Reviews
This book is significant not only as it concerns relations between indigenous peoples and Canadians; it will be of interest to those working in multicultural settings of many kinds where power imbalances have affected relations. Paulette Regan manages to combine scholarly discourse with personal accounts in ways that buttress its credibility and make it a must-read for anyone interested in reconciliation between peoples.- L. Michelle LeBaron, Professor of Law and Director, UBC Program on Dispute Resolution, Unsettling Encounters is the most unified, offering an exhaustive narrative of Carr's engagement with painting village scenes and the arts of the totem poles from the first decade of the 20th century until the mid 1930s., Gerta Moray's extensive survey of Carr's early documentary work of Native peoples is important because it discusses Carr's attempt to record, for history and for art, Aboriginal culture and her experiences with "them." Moray underlines that Carr did so in ways that reflected the limitations of her comprehension not only of Aboriginal people but also of the sociopolitical and cultural circumstances she encountered.- from the Foreword by Marcia Crosby, writer and instructor in English and Native Studies, Malaspina UniversityGerta Moray weaves together the complex strands of history, biography, culture, politics, government policy, ethnology, museums, and art history to tell a compelling story of Carr's involvement with first Nations culture and art. This book is a major contribution to our understanding of Carr's work. A landmark in Carr scholarship, Unsettling Encounters will become an indispensable resource for everyone who wants to know more about this fascinating aspect of Carr's career.- Ian Thom, Senior Curator, Historical, Vancouver Art GalleryThis is an erudite, richly illustrated, and compelling narrative of how Carr related to the First Nations imagery that brought her national recognition and iconic status. Gerta Moray's extraordinary account is sensitive to language, gender, colonial, and racial issues, reconstructing a multi-layered and well-researched context for Carr's expeditions. Avoiding simplistic oppositions, Unsettling Encounters keeps the expressive drive and creative ambitions of Emily Carr firmly in the centre.- Johanne Lamoureux, director, Département d'Histoire de l'art et études cinématograhiques, Université de Montréal, and author of L'art insituable: De L'in situ et autre sitesBringing together a wide diversity of literature on race relations, First Nations, and art, Gerta Moray has written a thoroughly documented and superbly illustrated analysis of Emily Carr's paintings and writings within the context of her life and contemporary social and government policies towards the First Nations of British Columbia. It is an excellent and attractive book.- Charles C. Hill, Curator of Canadian Art, National Gallery of Canada Unsettling Encounters is the most unified, offering an exhaustive narrative of Carr's engagement with painting village scenes and the arts of the totem poles from the first decade of the 20th century until the mid 1930s.- Clint Burnham, The Vancouver SunMoray...has written a fascinating and well-researched history on Canadian artist Emily Carr's expeditions to witness and document native art in British Columbia. More than a history, Moray makes a forceful argument for Carr's conscious attempt to represent Native art in a manner consistent with Native life and belief, in part as a critique of non-Native national and religious policies. The text is well illustrated with many period photos, the paintings of other artist, and Carr's own drawings and watercolors...making this a splendid and full resource.9780774817776UBC Press13
