A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other by Charlotte Coté

Reviewed by: A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other by Charlotte Coté Courtney Lewis (bio) A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other by Charlotte Coté University of Washington Press, 2022 a drum in one hand, a Sockeye in the Other, the most recent book by Charlotte Coté (Tseshaht/Nuu-chah-nulth; associate professor in American Indian studies at the University of Washington) continues her trend of exceptional scholarship that draws from her academic and personal expertise on the politics of food sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples in the Pacific Northwest. While Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors: Revitalizing Makah and Nuu-chahnulth Traditions (University of Washington Press, 2010) delved deeply into the complications of whaling reclamation efforts, A Drum in One Hand provides a broad exploration of the Indigenous food sovereignty movement as seen through the lens of Coté and her family’s practices. To open the preface, Coté introduces herself in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, an important moment that positions Coté and sets the tone for a work that will prioritize what it preaches: actions of active reclamation. A Drum in One Hand frequently incorporates the Nuu-chah-nulth language; while some authors may worry that this would dissuade non-Nuu-chahnulth language readers (like myself), the use of this language provides a depth to the understanding of these food sovereignty issues that would not be in evidence otherwise. The introduction takes us through a day of qaalqaawi (wild berry) picking, expertly interweaving the voices of Coté, her people, and academic sources while laying out her terminology (e.g., challenging terms such as “wild” for foods that are cultivated by Indigenous Peoples). This “methodology of storytelling” (7)—utilized to translate Indigenous knowledge, experience, and history—continues throughout the book. The introduction ends with an indictment of global industrial food systems’ role in the creation of food insecurity, noting that “food insecurity for Indigenous Peoples goes beyond the current definition that focuses on monetary access to industrial foods” (16). In chapter 1, the author delves deeply into the concept and practices of food sovereignty, starting on a global level and then narrowing the conversation to those specific to the Nuu-chah-nulth. Throughout, Coté provides examples of Indigenous initiatives and creative responses to settler-colonial [End Page 121] incursions. The focus on restorative food justice in this chapter culminates in an update on her previous whaling work. Salmon is the focus of chapter 2, beginning with a discussion of settler-colonial disruptions of the land and potlaches, including anthropologists’ roles in furthering misinformation about Northwest Coastal Indigenous Peoples. Fish Day is heavily documented here, including documentation of its current state and discussion regarding issues for sustaining this practice. The reclamation of both Indigenous Peoples’ and the land’s wellness through community gardening is delicately woven with the continuing trauma of boarding schools in chapter 3 by detailing the location of the Tseshaht Community Garden on the Alberni Indian Residential School site. Many horrors of these schools are recounted, including unethical multiyear food-deficiency experiments on children. Coté also follows some community members’ initial disinterest in the garden as well as what it means for the community to reclaim their health through fresh, whole foods. Chapter 4 helps to address the question of what it actually takes for one family to reclaim their foodways. Coté follows kamåmakskwew, waakiituusiis Nitanis Desjarlais, and riaas?atuk John Rampanen as they move their nuclear family to a remote Vancouver island with the intention of decolonizing their diets and their lives. They resided there for ten months, through times both beautiful and terrifying, but ultimately returned to regain what they lacked on Seitcher Bay: community. Finally, the epilogue provides a contextualization of the book’s topics during the COVID-19 pandemic, centering its impact and the agency of Indigenous Peoples as they navigate this most recent threat to their health and lives. Coté’s robust transdisciplinary engagement with existing Indigenous food studies research will make this a useful book for scholars who want to delve more deeply into this literature, while her engaging personal stories and clear writing style also allow its use in both undergraduate and graduate classes. When...

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