Document généré le 29 sept. 2021 04:26 Ontario History Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866 by Cecil King Carl Benn Volume 106, numéro 1, spring 2014 URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1050725ar DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/1050725ar Aller au sommaire du numéro Éditeur(s) The Ontario Historical Society ISSN 0030-2953 (imprimé) 2371-4654 (numérique) Découvrir la revue Citer ce compte rendu Benn, C. (2014). Compte rendu de [Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866 by Cecil King]. Ontario History, 106(1), 129–130. https://doi.org/10.7202/1050725ar Copyright © The Ontario Historical Society, 2014 Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l’Université de Montréal, l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. https://www.erudit.org/fr/ 2 Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866 By Cecil King Saskatoon: the author, 2013, 329 pp. $40.00 paperback + shipping. ISBN 978- 0-99199-950-7 (Order from the author: [email protected]) ean-Baptiste Assiginack was an impor- open much of Manitoulin Island for Euro- Jtant member of the Odawa (or Ottawa) American settlement in the land surrender nation who witnessed the tremendous of 1862.That effort late in his life tarnished transformations of the eighteenth and nine- his name in the minds of a good number of teenth centuries as they affected the First people from the island’s aboriginal inhabit- Nations of the upper Great Lakes. His long ants at the time and among their descend- life spanned the decades when the Odawak ants afterwards. Jean-Baptiste Assiginack (or Odawas) moved from passed away in 1866 at Man- a state of independence itowaning and was buried at at the time of his birth in Wikwemikong. the 1760s to the limita- Sixty-six years later, Cecil tions of the reserve system King was born in his grand- when he passed away in parent’s home into an Odawa the 1860s. Assiginack (one family on Manitoulin’s Wik- of a number of individuals wemikong Peninsula. He also known as “Blackbird”) spent his formative years on came into the world in the the island and pursued a ca- Arbre Croche region to- reer in education as an adult, wards the northern end of which, among other accom- Lake Michigan, on its east plishments, included promot- side within today’s state of ing Native-led education for Michigan. He fought in First Nations people, earning the War of 1812 as an ally a PhD, becoming director of of Great Britain, apparently in the upper the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program lakes region, on the upper Mississippi, and at Queen’s University, and serving as dean along the Niagara River. After the return of of the Saskatoon campus of the First Na- peace, he worked as an interpreter, fulfilled tions University of Canada. Dr. King grew important roles in Native-newcomer rela- up hearing stories about Jean-Baptiste As- tions, and promoted Roman Catholicism siginack, wanted to learn more, and there- among indigenous peoples, particularly at fore began a multi-year research project on Arbre Croche, Penetanguishene, Coldwa- his subject. It culminated in the publica- ter, and on Manitoulin Island. Although tion of Balancing Two Worlds, centred on he suffered numerous disappointments understanding the life and times of Assigi- when trusting Euro-Americans to address nack from a perspective anchored deeply in indigenous concerns with integrity, one Odawa traditions and perspectives. of Assiginack’s final actions was to sup- Taking on a century’s worth of complex port the Province of Canada’s desire to history is a daunting task, and the strains of OH autumn 2014 inside pages.indd129 129 05/03/2014 9:37:35 PM 0 ONTARIO HISTORY doing so show up in this self-published book better sense of his and their actions in deal- (which would have benefited from profes- ing with the difficulties they faced. His lit- sional copyediting and inclusion of an in- erary choices, including the extensive use of dex). Consequently, it is not surprising that “our” and “we” to describe the behaviour there are more factual errors, interpretive of his ancestors, underscores the distinc- weaknesses, and other glitches than inevita- tive Odawa, and even personal, voice of bly afflict most extended works, and which the story. Another example of the book’s inhibit use of the book as a core text (but indigenous persona lies in Dr. King’s deci- which have nothing to do with the Odawa- sion to use Native proper nouns extensively, centred nature of the work.) Nevertheless, which helps readers conceptualize how dif- Cecil King’s narrative offers general readers ferent the perspectives of the First Nations and scholars, both within and beyond the looking southeast in the Great Lakes region First Nations world, riches that transforms were from those of Euro-Americans look- his effort into something that demands our ing northwest, especially around Lakes attention and rewards our engagement with Huron and Michigan. (The book includes the text. Of most obvious value, of course, a glossary to enable readers to match these is that it presents a detailed biography of an terms with those in common use.) Thus, the important figure who has not been explored Americans appear as Kitchimokomanuk, or adequately by historians before. Beyond “Big Knives,” and the War of 1812 as Gee that, the book examines this story through meegaading kitchi gindaaswan a pee, or “the a combination of secondary studies, archival War of the big numbers” – the latter documents, and Odawa and other indig- conveying concepts that speak to the enous traditions. In many ways, this combi- distinctions between the perceptions of nation, especially given the unusually exten- the dominant societies and the numerically sive use of Native material (even though the small Odawa and other aboriginal nations endnotes are dominated by Euro-American of the upper lakes. In summarizing his book, sources), demonstrates the possibilities that the author points out that Jean-Baptiste await scholars should they embrace aborigi- Assiginack’s story is a universal one, of the nal knowledge with more vigour than they “dilemma of individuals from traditional generally have done in the past, even among societies who must confront the consum- those who are sensitive to, and respectful of, ing force of a persistent and ruthless socie- indigenous views. (A challenge, of course, ty overwhelming their own” (p. 256). That for non-Native scholars concerned to inves- theme is the primary concern of the book, tigate the shared history between First Na- and of course is a story well worth under- tions and the rest of the world lies in gaining standing. One would hope that this book’s access to aboriginal knowledge without in- self-published character and restricted truding improperly into a community’s right purchasing opportunities ultimately will to privacy or undermining its concern to not prevent Cecil King’s work from being protect the use of particular information.) read widely by people interested in First The Native base upon which Dr. King Nations history and the record of Natives builds his narrative makes it fascinating on and newcomer interactions across the up- numerous levels. On one, for instance, it per Great Lakes and adjacent regions. places Assiginack’s life squarely within the thought patterns, traditions, and values of Carl Benn the Odawa people, and thus helps make Ryerson University OH autumn 2014 inside pages.indd130 130 05/03/2014 9:37:36 PM.