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Reading Native Literature from a Traditional Indigenous Perspective: Contemporary Novels in a Windigo Society a T Hesis Presente

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Reading Native Literature from a Traditional Indigenous Perspective: Contemporary Novels in a Windigo Society a T Hesis Presente Reading Native Literature from a Traditional Indigenous Perspective: Contemporary Novels in a Windigo Society A T hesis Presented to the Department of English Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario In partial fulf illment of the iequirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Peter Rasevych February 2001 0 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 Ottawa ON KI A ûN4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Librq of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microforin, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d' auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otheMise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABST RACT In this thesis I explore three novels by Aboriginal authors, using a perspective that evolves from traditional Anishnabe teachings about the "Windigo" character. In the Introduction, I elaborate upon the reasons why an interdisciplinary study is necessary for the advancernent of Aboriginal education. In Chapter One, "Literary Colonizationln I formulate an Aboriginal literary criticism through "inside" perspectives of Aboriginal social reality and comrnunity. I propose that through Aboriginal literary self-determination which inciudes youth, Elders, community, and Indigenous traditions and stories, one may find an escape f rom literary colonization, In Chapter Two, Y he Windigo," I focus on the Windigo not only as a character but also as a metaphor. I use the Windigo to explain humanity though a traditional Indigenous, multi-layered perspective of human reality. In Chapter Three, "Silent Words and the Tradition of Respect," 1 study the novel Silent Words by Ruby Slipperjack for its rejection of Windigo domination and its establishment of respect for community. This chapter promotes Aboriginal pedagogy and traditional teachings through a study of the protagonist's journeys under the guidance of traditional teachers, from whom he learns about balanced, reciprocal relationships. In Chapter Four, "Ravensonq and the Theme of Transformation," I study the novel Ravensonq by Lee Maracle in terms of resistance to assimilation and Windigo infection, noting the necessity for and possibility of transformation. Emphasizing the importance of Indigenous community to lndigenous life and identity, this chapter explicates the protagonist's role as a potential "bridge" between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal cultures. In Chapter Five, "Slash~Assimilation, and Cultural Survival," I study the novel Slash by Jeannette Armstrong as a challenge to Windigo, opposing assimilation and assisting cultural survival. The protagonist's journeys include political activist events as well as an inner exploration where he must realize internalized oppression in himsef as well as Windigo disease in his community and in the greater Canadian socieîy. In the conclusion and recommendations, I suggest that the Windigo can be overcome through creative acts of Merature and through informed reading of lndigenous fiterature from an insider perspective. 1 also recomrnend that lndigenous perspectives, s~chas those expressed in this thesis, be accommodated by literary studies as a whole. "You're not supposed to preserve wisdom. You're supposed to live it." -Corbett Sundown, Seneca (Arden 81 Wall, Travels 299) TABLE OF CONTENTS Pteface................ ........... ............................................................................................................. vi Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1 ..... Chapter One .Literary Colonization........................ ..... ....8 Chapter Two .The Windigo ........................................... ...................................*...~...................29 Chapter Three .Silent Words and the Tradition of Respect........... ................ ......................... 41 Chapter Four .Ravensonq and the Theme of Transformation................................................ 57 Chapter Five = Slash, Assimilation and Cultural Survival...................................................... 75 Conclusion............................................................................................................................. 99 Notes.............. .... ................................................................................................................. 106 Works Cited................................................................................................................................ 107 PREFACE - A Note on Names and Labels This thesis discusses lndigenous North American concepts such as "Creator," or 'God.' These names are an effort to cornmunicate in the English languaçe something that, for us, is unexplainable in simple words. "Creator" is not simply an anthropornorphic being that dwells outside of human beings and nature, as Christians have corne to define the word, but rather, is a being who is a part of everything that exists. Furthermore, although "Kichi-manitou" or "Creator" is often assigned a male gender, Indigenous traditional Elders are quick to note that, as Harvey Arden and Steve Wall indicate, These supernatural beings -- who could create worlds and other forms of life - could be mate or female. Taiowa and Wakan Tanka are not rnaledeities. These names represent the surn total of al1 things. It is what Black Elk described as the spirits of al1 things living together as one, but even spirit has its limitations in English. The English term Great Spirit attempts to define what is incomprehensibfe. (Wisdomkee~ers4-5) In short, neither gender nor language can adequately convey, explain, or describe something so profound as "God,' an entity that lies beyond gender or language, and perhaps even thought itself. The late Lakota traditional Elder Matthew King has stated that You can call Wakan Tanka by any name you like. In English I call him God or the Great Spirit, He's the Great Mystery, the Great Mysterious. That's what Wakan Tanka really means - the Great Mysterious. You can8tdefine Him. He's not actually a "He" or a "She," a "Him" or a "Her." We have to use those kinds of words because you can't just Say "Il." God's never an "It." So call Wakan Tanka whatever you Iike. (qtd. in Arden 8 Wall, Travels 295-296) Another entity that is central to this thesis is the "Windigo," a heartless, mechanical creature that lives by overconsuming with an insatiable appetite. The lndigenous concept of Windigo is shared by diverse groups of Algonkian-speaking peoples, stretching frorn the Northeast Coast of North America to the Rocky Mountains. I have selected this example from traditional Aboriginal orature as representative of how traditional people thought, and still think, of an invading, aggressive, environmentally destructive Western civilization. The Windigo figure can teach beneficial lessons to al1 human beings on how to live and how not to live. In fact, many traditional- minded people at the present time still refer to those who are acculturated in the Western world view as functioning under a "Windigo psychosis." In his book Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wetiao Disease of Ex~loitation.Im~erialism, and Terrorism (1992). Powhatan/Lenape/Saponi scholar Jack Forbes describes it as "a plague, a disease worse than leprosy, a sickness worse than malaria, a malady more terrible than the smallpox" (9). There is some brief mention of "Nana'b'oozhoo" in Chapter Two. Nana'b'oozhoo is a figure whom Anishnabe storyteller/author Basil Johnston describes as "myth only insofar as he performed the fantastic and the unbelievable; otherwise he is real to the extent that he symbolizes mankind and womankind in al1 their aspirations and accomplishments, or in al1 their foibles and misadventures [. - .]. He resides in every man, every wornann ("Nanabushm44). Throughout this thesis I have used the terms "Indians," "Native peoples," "Native Americans,' "Aboriginal peoples," and "1 ndigenous peoples," to refer to the race of human beings who have occupied the North American continent since the beginning of tirne. A Yraditional" Indigenous person is someone who has attempted to live as best as one can in the way of one's ancestors, and who has retained one's language and much of one's culture, in partial rejection of Western religions and cultures. Traditional people keep lndigenous culture alive by living and embracing the values that they espouse- Many lndigenous people have accepted Western attitudes and behaviours in what has been referred to as "selective retention' or "controlled acculturation," thereby retaining much of their own cultural identity in the process. One important factor in this definition is that a traditional person strives to reject colonial government jurisdiction in favour of traditional ways. It could be stated that traditional people see
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