VOICE: WHOSE VOICE IS IT, ANYWAY? by Rocky Landon A îhesis submitted to Faculty of Educa tion in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education Queen's University Kingston, Ontario May, 1998 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services senrices bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 OttawaON K1AW Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in rnicrofom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/film, 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 f?om it Ni Ia thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otheMrise de celleci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ,4bstract The thesis presented addresses the issue of the voice(s) found in the teaching document, A~mesto Texhine: Woodland Art (Landon, 1997). Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from artists, curators of museums/institutions with Native art, and public school teachers. 1 invited each of the group respondents to review selected components of the resource document that appeared to be relevant to their particular responsibility. This thesis was originally started as a response to the la& of consistent teachùig strategies relating to First Nations art. For example, teachers were often focussing upon the understandings of West Coast and huit art. As a teacher and a meniber of the Woodland Peoples of Ontario, 1 wondered where were the art teachings related to the Woodland Peoples of Ontario? The emphasis in Ontario curricula in the early grades (K-6)was on local communities. Where was the expression of art of the Woodland Peoples? My initial solution to this problem was to create a document that would be easily usable by teachers. 1 assumed that, by having such a resource, teachers would be able to make a space and place within their own school curriculum for art of the Woodland Peoples. The thesis that resulted was one of authenticating the voice(s) by going back to the sources of the data. The thesis has developed into a study of personal evaluation, as I compare what I wrote in the resource m document, to what has been said by the experts (the artists, curators, and teachers). The research has created a statement about Native identity found in the process of writing curricula. As well, what became obvious, as the research emerged, was the question of how can one know the voice if one can't hear it? 1 found that while 1 was constructing the theory of this discourse, there were gaps in the resource documentation within the mainsmeam art cornrnunity: issues, that 1 was concerned about, were not addressed by the literature. I had to focus upon those who wrote about Woodland art, people who were on the periphery and outside the mainsueam discourse. It became apparent that there was no place for Woodland Art within the mainsDeam Canadian art scene. As well, the collected data demonstrated that no one cm speak for another especially with respect to words about the artists, where, in some cases, current writings did not reflect the artist at all. indeed, they were written independently of the artist. The implications of the research are 1. It is important to aclaiowledge the importance of including the words of the artist, vis a vis artist statements, and that writers of art exhibitions should consult with the artist on the overall presentation of their imagery. 2. The research has made the resource document a better piece of work which, if adopted by the Ministry of Education, could have greater implications for the development of understanding between the First Nations Peoples and Ontario citizens. 3. 1 have had the opportunity to reexamine myself, firsùy as a.Aboriginal person living in an urban context, secondly, as an Aboriginal teacher working in mainsmeam communities and, thirdly, as a community person who loves the stories and the art. The research has provided me with a stronger appreciation of the voices who make up my identity, as an Aboriginal community member. Acknowledgernents How does one Say thank you? Thank you. Che Meegwetch. Danke Schoen. The efforts that are contained within this document are a resuit of the support of many people. First and foremost is my wife, Petra. who has had to take on greater responsibiüty for the maintenance of our family. Secondly, my two children Kama and Benjamin deserve thanks and hugs as 1 gave up valuable "familÿ time" in order to finish the requirements for this degree. 1 would also lüce to express my deepest appreaation for a man who has had to read and edit the many drafts of this document. Glenn Eastabrook, who said, "That is not the way 1 understand Natives to ben. Glenn has made me look at rnyself in a way, that 1 thought 1 understood, but he made me dig a bit deeper and deeper .... Thank you for doing so. 1 would also like to express thanks to my other advisors: Dr. Cecil King, Janice Hill, Martin Schiiralli, and Robert Lovelace. These people were there, when I had pondering questions to ask but when 1 was not sure of how to Say it. Thank you. Finally, 1 would like to Say thank you to the many artists, teachers, and experts of the research project. They contributed their voices to this thesis and it would not have been possible without them.... Che Meegwetch. Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements Table of Contents Preface Introduction Part 1: What Was Written? Chapter 1: The Issue of Voice Chapter 2: The Voice of Woodland Art Chapter 3: The Voice of the Artist Chapter 4: The Voice of the Teacher Part II: What Did 1Discover? Chapter 5: Method for finding the Voices Chapter 6: Artist Responses Chapter 7: Teacher Responses Chapter 8: The Expert Institutions--Responses Part III: Chapter 9: Conclusion References 217 Appendix 1: Artist Mail-out : Invitation to participate, Questionnaire Biographical statements excerpts from, "Approaches to Teaching Woodland Art" 234 vii Appendix II: Teacher Mail-out: Invitation to partiapate, Questionnaire, Teaching Strategies, excerpt from "Approaches to Teaching Woodland Art" 244 Appendix ID: Expert Institutions Mail-out: Invitation to participate, Questionnaire, Table of Contents, excerpt from "Approaches to Teaching Woodland Art" Preface The smoke rises from the sacrificial fire, the circle is getting bigger. and many share hope, the elder begins to drum and circles with song, my love for the people in the circle exuberates, the many otha times 1 have shared these rituals, noticing the whiteness, and the age of my grandfather's hair, he seems frail and yet the song cornes with such clarity, and my spirit rejoices, in the Song of my people, that we all have the dignity to bel to determine the spirit, to be like the man who sings, and yet be proud of the heritage, our grandfathers leave us the path, the song, the sacred song. (Chisaakay in Perrault and Vance, 1990: 27) 1 remember, being inteMewed by a newspaper columnist, where, as 1 shared my life story with him, he kept referring to my comments as being too political and that he could not print anythmg that was political. 1 found that he was suggesting that my whole life, and like that of other Abofiginals, was a political process. 1 have often wondered what is political? Glenn Eastabrook, my honoured advisor, wondered about the word 'political'. He said, "It can be diffidt to defend" in the context of a thesis defense. He also wondered if my thesis could avoid the word 'political'? (August, 1997). If my life is so political as suggested by the newspaper columnist, then how can 1 not discuss politics? Much of the Canadian identity is intrinsically intenvoven into the policies of govemmental policy (e.g , Canadian content desfor media, immigration polices, distinctive society clauses). The official identity of the Aboriginal people is defined by the Indian Act. The first instance of that scenario occurred in my elementary school of Eagle River, where Mr. Errington, the Principal, found out that we (my sister and 1) were status Indians, and that we were entitled to have free milk for lunch. 1 had always wondered why certain students had always gotten free mük. Other instances, blurred in memory, were the whispered discussions that would occur as concern was expressed, guardedly, of who was going to pay the fees for my involvement in whatever activity that 1 was interested in pursuing. There were many other instances much later, for exampie, the discussion of who is going to pay my salary? WiU Department of Indian Affairs cover the cost of my salary white 1 teach for them? As 1 have grown and transformed, 1 have become embodied with the politics of identity. 1 am not alone, as show through the massive amounts of published literature in the recent years, and the explosion of artists selling 'their stuff. What is our voice(s)? What issues make up our voice(s)? What is my voice? 1 have corne to understand that it is political, like the other Aboriginal voices. My teaching is political! 1 seek to share my Ojibwa story with others, to nurture and encourage the non Native's understanding of our teachings so that there is respect for others that they meet, on their own particular journeys.