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Auto-Ethnography in a Kabyle Landscape, My Story of Cultural Recovery of a Kabyle Man in His Natural Environment

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Auto-Ethnography in a Kabyle Landscape, My Story of Cultural Recovery of a Kabyle Man in His Natural Environment AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY IN A KABYLE LANDSCAPE By Si Belkacem TAIEB A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education Te Kura Maori, Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand November 2012 ABSTRACT In this auto-ethnography, as an indigenous man in a Kabyle landscape, I take into account the relational experience that involves the development of a Kabyle identity. The indigenous cultures in North of Africa all come from the same family called the Imazighen (free men). Kabyle live in the North East of Algeria but there are other Imazighen living in the diaspora all over North Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, like Touaregs or Mozabites. My inquiry narrates my personal experience as a Kabyle man born of Kabyle parents in France. In this auto-ethnography I return to my father’s village to understand and access my heritage. I hope that this narrative helps my readers to reflect on the effects of globalization on the transmission of indigenous cultures. I portray Algeria, a North African Muslim country in 2010. I draw on critical pedagogy, socio-constructivism and indigenous knowledge and experiences. Looking to Algeria with the perspective of an indigenous person, I explore the social organization in my village and the way values and relationship shape the traditional education of a Kabyle man. My experiences and research in my ancestral village show that the war Kabyle people have fought against France has not resulted in independence. Rather, in my case, decolonization made me twice stranger to myself as Kabyle in an Arabic dominated country but also as an immigrant in France, the old colonial country, and Canada. However, my spiritual and sacred heritage is still alive in me, shaped by both my own experiences and the teachings of other members of my culture, and I have expressed this heritage throughout this narrative. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Taking the decision to write a PhD from a personal narrative has been a challenge in many ways. During this whole experience I have been supported, by my former Master’s degree supervisor Dr. Ann Beer. Thank you. At the same time I have been blessed with amazing support and incredible commitment from Professor Dr. Mary Maguire, my secondary supervisor from McGill University. Taking from her personal time she promised to support me along the way, until the end of my project, and she did. I would have never been able to accomplish this without her. Thank you. Professor Dr. Wally Penetito is my first PhD supervisor. Wally’s commitment to Indigenous education and culture is true and strong. Wally Penetito gave me his words that he would support this journey of cultural recovery. Wally has been true to his words and wonderful in understanding the purpose of my journey. His personal involvement with his community while working within academia is an exceptional example. I thank you Wally Penetito, for everything. Thank you for believing in me in the most challenging times of this experience. My first day in Wellington was 7 years ago; I stepped into Te Herenga Waka Marae of Victoria University in Wellington. Te Ripowai Higgins, the head of the Marae, sent me to a Powhiri (welcoming) ceremony. I found family and friends in Te Herenga Waka Marae. Every time I would come back to the Island I would spend my first night in the Marae to reconnect with my family before engaging with the land. I cannot thank you enough, my whanau (family) ii for this nurturing home you shared with me. I am proud to have received your love and blessings. The Kabyle Landscape has seen many life stories and has provided support to my community for thousands of years. Coming back to my village I was wondering what I would find. In every house I found hospitality and support. Even if talking about the past is a very difficult thing in Algeria and especially in Kabylia, I found in the Djur Djura Mountains a community honouring its heritage. In times of peace or of adversity Kabyle people stand there strong with open hearts. I have so much pride and a great respect for all the Berber people. Thank you for these lessons you taught me. You teach me pride, honour and respect, hospitality, humility. I found these values in my family, inherited from my parents, but I now connect to you all, my relatives. Thank you so much for the strength you give me. I found in France a beautiful Kabyle and/or Berber Diaspora. Kabyles/Berbers taught me the diversity of our identity. While living as real participatory citizens in France, Kabyle showed me with their support during my inquiry how much we have to contribute to the world. Thank you very much for welcoming me in your homes, associations, cultural and social events. Thank you so much for presenting me to all these people and making my research possible in Algeria as well as in France. But this whole cultural journey is also an administrative