DOCSLIB.ORG

“The Mountains Are Healing”: Engaging with Splatsin Knowledges of Wellbeing

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“The Mountains Are Healing”: Engaging with Splatsin Knowledges of Wellbeing “The Mountains are Healing”: Engaging with Splatsin Knowledges of Wellbeing, Dispossession and Land-based Healing by Natali Euale A Thesis Presented to the University of Guelph In partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Public Issues Anthropology Guelph, Ontario, Canada © Natali Euale, December, 2018 ABSTRACT “THE MOUNTAINS ARE HEALING”: ENGAGING WITH SPLATSIN KNOWLEDGES OF WELLBEING, DISPOSSESSION AND LAND-BASED HEALING Natali Euale Advisor: University of Guelph, 2018 Dr. Thomas McIlwraith Guided by decolonizing methodologies, Indigenous Knowledge systems and environmental dispossession and (re)possession theories, this thesis explores Splatsin perspectives on the connection between land and wellbeing in the context of historical and on-going alienation from traditional lands and cultural practices. A community-based participatory research approach framed this project conducted in collaboration with ten members of the Splatsin community who are part of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) Nation of southern interior British Columbia, Canada. Informed by participant observation, field trips, and semi-structured interviews, this project centers the voices and experiences of Splatsin Elders and community Knowledge Keepers as a way to decolonize what can be known about wellbeing. The greater goal of this project was to explore the possible benefits of restoring Indigenous land-based and cultural practices for community wellbeing. iii DEDICATIONS I dedicate this work to the Elders and Knowledge Keepers of the Splatsin community who— along with their ancestors—have worked at preserving the cultural knowledge of their people. This dissertation would not have been possible without their guidance, participation, and patience. I will be forever grateful for the kindness of the Secwépemc peoples for sharing the beauty and energy of your land, Se . I cannot thank you enough for welcoming me into your homes, taking me under your wing, and sharing your stories, laughter, teachings, and tasty meals. I will keep your teachings with me always. Kukwstsésemc iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to acknowledge and honor the spirits of the land of the Secwépemc peoples, which became teachers for me in so many ways, as well as the Splatsin Elders and Knowledge Keepers whose words and knowledge shaped this work. These include Julianna Alexander, Marie Thomas, Shirley Bird, Edna Felix, Donna Antoine, Laura William, Trina Antoine, Randy Williams, Gloria Morgan and John-Paul Thomas. I would also like to express my gratitude to my academic advisor, Dr. Tad McIlwraith, for creating countless opportunities for me that I never would have imagined possible and for your patience, wisdom, enthusiasm, and support throughout this work. I am honored that you believed in me enough to invite me into a community that you hold so dear. Thank you for being my mentor since I first started this program and for providing me with the knowledge and tools that I needed to continue this work on my own. This thesis was strengthened by your knowledge, your questions and your encouragement. I am grateful to Dr. Elizabeth Finnis, for providing me with excellent feedback and guidance throughout my entire University experience. Thank you for believing in me as an undergraduate stud nt and su orting y d ision to ursu a Mast r’s d gr . Thank you to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology staff, especially Shelagh Daly for your kindness, willingness to help and for having all the answers! Finally, I would like to thank all the amazing Indigenous scholars and educators whose writings provided me with inspiration and guidance throughout this journey. v CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. ii DEDICATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... iv CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................. v FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Reaffirming Indigenous Knowledges through Splatsin Narratives .................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Decolonizing Knowledge Production within Anthropology ............................................................... 2 1.3 Situating myself within the research ................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research rationale ............................................................................................................................. 11 1.5 Theoretical Framework: From a Western to an Indigenous Research Paradigm .............................. 13 1.5.1 Environmental dispossession ..................................................................................................... 14 1.5.2 Environmental (Re)possession ................................................................................................... 16 1.5.3 Indigenous Knowledge Systems ................................................................................................. 17 1.6 Research Design: towards a decolonized form of community engagement ..................................... 