A Response to Michael Mayerfeld Bell's “In the River: A Socio-Historical Account of Dialogue and Diaspora”

Abstract

I respond to Michael Bell's account of how the people of Grenadier Island fended off the threat of dislocation by the St. Lawrence Islands National Park project and instead established a working partnership with Parks Canada. This was contrasted with the far-from- desirable outcome of the Between the Rivers people in our attempts to gain recognition of our cultural heritage that was transformed forever by forced dislocation for the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. I attempt to compare and contrast the context and efforts of the Grenadier and the Between the Rivers people and examine our current situation in light of the hope that the Grenadier case exemplifies. I conclude with a suggestion for further research and analysis.