Literary Chance: Essays on Native American Survivance is Gerald Vizenor’s 2007 collection of literary criticism and creative thought about Native stories, language, representation and continuing presence. Vizenor uses “survivance” to mean more than survival or endurance: it names active presence and the continuation of Native stories. The publisher’s contents page lists an introduction and sixteen numbered essays, ranging across literature, family history, Anishinaabe art, archives, photographs and museums.
What does Gerald Vizenor mean by survivance?
In the introduction, Vizenor distinguishes survivance from simply surviving hardship. He writes that “survivance, for instance, in the sense of native survivance, means more than mere survival, more than endurance.” He describes survivance as “an active presence that contravenes dominance, absence, and victimry.”
In this framing, Native people are not represented only as remnants of the past, or defined by injury and endurance. Survivance emphasizes agency, continuing stories and presence in the face of narratives that erase or diminish Native lives. Vizenor’s formulation is his own conceptual argument; it should not be treated as a definition shared by every Native writer, community or scholar.
What is Literary Chance about?
The collection applies Vizenor’s concerns to many forms of writing and cultural representation rather than treating survivance as an abstract term alone. Its subjects include literary sovereignty, trickster interpretation, family narrative, Native artists and teachers, historical accounts, photographs, archives and museum collections.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
Several essays focus on Anishinaabe stories and expression, including “Naanabozho Curiosa and Capricious Tease” and “Anishinaabe Expressionism at Red Rock.” Other titles bring Native perspectives into conversation with figures and subjects such as Chief Joseph, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Ranald MacDonald, treaty reservations and the postwar occupation of Japan. Taken together, the contents show how Vizenor moves among literature, history and cultural institutions to examine who gets represented, how stories endure and how Native presence can be obscured or asserted.
How does the book treat Native identity and language?
Vizenor challenges the generic label “Indian,” arguing that it is a colonial misnomer that obscures the distinct peoples and histories it is used to describe. He identifies himself specifically as Anishinaabe through his father and family. That specificity matters: the book’s discussion should not be taken to imply that Native peoples form a single, uniform culture.
Rank #2
- Used Book in Good Condition
The introduction also uses terms including “survivance,” “transmotion” and “postindian.” These belong to Vizenor’s vocabulary and arguments in the book; they are not presented here as universally adopted labels.
How many essays are in the collection?
The publisher’s preview lists an introduction followed by sixteen numbered essays. A book-platform description calls the collection fifteen essays, so the available descriptions conflict. The contents page is the more direct guide to the published book’s structure; when the exact count matters, it is useful to note the discrepancy rather than silently choose between the two.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
Contents of the 2007 edition
The publisher’s contents page lists these sixteen essays:
- “Clement Vizenor and the Great Depression”
- “Trickster Means and Imagic Scenes”
- “Native American Literary Sovereignty”
- “Naanabozho Curiosa and Capricious Tease”
- “Native Painters, Writers, and Teachers”
- “Anishinaabe Expressionism at Red Rock”
- “Narratives of Irony and Survivance”
- “Chief Joseph and Dane White”
- “The Pillagers of Bear Island”
- “Romantic Discourse on a Steamboat”
- “Native Pictomyths and Photographs”
- “Moby Dick, Ranald MacDonald, and Ronin Browne”
- “Transethnic Cultures and Narratives”
- “Archives of the Unnamable”
- “Postwar Treaty Reservations and the Occupation of Japan”
- “Obsessions, Irony, and Museum Collections”
Publication details
- Author: Gerald Vizenor
- Publisher: Publicacions de la Universitat de València, in the Biblioteca Javier Coy d’estudis nord-americans series
- First edition: 2007
- ISBN: 978-84-370-8373-5
The publisher’s preview is the primary source for the edition information, contents and introduction. Vizenor’s bibliography also records the 2007 Universitat de València publication. These details identify the collection; they do not establish current retail formats, stock or price.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 7 CLASSROOM POSTERS: 1) Native American Tribes Map; 2) Chinook; 3) Navajo; 4) Cherokee; 5) Sioux; and 6) Iroquois Tribes; 7) Inuit People. The ideal Social Studies classroom decorations for teachers.
- TEACHING POSTERS FOR CLASSROOMS: Each poster is 12 x 18 inches; printed on high-grade, cover-weight satin paper for added protection; made to withstand the rigors of K-12 classrooms
- LOVED BY STUDENTS: We design our Ethnology posters to inspire and educate, giving students the tools they need for increased performance; beautiful classrooms make better students
- DESIGNED FOR TEACHERS: The perfect Native American History Tribes classroom décor for Social Studies teachers who want to reinforce certain Indigeonous Cultures themes in their classrooms
- MADE IN AMERICA: We design and manufacture our learning resources right here in the USA; posters ship in heavy duty kraft tubes for maximum protection; durability guaranteed
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