19 1.6.1 Decolonizing Community Engagement ...................................................................................... 19 1.6.2 Community-based participatory research.................................................................................. 21 1.6.3 Learning from the land through participant observation and field trips ................................... 24 1.6.4 Ethical concerns ......................................................................................................................... 26 1.7 Research Gap and Objectives ........................................................................................................... 28 1.8 Overview of chapters ........................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 2: Secwépemc Place-based Knowledges and the Impacts of Dispossession .......................... 32 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 32 2.2 Who are the Splatsin? ....................................................................................................................... 33 2.2.1 Traditional Secwépemc subsistence practices ........................................................................... 35 2.2.2 Secwépemc stewardship of the land .......................................................................................... 37 2.2.3 Secwépemc relationship to place ............................................................................................... 39 2.2.4 Introducing Sek’lep (Coyote) as a Secwépemc way of knowing about the world ...................... 42 2.2.5 The attempted erasure of Secwépemc peoples from Secwépemc ecw ...................................... 44 2.3 Splatsin experiences of environmental dispossession ....................................................................... 51 2.3.1 Direct processes of environmental dispossession ...................................................................... 51 vi 2.3.2 Indirect forms of environmental dispossession: ......................................................................... 55 2.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 58 Chapter 3: “Walking good on earth”: Interconnections of culture, land and wellbeing ................... 60 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 60 3.2 Understanding Place and Wellbeing: Existing Approaches .............................................................. 61 3.2.1 Health Geography ...................................................................................................................... 62 3.2.2 Anthropology of Wellbeing ........................................................................................................ 64 3.3 Splatsin definitions of wellbeing....................................................................................................... 68 3.3.1 Learning balance through the medicine wheel .......................................................................... 70 3.3.2 Spiritual wellbeing ..................................................................................................................... 76 3.3.3 Emotional wellbeing .................................................................................................................. 77 3.3.4 Mental wellbeing ........................................................................................................................ 78 3.3.5 Physical wellbeing ....................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Political Science 363 – Indigenous Politics in Canada
    POLI TICAL SCIENCE 363 – INDIGENOUS POLITICS IN CANAD A Fall 2018 Rachel Yacaaʔał George Monday, Thursday 10:00 – 11:20am Office: DTB – A334 Place: COR A221 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays 12:30 – 2:30, or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES This course will introduce students to the depth and complexity of Indigenous politics in Canada. Utilizing contemporary scholarship that addresses critical Indigenous political questions, the central theme of the course focuses on Indigenous peoples’ constructions and understandings of relationships in general (to Creation, oneself, and to others), and of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in particular partnerships (eg. through treaties and alliances). It seeks to examine these relationships through an analysis of the critical concepts and issues in Indigenous politics and by tracing the various critiques and solutions proposed. COURSE APPROACH The structure of this course is built around lectures, discussions and close readings of selected texts. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge in 3 short papers, a research paper, and a final exam. Students will examine some of the different strategies Indigenous peoples have developed to defend and demand recognition of their rights, to claim or contest Indigenous peoples’ “place” within the Canadian constitutional framework, and to call for a resurgence of Indigenous traditions while developing a greater understanding of Indigenous nationhood and legal traditions, the nature of aboriginal rights and a just political partnership with non-Indigenous peoples. The overarching goals of this course are: 1. To provide an overview of Indigenous-state relations in Canada and of significant political issues within Indigenous communities; 2.