experience in New Zealand. The places that Victoria gave me, the interest that its staff found in my indigenous inquiry, have led me to receive a PhD research scholarship. I am most grateful for this. This whole project would have never come to life without this exceptional academic environment. iii I must thank especially Luanna Meyer, Dean of Research for the Faculty of Education, and Pania Te Maro, Head of Te Kura Maori, for allowing me to do this research under their Leadership. I am most grateful to Pine Southon for the coordination of my file within Te Kura Maori. Finally I have a very special thank to Sheila Law, our postgraduate coordinator. Sheila Law has been wonderful; her door is always open for us students. She provides us with constructive advice and solutions, making this experience much less stressful for all of us. Sheila welcomed me into my office and answered my queries via email from the other side of the world. She showed flexibility and understanding throughout the time of my studies. Thank you very much, Sheila Law. It is difficult to be exhaustive when it is time to acknowledge everyone involved in this inquiry. However I would like to extend my gratitude to each and every one of my friends all over the world from every culture, country and beliefs. You have all been part of this journey. Blessings and love to all of you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract i Acknowledgements ii Lexicon xvii Prologue: My story begins 1 Introduction 1 Major reflective understandings and implications of my inquiry 4 I begin with the story in narrative episode 1 5 A Kabyle Indigenous Life Story Narrative Inquiry 6 After my mother’s death 8 Entering indigenous land- Moving from Outsider to Insider of my community 10 From being a deviant 10 The Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Edmonton 11 My arrival on the land and in the culture 13 Self Awareness 14 The importance of bringing the self to the surface 15 Self-reflexivity means understanding stories from a researcher’s perspective 18 v Writing home from abroad: Canada 22 Horizontal development of Identity 23 Chapter One: Journey into my PhD inquiry 25 Constructing the journey into my PhD Study 25 From Native American Education in Canada 25 To my Kabyle identity in my village 28 Travelling in direction of the cherry tree in front of my grandfather’s house 30 Shaping my inquiry 33 Narrative thread of my inquiry 33 The form and movement of this inquiry 35 Chapter Two: Theoretical framework 39 Introduction 39 In Western academia 39 The politics of writing a theoretical framework 39 Moving away from the reductionist approach 40 For indigenous Academia 41 Indigenous methodology: A theoretical framework for an Indigenous man 41 Framing the theories including history and future 41 vi Context of inquiry and researcher: Where is my identity 43 Like an eagle opening up his wings 43 Learning about my “Diasporic” self 46 Berber in the box: Structuralist description of Berber identity 51 Where do I start and who am I when I start? 52 Algeria dropped us in the sea 53 Getting out of the frame 55 Overcoming fragmentation and strengthening the self 55 Path of decolonization of the Berber intellectual in the work of auto-ethnography 62 A movement into the Heart of the inquiry 70 Chapter Three: Methodology and Methods 77 Introduction 77 Part 1: Writing an Auto- ethnography 78 Understanding auto-ethnography 78 Life is action: A reflective ethnography 78 Writing home: “community auto-ethnography” 79 Continuity and continuance: “co-constructed narratives” 80 Interconnectedness 80 vii Part 2: Indigenous and Kabyle Methodology 83 A decolonizing agenda 83 Shared with the community 85 Story telling: a holistic approach 86 Kabyle epistemology and perspectives 88 Key sensitizing concepts: Nyia and Niff 90 Researcher profile 91 The gift of Nyia 91 Part 3: Positivist and post-positivist assumptions on qualitative research 93 Individualistic/ethno-less research 94 Narcissistic and self-indulgent research 96 Positivist and post-positivist ethical concerns for qualitative research 97 Precise outcome for safety 98 Authority of the researcher for protection of the researched 99 Objectivity for transparency 100 Autonomy/ ownership 101 Part 4: Critique of the positivist standpoint 102 Necessity to move away from Cartesian thinking 103 For a dialogue 104 viii Empowerment 105 Sustainable reconnection 106 Part 5: Ethics of my inquiry 107 Niff and Nyia applied to auto-ethnography methodology 107 Challenges I faced 110 Summary of the cultural ethical requirements for my inquiry 114 Part 6: Data Collection and Data sources 115 Context: negotiating access to the site 115 Methods of data collection 117 Research questions 118 Ownership and use of data 120 Method of recruitment 123 Importance of an informed consent 124 Talking with key informants 125 Myself, my father and my family as participants 125 Summary 128 Chapter 4: Learning my Genealogy; Gaining access to the land 130 Introduction 130 ix My identity does not start with my place of birth 133 An indigenous Genealogy 135 My father 135 My Ojibwe Father 137 My Maternal Grandfather 139 Getting into the circle 142 Shaping the partnership from culture 144 “You see, my son.
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