First Nations peoples have a particular understanding of the ways in which the world has come into being, and the ways they have come into being as a people. This particular knowledge is often conveyed in the context of stories, myths and legends. Through the different texts we have used in class, there is a varied difference between how history and story is relayed from an Aboriginal viewpoint in comparison to how it is relayed by a non-Aboriginal viewpoint. My focus will be on this distinct difference.
The varied differences of how history and story is relayed via the different worldviews-Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal are clearly evident when we look at the various stories written by Norman Quill, Cecilia Sugarhead and William Jones and then compare it to the Historical Perspectives of “The Ojibwa of Berens River, Manitoba: Ethnography into History,” written by A. Irving Hallowell.
Hallowell who, in his time was one of the most influential figures in American anthropology relays in his work a combination of “ethno historical, ecological, ethnographic and sociopolitical analyses” (ix)[1] in regards to how he saw the Berens River Ojibwa of that time. The way in which it is told is quite typical of the time period in which he is speaking from-the 1930’s. His account shows a cultural bias in the way that he describes the Ojibwa way of life, as he very dryly states “I found these Indians to be much less acculturated in many respects,” (Hallowell) and “I was convinced that the presence of modern clothing, utensils and ostensible Christianity were not reliable clues to their culture as a whole,”(Hallowell) and “there were retentions from the past that only detailed investigation could expose.”(Hallowell)
I bring the above point up about Hallowell’s quote because it is from this account that we see the difference in which stories are told. From an anthropological viewpoint, we are witness to how anthropologists often look at the ways of life of a people and how things came to be through an analytical lens- and that they determine cultural realities through investigation, and categorization. Their investigations are intended to determine “civilization, political systems, advanced technology, science, math, medicine and ecological knowledge systems,” (09/21/2010) and categories in Hallowell’s text are labeled in sub titles, such as “Part 1 (Historical Perspectives), Chapter 4 (Seasons& Subsistence/Winter Hunting Groups/Hunting Groups vs. Hunting Territories/Summer Fishing Settlements, and Kinship Patterns and Social Organization)”[2] and so on.
In contrast, history in the Aboriginal worldview is relayed via storytelling. It is through story/myth and legend that we learn of creation, history, and how we are supposed to live our lives. It is also within story in the Aboriginal worldview that we become engaged without the linear chronology that we see in the Western paradigm.
Story/myth and legends within the Anishinabe worldview is interesting but can also be complex if you have not been immersed in that way of thinking previously. They also reflect a play of imagination that characterizes important relationships between the human and non-human.
Myth reflects several vital features of the Ojibwa worldview, and the reader becomes privy to how the Ojibwa see the world around them. We learn how they classify humans and non-humans, and we see how as far as “outward appearances is concerned,” (Hallowell) there is no “hard and fast line”(Hallowell) to how something can be viewed, unlike how things are defined in the Western worldview. Myth is also in the words of Hallowell “considered to be true stories, not fiction.” (Hallowell)
The story “The Flood,” written by Norman Quill is a creation story of how the earth came to be. It is reflective of how the Aniishnabe peoples understand the relationship between language, culture and stories, and how through story they are recreating their culture for future generations, so that teachings will not be lost.
“The Flood” is also a depiction of how Wiiskecaak is on a quest to hunt and kill a lion. As he goes about his quest and trying to kill the lion, he learns many lessons. The lessons, amongst many, are about taking only what you need, the importance of sharing, and not being greedy. This is reminiscent of how we have often been told in class discussion about Aboriginal hunting practices that you not only “use what you have,”(09/28/2010) but also “ you repay in a beautiful way,” and “you help the animals that you have used.” (09/28/2010)
Story/myth and legend serve as teaching tools. They teach us lessons of morality, law, governance and how everything is interrelated in one way or another. While examining the historical account by Hallowell, and then reading the particular story of “Blue Garter” written by William Jones, I was reminded of the words “stories are difficult but they make you become involved because you question it.” (10/19/2010)
In “Blue Garter” the reader is introduced to kinship terms, behaviors- the role of Ego, and social organization. These terms are important in the Ojibwa worldview because it is understood that through kinship and behavior there are “three simple principles that determine the general pattern of the system” (Hallowell) and “structure the basic social interaction of individuals,” (Hallowell) and it is through Ego and its two parts that we present ourselves to the outside world. As I understand Ego-there are two parts involved and this is the human self and the social self. Though both of these parts of our Ego are needed to live in this world, it is through the social self that we present ourselves to the world in a good way or in a bad way.
