~Indigenous Literature~ By: Khwaish, Manaya and Vaishali
Nationhood
Borders
The mother wanted to keep her identity as a Blackfoot and not as a Canadian or American
The mother had pride over her nationality and that was the answer she wanted to go with
“Canadian Side or American Side?” asked the guard. “Blackfoot side,” she said. (King 138)
In Canada there are many Indigenous cultures who do not identify as Canadian, but rather as Metis, Inuit and First Nations
They follow Indigenous rituals and ceremonies
A Coyote Columbus Story
Christopher Columbus is from Spain and comes to Turtle Island to sell the Indians
"We could sell Indians" (King 127)
Christopher Columbus had no right over the land or the people
Christopher Columbus assumes these people are Indian
The Indians were being separated from their land and nation
Stone Mother
"Our Mother Earth holds our histories in her dirt" (Winder 44)
A Seat in the Garden
"There aren't any Indians around here." (King 88)
Although Canada is their land and home, Indigenous peoples live on reserves
Indigenous peoples don’t consider themselves as Canadians
Totem
The totem belongs with the land
One of the totems was found to be connected with the floor since it went right through the ground
The totems represent Indigenous peoples and what went through them
The museum management represent the government who stole the land and got rid of Indigenous peoples
“that is goes right through the floor” (King 15)
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
The Indians in the story were called Indians
Every time Joe mentioned the Indians, he’d specifically used the term ‘Indian’
That shows that the Indians didn’t want to associate with another nationality
Despite this land belonging to Indians, they lived far away on reserves
Some of the Chief’s family lived on reserves
Others lived far away
That’s why it took some people many days to come for the play
Magpies
“Body-stealing is against the law” (King 28)
Ambrose can’t even fulfill the granny’s wish on the reserve
The RCMP accused Ambrose for stealing a dead body without even asking him for what’s the reason behind why he kept the dead body on the tree.
Identity
Culture defines us and we identity with it
There are multiple cultures within the Indigenous community such as Métis, Inuit, and First Nations
Magpies
Fulfilling a promise is a part of their identity
“There is that criminal. There is that thief. Then he uses words I don’t understand.” (King 28)
Ambrose was having a hard time fulfilling the granny’s promise because of the RCMP
They weren’t allowed to put a dead body on the tree
Coyote
Christopher Columbus calls the people “Indians” (King 127)
Indigenous peoples don’t recognize themselves as Indians
Indigenous peoples belong with this land and they were taken away
Totem
The totems were not causing disruption, but they were doing what they were meant to
The actions that were being performed were a part of their identity
The museum stole their identity from them
“Sort of like laughing” (King 15)
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
Joe wants Indians to play the part of Indians in his pageant
“My pageant is going to have Indians in it.” (King 104)
He’s giving the chance to Indians and not giving their identity to others
Indians have long hair
“Your Indians don’t look like Indians” (King 112)
Long hair and braids is a massive part of their culture, but not all Indians have long hair
The Indians lived on reserves and far away from town
The Indians in the story lived on reserves since that is the land given to them
It shows how reserves are their home and where they prefer to live
The Indians were singing folk songs
“Bernie and James got out a drum and started singing a few social songs and some of the families danced for a while” (King 111)
Singing songs and dancing around a fire is a crucial part of their identity
It’s a ritual, ceremony, and tradition that is performed when one is extremely happy
Borders
The identity of Blackfoot wasn’t being accepted
“Canadian side or American side? Asked the guard. “Blackfoot side, she said” (King 138)
Indigenous people don’t recognize themselves as Canadian or American but rather their own Indigenous cultures
A seat in the Garden
“You know, he looks a little like Jeff Chandler” (King 87)
Red is referring the Indians as Jeff Chandler
Footprints in the Snow
“I am the white bear from the Great White North” (Batzel 7)
Poem depicts her story and what she’s been through
Spiders
Mentions their honour song
The song is meant for all life including spiders and two spirit girls
“hey-ya-hey-ya-hey-en” (Proulx-Turner 63)
Past vs. Present
Over the years, many things have changed and evolved
Past
Indigenous peoples were taking care of this land together
Everything was fair and equal
Nature, animals, and humans
No problems
Turtle Island
Folk songs
Hunting and fishing
Sharing and accepting
Colonizers created Residential Schools
Present
Split the country into provinces and territories
The government is making all the decisions for the country
Buildings, railways, infrastructure
Water crisis, healthcare, education, and many other issues for the Indigenous communities
North America
Stopping Indigenous peoples from doing what they want
Overfishing and buying food from stores
Unfair and selfish
Over 1000 unmarked graves found at residential schools
Turtle Island vs. North America
Turtle Island
Indigenous call this land “Turtle Island”
Indigenous peoples believe this land was made on the back of a turtle
