Tomson Highway speaking at the Millennial Wisdom Symposium.

How do authors write in the voice of another culture or gender? Shouldn't these groups tell their own story? Canadian writers Karen Connelly and Tomson Highway attempted to answer the challenging questions at the fourth lecture in York's Millennial Wisdom Symposium series. The series is hosted by celebrated novelist, York Professor Susan Swan, who is Robarts Millennial Chair in Canadian Studies for 1999-2000.

Connelly discussed her current work, in which she speaks for Burmese political prisoners, and Highway commented on his use of women's voices in some of his novels and plays. Each made a case in defence of appropriating the voices of other genders and cultures.

"There is no gender in Cree," began Highway. "A male/female hierarchy doesn't exist. In fact, if God is male in the European culture, then it's female in the Cree. In Cree it makes perfect sense. That's where I start. Christianity is the only one of the systems of mythology where the idea of God in a female form is absent. How can a species on earth come into being with a father and no mother?"

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Contents

• Millennial Wisdom at York: Writers speak from viewpoint of another culture, gender
• York University is "1999 Company of the Year" in North York
• York raises $14 million through new ATOP program
• Vice-President Deborah Hobson has York in her bones
• Agnew named to Status of Women Canada
• SSHRC grant awarded for project aimed at helping marginalized students
• Shelf Esteem
• Women's hockey is hot on ice
• Senator donates two rare volumes by Italian historian to York
• Toronto Alumni- Call for Volunteers!
• York cornerstones: What's in a name
• Summary of Recent Action by the Board of Governors
• The precarious place of liberal education in the new millennium (excerpt)
• Research