 'Call Me Hank' is an engaging and often humorous read that makes an important contribution to a host of contemporary discourses in Canada, including discussions about the nature and value of Aboriginal identity. To Hank's original manuscript, Keith Carlson and Kristina Fagan have added a scholarly introduction situating Hank's writing within historical, literary, and cultural contexts, exploring his ideas and writing style, and offering further information about his life. A map of place names mentioned by Hank, a diagram of a steam logging operation, a glossary of logging terms, and sixteen photographs provide practical and historical complements to Pennier's original lively personal narrative.

Pennier's book preceded the proliferation of Aboriginal writing that began with the publication of Maria Campbell's Halfbreed in 1973 and provides a markedly different view of Aboriginal life than other writings of the period. It also documents important aspects of Aboriginal participation in the wage labour economy that have been overlooked by historians, and offers a unique reflection on masculinity, government policy, and industrialization.

About the authors

Keith Thor Carlson is a professor of History at the University of the Fraser Valley where he holds a Tier One Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and Community-Engaged History.

Keith Carlson's profile page

Kristina Fagan is an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Saskatchewan.

Kristina Fagan's profile page

Librarian Reviews

Call Me Hank: A Stó:lõ Man’s Reflections on Logging, Living, and Growing Old

Previously published under the title Chiefly Indian, Pennier’s autobiography reminds us that there is no single Aboriginal voice. Being part of the Stó:lõ community while working in the logging industry, he understands both self and collective identity and fights the stereotypes associated with Aboriginal peoples. This engaging and often humourous read makes an important contribution to discussions about the nature and value of Aboriginal identity. In addition, he documents Aboriginal participation in the wage-labour economy that has been often overlooked by historians. The book contains a lengthy introduction, a glossary of logging terms and jargon, appendices and extensive chapter notes.

Caution: mild swearing

Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2007-2008.