I am coming to the States and Canada in October. The purpose of the trip is to do research for my doctorate and next book. I am a science writer. My principal interest is in Native American and Canadian Indian/ First Nation cultures. PLEASE correct my use of language! I am very confused by what the indigenous people of that area want to be called. The focus of the research is three fold:
The way in which the observance of animal species is encoded in the oral tradition of the culture. All animals, all traditional cultures.
Yes, I know I will have to specialize, but it is all so fascinating! My goal is to then look at the same animals again as a natural history writer, with the added insight I can gain from the traditional stories. Although some people seem to think it is offensive, the Koorie Elders (South Eastern Indigenous Australians) I have been talking to are fine when I say that their songs encode accurate scientific observations of animal behavior. It has been really awesome to realize that the animals in the ancient cave paintings of the Indigenous Australians are exactly the same as those I am watching today. Animal behavior is a constant over thousands of years, while little else is. That’s sort of the theme of my work.
The way in which traditional cultures manage to remember so much stuff when my memory is rubbish (to use technical terms). I have been working with Indigenous Australian Songs, the Dreaming and so on, and am overwhelmed by the sheer mass of detailed natural history, among all the other aspects of culture, they store using “oral technologies”. I have been reading about the Ojibwa and the birchbark scrolls, for example, so they are high on the list.
Just a sideline at this stage - I am also interested in any ‘enigmatic’ ancient sites - such as medicine wheels and mounds.
I have to put in the application for the research grant and want to know where I might best be able to get an understanding of the oral tradition, and the methods by which it is recalled, for primary sources. I am very keen to know of any mnemonic devices, such as totem poles, and how they are used to recall the stories. Given university grants are limited, I want to make the most of the limited time and money - say 2 to 3 weeks - I will have available. I will be starting in San Francisco for a conference, and ending up in New York.
There is no one “indigenous culture” in the U.S. The lifeways and culture of the east coast Iroquois (which is not exactly a tribe at all but a confederation of several tribes operating with representative government) are different from the Plains Tribes which are different from the Pacific Northwest tribes.
I can’t imagine that you can grasp the whole of the topic with the time you have. That’s the work of a lifetime, not a few weeks.
As I hope you are aware, if you drove across the U.S. as fast as legally possible, driving 10 hours each day stopping only for food/bathroom breaks, it would take you 5 days right there.
Thank you for that,** Hello Again**. Your point on the individual tribes is absolutely critical, and is also the case with indigenous Australian Nations. There are hundreds and I am learning to navigate some of the complexities of that - when to use ‘Koorie’, ‘Aboriginal’, ‘Indigenous’ and so on. There are, however, commonalities, such as the concept of the Dreaming, but the specifics of the Dreaming for each Nation is different. So far, I have been reading mostly about the Ojibwa and the Midewiwin, and a few specific Eskimo tribes, because they suit the focus of a paper I am currently working on. There are commonalities again, in the way knowledge is stored in stories, but not in the specifics of the knowledge and traditions associated with it.
I am more than happy to make this a lifetime’s work! I will have to specialize for the first book and thesis. It is what is known here as a ‘creative doctorate’ where the manuscript for the book forms the major part of the thesis. But I need to get a feel for it and some specific examples to start with. Reading too much at this distance can give a wrong impression, so I need to rectify that with personal contact, at this early stage. I have to start with what I can afford. I do not expect to be an expert on the topic of indigenous cultures as much as get a glimpse into the way natural history is encoded by them.
I take your point on driving as well. I guess the best will be to choose a few of the best resources and then fly, or train, to them. Advice on that will also be greatly appreciated.
I hope I haven’t given the impression that my thesis is on American indigenous culture - a topic much too big for the project. I am a natural history writer for the mass market. As such I have to be selective. My just-published book on spiders acknowledges that there are 40,000 species described, and many times that yet to be described. Only about a dozen get the detailed coverage, but in doing so, that shows up basic attributes which can then be extrapolated.
it may be that this trip only gives me a few great examples to use in the book. Otters and the Ojibwa are a certainty! The goal of the trip is to get a sensitivity to the cultures, as I am gaining from working with indigenous Australians at the moment. I don’t feel that I can get that just by reading.
I can put you in touch with a member of an Ontario-based Cree band who lives in Toronto, but travels often back to his reserve. His mother is a former band Chief, and they recently put out a booklet on integrating traditional Cree beliefs with modern living and governance. Most bands are active in trying to educate their younger generations on First Nations’ [the accepted term for Canadian pre-European peoples, as you alluded in the OP] traditions, and they have a lot of material available that I’m sure they’d be willing to share.
I’ve never heard of Canada’s Heritage Minister James Moore, but I’ll bet if you contact his office they’d be more than willing to assist you. Give it a shot.