    [Show full text]
  • FNSB Jan-May 16.Pub
    VOLUME 14, ISSUES 1-5 JANUARY-MAY 2016 FIRST NATIONS STRATEGIC BULLETIN FIRST NATIONS STRATEGIC POLICY COUNSEL 1764 Treaty of Niagara, AFN’s 37th Assembly and Termination Table Chiefs By Russell Diabo Over 252 years ago, arguably one of the most important foun- Special points of dational Treaties in interest: Canada was entered into between the Termination Table Haudenosaunee, the Depiction of 1764 Treaty of Niagara Wampum Belt Chiefs Dominate & Anishinabe Nations and the Imperial British Crown—the 1764 Treaty of Niagara. Weaken AFN Assem- blies The 1764 Treaty of Niagara set the stage for events that led to the creation of the Canadian Settler-State a century later in 1867, once Indigenous Nations were outnum- St’at’imc Chief Don bered and overrun by settlers in what is now Ontario and Quebec. Harris intervenes at The Constitution Act 1867 set up the constitutional framework of federal and provin- UN on BCTC Extin- cial governments excluding and colonizing Indigenous Nations as a “subject matter” under section 91.24 of that first constitution of Canada, with the adoption of the Indi- guishment Process an Act soon after in 1876. This was the original Federal-First Nations Termination Plan. Book Review of Un- settling Canada: A This coming July, Chiefs from across Canada will be gathering in Niagara Falls, On- tario at their 37th AFN Annual General Assembly under the theme “Gaining Mo- National Wake-Up mentum”, presumably this means with the Trudeau government’s Indigenous Policy Call agenda. Canada Historical While these Annual AFN meetings attract about 1,000 or more people, usually only about 200-300 Chiefs or their proxies show up for the national discussions of issues Society Award for and debate of AFN Resolutions, which according to the AFN Charter are supposed to Unsettling Canada set the direction, priorities and mandate of the AFN National Chief Perry Belle- garde the AFN Executive Committee (Regional Chiefs) and the AFN National Office in Ottawa.
    [Show full text]
  • Chief Kerry's Moose: a Guide Book to Land Use and Occupancy Mapping
    Chief Kerry’s Moose a guidebook ➛ to land use and occupancy mapping, research design and data collection ➛ ➛ by Terry N. Tobias A joint publication of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and Ecotrust Canada The top photograph on the front cover shows Kerry Prosper, who was Chief of the Afton First Nation at the time, with a bull moose he killed in 1995 to feed his family. This particular hunt was believed to be the first time in generations that a Mi'kmaq hunter killed a moose using a recurved bow. For this reason, this hunt held some symbolic importance for the nation. The middle photo shows James Michael, Director of the Treaty and Aboriginal Rights Research Centre of Nova Scotia, conducting a land use and occupancy mapping session with Kerry in 1997. The bottom photo depicts one of Kerry’s map biography overlays that resulted from the interview. One of the hundreds of sites mapped is the location in the French Lakes area of Cape Breton where Kerry knocked down that moose. Chief Kerry’s Moose a guidebook to land use and occupancy mapping, research design and data collection Part one in a series of publications intended for First Nation researchers and decision makers, illustrating best practices in land use and occupancy research and mapping. Copyright © 2000 by Terry Tobias 00 01 02 03 4 3 2 1 Rights reserved. This book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the publisher or author.
    [Show full text]
  • Next Level Warriorship: Intellectuals Role in Acts of Resistance Within
    Next Level Warriorship: Intellectuals Role in Acts of Resistance within the Idle No More Movement by Laura Medina A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Approved November 2018 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: David Martinez Ph.D., Chair Myla Vicenti Carpio Ph.D. James Riding In Ph.D. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY December 2018 ABSTRACT Everyday living, as an Indigenous person, is an act of resistance. On December 21, 2012, there was a national day of action that included rallies and demonstrations happening all over the world to stand in solidarity with First Nations Indigenous peoples in Canada under the banner Idle No More (INM). The pressure of the movement all came to an end after the cooptation from a few First Nation leadership on January 11, 2013. Despite the failures, the INM movement brought hope, the urgency to act, and ideas of the decolonization and resurgence process. This movement was educational in focus and with that, there is the need to explore essential roles to advance Indigenous resistance to ensure Indigenous liberation. Here I explore the role of the intellectual, and in particular three scholars who provide next level warriorship. Their contributions redirected the conceptualization of decolonization to a process of resurgence. In this manner, authentic Indigenous nationhood is possible. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Producing anything to this extent takes a supportive community. Thank you to the original people of the land on which I have resided during the writing of this paper; the O’Odham and Piipaash people. Furthermore, I must acknowledge the land that has nurtured me and ignited the fight within ever since I was a child, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Shock Doctrine: Summary of the Symposium of Indigenous Human Rights and Environmental Activists Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada June 19 & 20, 2008
    The Shock Doctrine: Summary of the Symposium of Indigenous Human Rights and Environmental Activists Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada June 19 & 20, 2008 The symposium of indigenous human rights and environmental activists “The Shock Doctrine – Indigenous Peoples Experience in Canada” took place on June 19, 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. Lix Lopez, spiritual leader, Mam Mayan Nation, opened the meeting by recognizing the traditional owners of the territories where the meeting was held. He said that according to the Mayan Calendar, the day was 9 Ix, the day of the Earth and sacred places and made an opening prayer asking the Great Spirit to guide this meeting. Arthur Manuel, Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade (INET), welcomed participants to the meeting, meant to bring together indigenous activists and supporters. He recognized the number of indigenous activists arrested, the courage they displayed and the sacrifice they made. He noted that while national and provincial indigenous organizations and elected chiefs and councils receive a lot of funding and hold meetings, they have not achieved any progress in the recognition of indigenous land rights and human rights. He pointed to indigenous activists playing a key role in protecting the land and being the most dynamic force, albeit the most disorganized and called on them to work together on holding Canada responsible for indigenous and human rights violations in the lead‐up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Arthur Manuel then introduced Naomi Klein and her work on the Shock Doctrine and reflected how this applied to indigenous peoples, especially how the doctrines of discovery had disentitled indigenous peoples and been used to justify the theft of their indigenous lands.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexander.VO.Pdf (350.8Kb)
    This article was originally published as: Alexander, D. (2018). Remembering the work of our Elders: Arthur Manual. The Vancouver Observer. Retrieved from: https://www.vancouverobserver.com/%5Btermalias-raw%5D/remembering-work-our-elders-arthur- manuel Remembering the work of our Elders: Arthur Manual Don Alexander | Nov 6th, 2018 Arthur Manuel with his daughter, Kanahus, at Standing Rock, North Dakota, in 2016. Photo by Tupac Enrique Acosta. Republished with permission from the photographer. One of the great elder statesmen of social change whose vision and persistence has made a difference in our world is Arthur Manuel, who passed away suddenly in January 2017. Arthur was the son of the internationally renowned Indigenous leader, George Manuel. Born in 1951 on the Neskonlith reserve in Secwepemc territory (near Kamloops) of a Ktunaxa mother and a Secwepemc father, Arthur studied at Concordia University and at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. He began protesting while still in residential school; at 16, he sought to lead a hunger strike against the substandard food he encountered there. In the early 1970s, he became president of the national Native Youth Association and occupied the head offices of the Department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa. Other highlights included being elected four times as Chief of Neskonlith, and three times as chair of Shuswap Tribal Council. He also served as spokesperson for the Interior Alliance of indigenous nations in the south-central Interior of BC, and co-chaired the Assembly of First Nations Delgamuukw Implementation Strategic Committee (DISC), seeking to compel the federal government to act on that landmark decision of the Supreme Court.