This was the first name created
Based on creation stories and their beliefs
Indigenous peoples lived on this land and took care of it
Indienous languages such as Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut
North America
Colonizers changed the name to “North America”
Split into countries such as Canada, America, and Mexico
Colonizers expanded the continent
Made governments and leaders
Changed everything according to their own will
Languages Including English, Spanish, French
Many different people of different beliefs live here
Erasure
Assimilation
The Indigenous community hasn’t been recognized over the years
A plethora of Canadians do not know who Indigenous peoples are
Assimilation and erasure have taken place over the years
Residential Schools
They were taught to forget their language and culture
They were given new names and if students said anything in their language, they were beaten
Converted them from Indigenous into Christians
Indigenous peoples were thought to be lower than Christians and so the government wanted European people as the future of the country
Many student forgot their culture and identity
A huge number of students died and over 1000 students’ death was not recorded or reported to their families
Many unmarked graves of young students were found in May 2021
215 unmarked graves were discovered at the Kamloops Indian Residential School
Students were as young as 3 years old
After this discovery, over 1000 more unmarked graves were found in Canada
Sixties Scoop
Indigenous children were taken from their families as soon as they were born
This act was done without the consent of parents
The kids went to non-Indigenous families
A Coyote Columbus Story
Columbus found North America and Indians
The other coyote doesn’t know the real story and read this from a book
“Christopher Columbus” “That is the one who found America. That is the one who found Indians” (King 12)
This land and Indigenous peoples were always here and “were never lost” (King 129)
The facts in the book are not real
Christopher Columbus wanted to sell Indians to become rich
Attempted to separate Indigenous peoples from their land and their home
Totem
The museum is trying to get rid of the totems
They try many different techniques to get rid of the totem poles, although they were connected to the ground
“We could get the chainsaw and cut it off close to the floor” (King 15)
The sounds made by the totem are annoying and are seen as a “problem” (King 14)
“I think the museum should do something about the problem” (King 14)
The museum management wanted to shut down the totem poles and silence them
“cut the pole down and then cover the stump with pruning paste. That way it won’t grow back” (King 17)
They were getting government assistance to get rid of the poles
Borders
No acknowledgements of Indigenous cultures
Guards only wanted the Indigenous peoples to identify themselves as a Canadian or an American.
If anyone ever said Blackfoot or another culture, the guards did not accept the answer
“Canadian? said the guard. Blackfoot. said the mother” (King 137)
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
A seat in the garden
Joe and Red were trying to get rid of the big Indian in the field
They don’t want Indians standing in their corn field
Magpies
They were living on a reserve
“I’m just doing what Granny asked. Nothing wrong with that” (King 28)
RCMP doesn’t approve Ambrose for putting a dead body on a tree, even though it was Granny’s wish
Stone Mother
"they tried to silence us, pierced our tongues with needles then taught our then-girl grandmother how to sew like machines” (Winder 33, 34)
Punishments in Residential Schools
“Our land was stolen” (Winder 39)
Shows erasure and assimilation and how it was done
Important Events
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls
Many girls and women have gone missing or died
The government, police, and RCMP haven’t taken much action
Babies as young as three months old
Water Crisis
Reserves aren’t getting clean and fresh water
This is causing diseases and other medical concerns
94 Calls to Action
Child Welfare, Education, Health, Justice, Many More
Apologies
2008
Former Prime Minister: Stephen Harper apologized for Residential Schools
2017
Current Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau apologized to Newfoundland and Labrador residential school survivors
2021
Justin Trudeau: apologized for the unmarked graves found at residential school sites
2SLGBTQ+
The 2S stands for ‘Two-Spirited’
Two-Spirit is a term used by Indigenous
It has now been added to the acronym in Canada to recognize Indigenous peoples
Orange Shirt Day
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Opportunity to talk about Residential Schools
September 30th
Started by Phyllis Webstad who wore a orange shirt to a residential school
Important Facts
Treaties
Contracts signed between Indigenous peoples and the Crown
Presentations in School
Learned about experiences and opinions about Indigenous peoples
Artifacts
The government have not return the indigenous people objects to them instead they put it in a museum as artifacts without their permission or consent
Sovereignty
Magpies
Live on reserves
Follow their own rules
Benny and Ambrose tricked the RCMP, so Ambrose can fulfill Granny’s wish without getting in trouble or going to jail.
“Body-stealing is against the law” (King 28)
The RCMP thought Ambrose stole the body and hid it on the tree so no one finds it.