I am in Alberta, Canada and my father taught for Indian Affairs from the time I was three years old to 8 years old on the Blood reservation, and later the Peigan reservation both in Southern Alberta. We lived on the reservations, and I went to school on the Peigan reservation from kindergarten to grade 3. I am friends with people of the Blackfoot Tribes (Peigan, Blood, and Siskika), as well as Stoney, Ojibwa, Metis, Cree, Sioux and Tsuu T’ina - and all but the Metis call themselves Indians, although the politically correct term is Native.
First Nations is also used, although that is more of a political term rather than used in conversation. Native affairs are handled governmentally by the Department of Indian Affairs, and Natives with Status rights are called Status Indians, and have a card which entitles them certain rights, such as hunting, and fishing outside of normal hunting seasons.
Metis who are status, are not just anyone who has Native and French ancestry, Metis in Canada refer to people who’s ancestry traces back quite a way as Metis, and not just a child who has one native and one white parent. Metis are a distinct cultural group among the Native peoples.
Inuit or Inuk, refers to the northern peoples, what some think of as Eskimo, and Eskimo is considered a prerogative word in Canada - although I have heard that in Alaska it is still used.
I am guessing that you probably would get some help contacting people of various tribes if you contacted the Department of Indian Affairs in Canada.
rather than going to the feds, why not contact aboriginal groups directly? a good starting point for Canada is the First Nations University in Regina, Saskatchewan. It is the only university in North American created and run by aboriginal peoples themselves. It’s been going through some internal turmoil, but there are some leading experts in aboriginal culture there. Would be a good start, I would think.
If you can, I would recommend you plan a trip to Angel Mounds (Evansville, Indiana) and Cherokee, North Carolina. I live in Knoxville, near to Cherokee lands, and a pleasant drive away. The University here does some studies about that.
I would even be happy to meet you and ask some professors about specific sources/people to speak to.
On the tourist side, here’s a site about Canadian aboriginal tourism in general, and here’s one in English (OK, Frenglish ) about native-run attractions in Quebec. And I’m not just saying this because I used to work there, but the nice folks at Parks Canada could also be of assistance. I hope you enjoy your visit!
One interesting place I stumbled across while on a road trip across Arizona and New Mexico was the town of Gallup New Mexico, it is the most “Indian” of any place I have been in the states. Its certainly not touristy (its quite poor), but is genuinely Native American.
For weird sites the Cliff Dwellingsalso in the New Mexico are definitely worth seeing
Yes, as there’s really only one Eskimo tribe in Canada, but two/3 in Alaska. The Yupik, understandably, do not like being called Inuit, as they aren’t.
I’ve just got back online - it’s now morning in Australia and am really really pleased with all the responses! Just want to thank you before you go to sleep. I’ll go through them thoroughly this morning. Thanks!
Thank you for all the information, Lexi. This insight is what I really need. This is where I am getting really confused. I have been seeking out material written by Indians/Native Americans/First Nations people/ indigenous peoples… and am finding many refer to themselves as Indian, but if I do, I am corrected (this is by people in Australia, so not necessarily correctly). I am not concerned what terms I use - I just want to be respectful! The indigenous Australians have said I can’t get it right here, because each Nation is different in what they prefer. Some use Aboriginal Australians, which is supposed to be the politically correct term, while others consider it offensive. Locally, they use Koorie, and that is fine - but it is only for the south-eastern peoples - which is where I happen to live. The advice has been that I need to use the term used by the individual culture that I am talking about as defined by my primary source.
That is a problem when I am making generalizations, which one aspect of my work requires.
Thank you again for this warning. The papers I have been reading are of Alaskan Inuit, but are not recent, so the protocols may have changed. I shall be careful.
Exactly what I was after. Maybe that will have to be another trip, though. I shall see.
I would highly recommend picking just a couple locations to visit. Trying to see a half dozen places scattered across the continent in two weeks is a recipe for spending all your time traveling and none actually seeing anything.
Thanks for the link - can’t do any harm! They may be able to send me literature in advance. The more I know up front the better.
This looks really useful. I found a link there for international academic exchange, so I think that would be the place to contact. Because I am using this research for a thesis and book, places like this which enable me to quote them as valid references are really useful. Thank you.
That will not shut me up for days, if not weeks. There is so much to follow up on. Thank you. It is still a little unclear as to my focus, so this list will give me options as the focus becomes more clear over the next month or two.
Again, this is a terrific source. I can manage very rudimentary French. The Parks Canada link can add to my aim to see the animals as well, if at all possible. I am beginning to think I need a year there! I promise to enjoy my trip!
Very sage advice. But how can I select out of so many useful and fascinating options? But I will. Finances and time will ensure that. Thank you.
) about 