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7/17/2012 7 Comments

Black Face Blogging: The Criminalization of Culture has led to Algonquins Playing Culture.

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For several years now I have been listening to comments such as “I am not being political”.  Even when attending so-called treaty gatherings they say “I am here for the culture not the politics”.  They continue, “Supporting the AOO (Algonquins of Ontario) political agenda is not my intent”.  I have always found these statements peculiar and as such have thought a lot about them.

In the western world it was Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who first offered that human consciousness, and thus our thoughts, represents only the tip of the iceberg of who we are as human beings.   Like all icebergs, most of who we are resides beneath the surface, meaning our subconscious self is so much larger than what we think.

While in the western world it may have been Freud who developed this understanding and model of who humans are, the Anishinaabeg have always known that knowledge runs much deeper than simply what our conscious minds and thoughts have to offer.  Rather, the Anishinaabeg know that knowledge is a mind and body entity that is best not delineated by adults into its smaller parts.  Further, knowledge as both mind and body is precisely what is meant by the statement that knowledge is wholistic.

Having said this, and while wholism is the ideal state of adult being, the Anishinaabeg are also of the perspective that knowledge located in practice, and thus embodied, is a powerful way of shaping who we are.  Knowledge embodied through practice includes processes such as ritual, prayer, dance, feasting, and song.  It is precisely for this reason that extended family members work hard to teach children their clan responsibilities and associated practices, their clan dances, and their clan songs long before they have a conscious understanding of who they are.  After this socialization process as children age they more easily walk into understanding consciously who they wholistically are: mind and body.  Practices become who a person is, and they serve to provide a strong foundation of identity that they can then rely on in times of need such as joy and grief.  Once a person knows who they are in a wholistic embodied sense, they are then destined to mino-pimadiziwin (the good life).

Beginning in the late eighteen hundreds, it is precisely this powerful way of wholistic knowing that the Canadian government criminalized.  They knew how powerful our practices are and thus wanted to eliminate them so that the state could then better assimilate Indigenous people into the Canadian mosaic and take our land and resources.

What Anishinaabeg do in practice is who they are.  When Algonquin Anishinaabeg argue, “I was not at that event in a political capacity, nor do I support the agenda”, regardless of their thoughts and intent, through practice they are supporting the agenda.  Again, if you are participating in political events taking out your drum and pipe you are indeed supporting the political agenda.

While I value that you may be needful to be around fellow Algonquin Anishinaabeg, and needful to engage in ceremony and all the practices inherent, if you do not support the AOO political agenda, you really need to find a better venue than one that is intended to deny us our land, resources, and right to mino-pimadiziwin.

Knowledge as practice is Anishinaabeg law.

Miigwetch Gzhe-mnidoo!

Please like and share this blog.  You can comment here too.


7 Comments
Judi Montgomery
7/17/2012 11:39:52 pm

Comment deleted

Reply
Lynn Gehl
7/18/2012 09:41:40 am

Kwey Judi,

Thank you for your comments. I have long thought that people are attending political activities because they are needful of the culture - so thank you for this honesty too.

There are many events that are not poltical - I have seen you at them.

Our ancestors would not divide practice and thought. The knowledge was integrated. To use cultural loss is the rationale is most unfortunate.

All the best.

Reply
Heather Majaury
7/18/2012 06:45:22 am

Thanks. This is something I am thinking about as well. I don't think we can separate cultural practice from political participation. Saying you are not political is in my opinion a political act. We are what we do or don't do.

Reply
Chi Daa Waa Kenee Migizii kwe
12/27/2012 12:56:12 pm

mino-pimadiziwin... is not the correct way of saying this , it is in fact ...Mino Bimadiziwin.. but then again why would a white person get this correct .. and as for what you have wrote here , it is your personal opinion.. and I take it as such, but then again why make it public .. unless there is a larger agenda??.. maybe a political one ??

Reply
lynn gehl
1/2/2013 05:35:23 am

Chi Daa Waa Kenee Migizii kwe,

Anishinaabemowin evolved regional dialects and now regional orthographies. Also, I don't have an opinion. Rather, I have an analysis manifested through particular methodological parameters. You seemed to be angry and I am not sure why but my guess is it is political. Miigwetch for your comments. Lynn

Reply
samantha
3/29/2013 05:16:53 am

Mino pimadiziwin is correct in terms of the Algonquin Anishinabeg dialect!

Reply
Debra Gehring
6/11/2013 11:46:27 am

It is the on the Government's agenda to isolate everyone from their spiritual roots in order to be able to disconnect the support network that comes with families, peoples' and thereby enabling them to try to lead us by their teachings. It is failing and sooner more than later, it will backfire on them. Our spirituality is something that cannot be taken away because it will always stay with us!

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copyright Lynn Gehl
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