    [Show full text]
  • 2002 Has Been a Ground-Breaking Year Bringing Indigenous Concerns Before International Trade Tribunals
    ABORIGINAL PEOPLES v. COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS: WHO ARE THE REAL STEWARDS OF THE LAND AND FORESTS? GROWING INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF INDIGENOUS PROPRIETARY INTERESTS Conference Paper for: Indigenous Peoples and Multilateral Trade Regimes: Navigating New Opportunities for Advocacy New York University May 2002 by Arthur Manuel, Spokesman Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade and Nicole Schabus, International Advisor Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade _______________________________________________________________________ A. INTRODUCTION–2002: A GROUND BREAKING YEAR 2002 has been a ground-breaking year bringing indigenous concerns before international trade tribunals. Since the beginning of the new millennium a number of Aboriginal peoples mainly from Canada endeavoring to protect their land from mainstream commercial-industrial exploitation, have become involved in international trade disputes. In 2001 the first submissions were made to investigative authorities1, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce in the U.S. Canada Softwood Lumber Dispute. Through continued involvement of indigenous leaders and high level meetings with representatives involved in trade disputes, the understanding has been growing that indigenous rights go to the core of ownership and decisions regarding land management and conservation. The great break through occurred on April 26th, 20022 when a panel in the Softwood Lumber Dispute officially accepted the first ever substantive submission filed by indigenous peoples to the World Trade Organization
    [Show full text]
  • Shiri Pasternak and Dayna Nadine Scott Introduction
    Shiri Pasternak and Dayna Nadine Scott Introduction: Getting Back the Land Who brought law to a new land already dense with legal orders and declared theirs universal? Who claims absolute authority to determine land access and use based on these laws? Whose laws should govern the resource economy? In Canada, these questions are essential for understanding why dispossession is ongoing and how it can be reversed. Canada’s claim to exclusive territorial author- ity across all the lands and waters is a failed project. But that fact has only succeeded in more complex legal and political subterfuge as Canada has sought to mitigate this uncertainty with grander perfor- mances of recognition. The essays in this issue offer diagnosis, critique, and radical visions for the future from some of the leading thinkers and experts on the tactics of the settler capitalist state, and on the exercises of Indigenous jurisdiction that counter them. It provides readers with the develop- ments on the ground that are continually moving the gauge towards Indigenous self-determination even in the face of ramped up nationalist rhetoric fueled by a divisive politics of extraction. Canada has always been treated, internation- ally, as a repository of resources for other nations. Rupert’s Land—a massive region that included the The South Atlantic Quarterly 119:2, April 2020 doi 10.1215/00382876-8177723 © 2020 Duke University Press Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlantic-quarterly/article-pdf/119/2/205/794601/1190205.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 206 The South Atlantic Quarterly • April 2020 Hudson Bay and every stream, river, lake, and ocean into which it flowed, covering nearly a third of present-day Canada—was literally regarded as a fur warehouse for the British.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining the Effects of Violence and Nonviolence in Indigenous Direct Action the Red Power Movement and Idle No More
    Examining the Effects of Violence and Nonviolence in Indigenous Direct Action The Red Power Movement and Idle No More Dorothy Hodgins Abstract: A focalizing debate within social movement theory considers the efficacy of violence versus nonviolence in direct action. This is especially important to consider in a settler- colonial context where the state is systematically designed to repress mobilizations of Indigenous sovereignty. It often attempts to frame such movements as either vaguely-defined discontent or national security threats - both of which attempt to invalidate the movements’ demands. I use the case studies of the Red Power movement of the 1960s/1970s in the U.S. and the Idle No More movement of 2012/2013 in Canada to explore the ways the settler state responds to violent and non-violent forms of Indigenous resistance. It is my hope that these observed patterns of response are critically read not only by Indigenous Peoples, but also by non-Indigenous folx who wish to actively support these movements rather than passively consume and re-produce the colonial re-narrativization of movement events and intentions. Acknowledgements: There are many people who made publishing this paper a possibility. Firstly, I would like to thank Sage Blumstengel for providing tireless editing expertise. I also received indispensable editing advice from Dr. waaseyaa’sin Christine Sy (Anishinaabe) who teaches Indigenous Gender Studies at UVIC. Dr. Sy helped me weave in my positionality in a responsible way, and encouraged me to think through my framing patterns. And finally, I would like to thank Michael John Lo for providing support and guidance throughout the process, and the whole OnPol team for putting together a beautiful journal.