The story of “Blue Garter” is an account of how an elder sister takes care of her younger sibling through the various stages of their lives, and how this relationship slowly becomes mirrored in the brother’s later relationship with Blue Garter. As the brother is about to embark on his journey outside of his home, his sister states “My little brother, think of me if ever at any time you are in deep trouble over something.” (Quill)
When the brother begins to feel sad and asks himself “Why did I ever leave my elder sister,” a new woman enters his life- Blue Garter. There are two ways that you can look at the story of “Blue Garter”. One, you can see it as a love story, where Blue Garter steps in to help the youth when he is tested by the woman’s father around various tasks, and the protection she offers, or you can see it as the Ego stepping in and serving the young man in a selfish manner. I raise the issue of selfishness because it appears that the young man cannot see beyond his Ego and that he is very capable of doing the tasks that are set out for him, and Blue Garter in a sense is a part of his Ego that steps in to provide the protection the young man still desires from his older sister.
On the other hand, the reader can also see that the narrative of “Blue Garter” as about getting in touch with your feminine side, and learning to respect that side of yourself. The femininity is often about learning to take care of yourself, and others. I saw Blue Garter as being in his life as a reminder of the strong relationship he had with his elder sister, and that within the Aboriginal worldview, the woman is seen as the strong one. Readers can see the story in many different ways, because meaning is different for everyone.
Opinions were varied within class about the meanings behind “Blue Garter” and it was raised by a few of my classmates that they saw ‘overdependence’ on the young man’s part for his sister looking after him, and the different views were intriguing because it had the entire class engaged in questioning and also brought about the question from lecturer Alex McKay “Who is Blue Garter?” and within the context of how Jones wrote about Blue Garter, we are faced with not only questioning but also looking deeper into ourselves to figure out “what role does she play,” and “how do you deal with the feminine side in your life, do you have respect?” (10/19/2010)
Kinship and social organization is another important feature of the Ojibwa worldview. It is not something that is new to Anishinabek peoples because even before the introduction of the band system, kinship and social organization often “functioned as direct guides to interpersonal relations, since customary attitudes and patterns of social behavior, including sexual and marital relationships were implied in the use of them.” (Hallowell)
“The Legend of Aayaahsh” can easily be seen as a story about morality and kinship and how Aayaahsh has to learn to live the ‘proper way’ in relation to the position and role that he plays in his family.
I find that the ability to question stories within the Anishinabe worldview is intriguing because within my own learning experience outside of Aboriginal Studies courses, I have found that it can be quite difficult to question something in a non-Aboriginal context. This is where there is another distinct difference in the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal worldview, because questioning stories is one of the ways that people learn within the Anishinabe worldview and learning can be likened to a quest. I find it to be the opposite in the Western worldview, because the idea of questioning someone or something can often be looked down upon, hence- the hierarchal nature of the Western paradigm.
The varied differences in how history and story are told can be further analyzed in the chapter of Hallowell’s text “Ecological Adaptation and Social Organization,” and the two stories “The Five Moons of Winter” and “The Moons of Winter,” written by Norman Quill and Cecilia Sugarhead.
The above stories in comparison to the reading of Hallowell’s text are unique because they bring about the issue of acculturation, and relay specifically a knowledge that encompasses everyone and everything and it is a knowledge that comes from living on the land and paying attention to the ecology around them. Acculturation brought about many changes to First Nations peoples lives, and even though they had to learn to not only adapt ecologically, linguistically, socially and culturally, they still managed to hold onto their stories, their legends and their myths and the traditional manner in which they try to live has helped them to adapt to the world we live in today.
In conclusion, there are many distinct differences in how worldview can be perceived by the Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal individual. I like that Hallowell states “we cannot impose distinctions and classifications of phenomena derived from another worldview,” because this is when cultural worldviews tend to clash with another culture and this is evident in how Hallowell attempts to examine the Ojibwa worldview within an analytical lens.
Works Cited:
Irving A. Hallowell. The Ojibwa of Berens River, Manitoba: Ethnography into History. pg.5-67
McKay, Alex. Native Language and Culture class: September/October 2010. Aboriginal Studies Department University of Toronto.
Quill, Norman. 1965. Ed. Charles Fiero. The moons of winter and other stories. Red Lake, ON: Northern Light Gospel Mission.
Sugarhead, Cecilia. Ninoontaan/I Can Hear It: Ojibwe Stories from Lansdowne House. Memoir 14. Algonquin and Iroquoian Linguistics. 1996
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