Cirrus@Austlit

'At a time when some scholars and critics are calling into question the continuing value and relevance of comparative methodology, the thematic issue About Indigenous Literature in CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture focuses on the indisputable role the comparative paradigm plays now and will continue to play in the future. Such an approach offers priceless insights in many contexts, ranging from the sciences (for example, physiology and biology), across disciplines, cultures, and languages to the present discussion of Indigenous oral and written literatures. Authors of articles in this thematic issue examine the effectiveness of comparative methodology in meeting the challenge posed by crucial and complex questions such as what is Indigenous literature, what can be said about it, and by whom? How do Indigenous writers and scholars see non-Indigenous scholars, critics, writers, and readers relating to their work? Finally, and perhaps most germane from a literary perspective, how does one determine what is Indigenous literature without relying on the identity of the author — that is, without going outside the text and using paraliterary criteria to establish a literary category?' (Authors introduction)