Ambrose had permission to put Granny’s dead body on the tree because it was her wish
A Coyote Columbus Story
While living alone on the land, Indigenous peoples did want they wanted to and made their own rules
“Some of them go fishing. Some of them go shopping.” “movie”, “vacation” (King 124)
Indians can’t deny not going with Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus represents himself as superior to them
“Christopher Columbus sold the Indians, I says, and that one become rich and famous” (King 128)
The Indians are used for Columbus’ own benefit
Totem
The museum wanted to get government assistance to remove the totem poles
The totems couldn’t make the choices for themselves
“If we can’t solve it, we may have to get some government assistance” (King 17)
When the totems did as they wish, they were stopped
Canadians have to follow the rules set by the government
Indigenous peoples follow self-government meaning they make their own rules
They live on reserves
Borders
Indigenous peoples have to right to self-government but the mother could not make that choice
The mother did not the chance to freely express herself
She couldn’t make her own choices and had to make a choice between something she knew she was not a part of
“Citizenship? Blackfoot” (King 141)
A seat in the garden
The Indians have the choice to do whatever they want, and they don’t have to follow what Joe and Red are telling them to do
“He says he would like it if you would build him a…a…bench right about…here.” (King 93)
The Indians used trickery to make Joe and Red build a bench for them
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
Indians can’t freely express themselves
They were doing a play that represents history
The audience didn’t clap at first and the mayor called it inappropriate
“The mayor didn’t like it [pageant]” (King 120)
They can’t make the choice for themselves and have to listen to what the mayor says, even if it’s wrong
Indian Singing in 20th Century America
Talk about how Indigenous peoples balance two different lives
There is one where they have full control over, can do as they wish, and no one can stop them
“we dance in two worlds, inevitable as seasons in one, exotic curiosities in the other” (Tremblay 8, 9, 10)
Stereotypes
A Coyote Columbus Story
Christopher Columbus found American and Indians
“That is the one who found America. That is the one who found Indians” (King 123)
America and Indians were always and “were never lost” (King 129)
European never found this land, but rather they stole it and call it theirs
Christopher Columbus is a hero
He used Indigenous peoples for his own benefit
He stole land and called it his
Magpies
A person is either cremated or buried
“In that cottonwood at Heavyshield’s cabin.” (King 24)
When someone dies, they are either cremated or buried, but the granny asks to be placed in the cottonwood at the heavyshield cabin on the tree when she dies.
A Seat in the Garden
“The old winos?” (King 89)
Joe refers to Indians as a homeless person who drinks wine or other alcoholic beverages
“The drunks?” (King 89)
Joe thinks the Indians are always drunk
“The guy speaks English.” (King 89)
Joe assumed that the Indians can’t speak English and that they can only speak their native language
He thought they were foolish and didn’t know how to speak English
“Lemon water,” said the third Indian. “My wife makes it without any sugar so it’s not as sweet as most people like.” (King 90)
“How can you guys drink that stuff?” said Joe (King 90)
He thought they only drink beer or other alcoholic beverages.
Thinks how Indians can drink lemon water without sugar.
“You guys blind? He’s behind you.” (King 93)
Calling them blind because the Indians stood together facing the beets instead of checking what the ‘spirit’ wants.
