Vera Manuel

Vera's mother, Marceline, was Ktunaxa while her father George was Secwepemc. Both her parents were survivors of the Canadian Indian residential school system. This personal family history informed her work as a First Nations writer.

She was the daughter of cultural leader Marceline Paul and political leader George Manuel, Sr. Manuel grew up on the Neskonlith reserve in the interior of British Columbia, and lived for many years in Vancouver, Canada, where she died in January 2010, aged 61.[1] She worked in diverse communities across North America. She wrote and produced numerous Native American drama plays about cultural oppression and genocide,as an independent artist and through Storytellers Theatre, including The Strength of Indian Women[2] and Every Warrior's Song.[1] Her poetry and short stories were published in journals and anthologies, and—like her plays—performed at a variety of venues across Canada and the US.[1]

Her play, Strength of Indian Women was staged throughout North America and published in the book, Two Plays about Residential Schools (along with Larry Loyie). Described by one critic as "beautiful in dramatic terms alone" the play has been staged as part of decolonization healing events across Canada.[3] Her work was honoured with inclusion at the Native American Women Playwrights Program, housed at Miaml University, in Oxford, Ohio.[4]

Plays

• Song of the Circle, 1989
• Honouring the Strength of Indian Women, 1992

Books and other media

• Beyond the Pale: Dramatic Writing from First Nations Writers & Writers of Colour, Yvette Nolan et al, 1996
• Two Plays about Residential Schools (Living Traditions, 1998)
• Monologues for Actors of Color, Women, Roberta Uno, ed. Routledge, 2000
• Survivor (2008; videopoem; Director, Doreen Manuel; Soundscape/composer, Sandy Scofield; Poem "Justice" by Vera Manuel)

Critical responses

• Native American Drama, A Critical Perspective, Christy Stanlake (Cambridge University Press), 2009
• Footpaths & Bridges: Voices from the Native American Women Playwrights Archive, Shirley Huston-Findley & Rebecca Howard, eds. (University of Michigan Press), 2008
• The Native American Women Playwrights Archive: Adding Voices, Rebecca Howard
• An Introduction to the North American Indian Drama Collection, Christy Stanlake
• A companion to twentieth century American Drama, David Krasner, Blackwell, 2005