At the Bridge: James Teit and An Anthropology of Belonging, Wendy Wickwire — A Collective Review

18 Pages Posted: 12 Jan 2021

See all articles by Mark Zion

Mark Zion

University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, Students

Kate Plyley

University of Victoria

Hester Lessard

University of Victoria - Faculty of Law

Rebecca Johnson

University of Victoria - Faculty of Law

Date Written: November 2, 2020

Abstract

Wendy Wickwire’s *At the Bridge: James Teit and an Anthropology of Belonging* tells the story of James Teit (1864–1922), a lost historical figure who affected countless lives, helped transform the discipline of anthropology, and became a “long-standing friend” of Indigenous peoples. Wickwire draws her audience into a style of anthropology that is situated, participatory, and strives to be contextually self-aware at every turn. Over the course of the book, Wickwire shows how Teit’s life story not only branches off in various directions, but also becomes entangled with other stories along the way. Our review of *At the Bridge* unfolds as follows. First, we provide a brief summary of each chapter and raise questions to consider. Second, we discuss Wickwire’s methodological approach, including the braided narrative structure that she weaves throughout her text, as well as the richness of “slow” scholarship. Third, we draw connections between this text and wider theoretical, historical, and political conversations, which we hope will be helpful to those engaged in various forms of socio-legal scholarship. To conclude, we return to the beginning, reflecting on the title of the book and how to carry this work forward collectively. We suggest that this text makes significant contributions to conversations about what it means to engage with theory, the ways in which historical archives are constructed and interpreted, and the continued importance of political solidarity. It is our hope that socio-legal scholars will be incited to take up this book in their own research.

Keywords: Teit, Wickwire, At the Bridge, Indigenous people, law, politics, history, anthropology, theory, methodology, Indigenous law, Canadian state, slow scholarship, braided narrative, Haraway, dwelling, belonging, academic time, cat's cradle, solidarity, ally, Shetland

Suggested Citation

Zion, Mark and Plyley, Kate and Lessard, Hester and Johnson, Rebecca, At the Bridge: James Teit and An Anthropology of Belonging, Wendy Wickwire — A Collective Review (November 2, 2020). Alberta Law Review, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3751705

Mark Zion (Contact Author)

University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, Students ( email )

PO Box 2300, STN CSC
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada

Kate Plyley

University of Victoria ( email )

3800 Finnerty Rd
Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2
Canada

Hester Lessard

University of Victoria - Faculty of Law ( email )

PO Box 2400, STN CSC
Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3H7
Canada
250-721-8164 (Phone)
250-721-8146 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.uvic.ca/faculty_staff/faculty_directory/lessard.php

Rebecca Johnson

University of Victoria - Faculty of Law ( email )

PO Box 2400, STN CSC
McGill at Ring Rd (Fraser Bldg)
Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3H7
Canada
250-721-8187 (Phone)
250-721-8146 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.uvic.ca/rjohnson/

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