Totem
The totems are found to be annoying
The management wanted to get rid of the totems as they were found to be annoying
They cut the totem poles down and tried to ignore them
Indigenous peoples did what they were meant to do and still they were treated that way and seen as horrible people
Walter said that there are no totem in the entire museum
“Walter assured her that there wasn’t a totem pole in the entire place” (King 13)
They were sure that no totem poles can be there and when they were found, the museum management was surprised
The totems are Indigenous peoples who have been living on this land
Many people think that these totem poles or Indigenous peoples aren’t here, but in reality they are everywhere
They say that the totem is a mistake
I’m sure it’s all a mistake” (King 14)
The people call the totem poles a mistake as if they weren’t supposed to be there
The totem poles were always there
They were connected to the land
There are many stereotypes associated with the Indigenous culture that are strongly false and way far from the truth
These stereotypes are written in books and even taught in schools
Borders
You can either be Canadian or American
“But you have to be Candian or American” (King 141)
Indigenous people are not limited to only Canadian or American
They have many cultures within Indigenous communities that should be accepted
All Indigenous peoples know each other
The guard assumed that the mother who is Blackfoot would know another person who is also Blackfoot
“I have a friend I went to school with who is Blackfoot. Do you know Mike Harley?” (King 140)
All the bad things were found on the American side and good things were found on Canadaian side
The kid thought the bad things that were abrupt were only found on the American side
Only good things are found on the Canadian side such as sweetgrass
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
All Indians look the same way
“Your Indians don’t look like Indians” (King 112)
It follows a stereotype that all Indians look a certain way and all the same
They have the same hair and clothes
This is incorrect because not everyone from the same culture looks the same
The pageant is a periodic play, meaning people have changed
Indians can only have long hair
“No one’s going to believe that Indians in 1863 had crew cuts. They got to have long hair with braids” (King 112)
Joe thinks that Indians can only have long hair with braids
Wrong because everyone has their own way of expressing themselves
Joe called his friend “Chief” (King 102)
“Howdy Chief” (King 102)
“Joe was the only one in town called me Chief” “I wasn’t a chief and Joe knew it but he didn’t smile when he said it” (King 102)
Chief’s family was surprised to hear this at first
“Everyone sort of looked around casual-like and skinnied their necks to see who Joe was talking about” (King 110)
Joe called him Chief due to the sole fact that he was Indigenous
Not every Indigenous person is a chief or called by that name
Colonialism
Taking control over a country
Changing the country according to one’s will
A country that already belongs to someone
Residential Schools
Children were taken from their homes
Was to remove and isolate children
These schools were introduced by the canadian government and Christian Churches
Sixties Scoop
Government changed welfare laws
Remove children from their families
Covert Indigenous children into Christians
Magpies
Granny and her family were put on reserves
Her body could not be put in a tree according to Indigenous traditions
They wanted Ambrose to set the body according to Christian beliefs
Borders
Colonizers neglected all Indigenous cultures
Indigenous peoples could only choose Canadian or American although that’s not how they identify themselves
Stone Mother
“colonialism has always been about them not seeing us as human but as object, a thing” (Winder 36, 37)
Indigenous peoples were never treated the right way, rather they were less superior and not even human
They were taken advantage of for the colonizers own good
“Our land was stolen” (Winder 39)
Shows genocide and assimilation
Significant people
Government
Members of the government played a huge role in residential schools
Justin Pierre James Trudeau
Current Prime Minister of Canada
Made several apologies to Indigenous families over the years
John A. Macdonald
Adopted the residential school system
Catholic church members
Leader of residential schools
Egerton Ryerson
Played a role in residential schools
Chief Tecumseh
Chief and warrior who fought in the war of 1812
Louis Riel
Founder of Manitoba and leader of the Métis people
Satire
Satire can be related with Europeans and Indigenous peoples in many ways
The Europeans can be the ones committing the crimes but the blame is on the Indigenous peoples
Totem
The museum directors call the totem a problem when the totems are only doing what they have to
The totem poles are a great representation and extraordinary way to show history
The museum members are trying to get rid of the totems and the history
The museum is creating the problem by removing the totems from where they belong
In that sense the totems aren’t the problem, the museum members are
“I think the museum should do something about the problem” (King 14)
Coyote
Christopher Coloumbus “found America” and “found Indians” (King 123)
How can one find something that isn’t lost?
Christopher Columbus wanted this land, but did not find it
All these facts were written in a book
“I read it in a book” (King 123)
The facts written in this book and many other history books are untrue
Joe the Painter and the Deer Island Massacre
Mayor calls the play inappropriate whereas their reaction is inappropriate
The mayor tells Joe that is was inappropriate and he “didn’t like it” (King 120)
The play only showed history and what happened in the past
“You can’t muck around with history. It ain’t always the way we’d like it to be but there is it. Can’t change it.” (King 108)
The audience’s and mayor’s reaction to it was inappropriate as they didn’t clap or appreciate the play
The Chief asked the same question over and over again
“Chief, you hard of hearing … we been talking about Portuguese fishermen? Course I mean Indians” (King 106)
The fact that he used sarcasm because the Chief asked an unintelligent question
It created a light mood for the reader
There is also some humour
Borders
The government has accepted the many Indienous cultures but still doesn’t accept them as a nationality
“Citizenship? Blackfoot, my mother repeated” (King 137)
Indigenous peoples were first on this land and their own culture isn’t being accepted
When the news became viral and everyone knew that’s when they accepted Blackfoot as a answer and opened up the borders
A seat in the garden
“The old winos?” (King 89)
“The drunks?” (King 89)
Joe called the Indians drunk when he was the one drinking
Magpies
“Granny falls and hurts her leg. So, that leg is pink. Then it looks blue. Another time it is black. Yellow for a long time. That leg. Granny’s leg.” (King 21)
Granny talks about dying when she looks at her leg and sees a yellow bruise.
If you have a yellow bruise that doesn’t mean you’re dying