    [Show full text]
  • Decolonization, Indigenous Internationalism, and the World Council of Indigenous Peoples
    Decolonization, Indigenous Internationalism, and the World Council of Indigenous Peoples by Jonathan Crossen A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2014 ©Jonathan Crossen 2014 AUTHOR'S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract This dissertation investigates the history of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) and the broader movement of Indigenous internationalism. It argues that Indigenous internationalists were inspired by the process of decolonization, and used its logic to establish a new political identity. The foundation of the WCIP helped create a network of Indigenous peoples that expressed international solidarity between historically unconnected communities. The international efforts of Indigenous activists were encouraged both by personal experiences of international travel and post-secondary education, and by the general growth of international non-governmental organizations during the late twentieth century. The growing importance of international non-governmental organizations helped the WCIP secure funding from international developmental aid agencies, a factor which pushed the organization to increase its focus on apolitical economic development relative to the anti-colonial objectives which inspired its foundation. This dissertation examines how Indigenous international organizations became embroiled in the Cold War conflict in Latin America, and the difficulties this situation posed for both the WCIP and the International Indian Treaty Council.
    [Show full text]
  • Resisting Canadian Colonialism
    $1.50¢00 RESISTING CANADIAN COLONIALISM: Winnipeg The Vancouver Indigenous Struggle for Self-Determination Essays on Indigenous & International Struggles by Aaron Mercredi Six Nations FIRE THIS TIME MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE 7th Edition [email protected] | www.firethistime.net | (604) 322-1764 PO Box 21607 Vancouver BC V5L 5G3 www.firethistime.net Table of Contents AVAILABLE NOW FROM Indigenous People Vs. Canadian History: 1 What I Learned In High School FIRE THIS TIME! By Aaron Mercredi Gordon Campbell’s Liberal Government Steps 4 Up Old Colonial Practice: Stop Making Profit From Stolen Indigenous Land By Aaron Mercredi Skwelkwek’welt vs. Sun Peaks! 5 By Aaron Mercredi “We’ll Just Keep Challenging It Over And Over Again” 7 Two Interviews with Skwelkwek’welt Defenders, Janice Billy and Ska7cis By Aaron Mercredi The Same Old Colonial Rule: BC Liberals Increase 9 Attacks on Indigenous Rights By Aaron Mercredi Iraqi Youth Under US-UK Military Occupation: 11 Is there a Future? BOOKLETS By Aaron Mercredi & Tamara Hansen Colonization, Indigenous People and Poverty in 14 Canada By Aaron Mercredi Indigenous Youth: A Failed Tragedy by the Canadian Colonial State 17 By Aaron Mercredi Western Shoshone Struggle Against American Colonialism 19 By Aaron Mercredi Intensified War in Afghanistan by Canada 21 By Aaron Mercredi Korea: A Country Divided How the US Divided Korea 24 By Aaron Mercredi, Jungmi Yoon, Byungjin Na Fishing Rights are Inherent Rights... 26 FIRE THIS TIME By Aaron Mercredi 4 Issue 9-10 Volume Interview with June Quipp of the
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    BOOK REVIEWS “Opposition on the Coast”: judges, the best available material from The Hudson’s Bay Company, these kinds of sources. American Coasters, I was not familiar with the work of the Champlain Society before I reviewed the Russian American Company, this book, and I was looking for more and Native Traders on the of a storyline than it aims to provide in Northwest Coast, 1825–1846 its publications. Its goal is to advance knowledge of Canadian history by James R. Gibson, editor publishing primary records of historical value, such of those presented in Gibson’s Toronto: The Champlain Society, “Opposition on the Coast.” I was looking 2019. 295 pp. $99.00 cloth. for a work of historical synthesis, a learned analysis of this transition period Howard Stewart Denman Island in the history of the northeast Pacific shore, a kind of maritime version of Richard White’s The Middle Ground: im Gibson has assembled a collection Indians, Empires, and Republics in the of primary sources: twenty-seven Great Lakes Region, 1650–1815. Instead, I documentsJ from the Hudson’s Bay found a fascinating collection of primary Company Archives (HBCA), the sources that required me to do most of British Columbia Archives (BCA), the analysis. Even Gibson’s eighty-page and microfilm of Russian-American introduction is mostly a guide to the Company (RAC) records from the US primary material that follows, which I National Archives. A significant part expect is what the Champlain Society of his contribution is the translation wanted from him. of RAC documents from the original What these sources reveal is hardly a Russian.
    [Show full text]