3. We began this unit by discussing assumptions and differences that we carry into our class. In “First Contact as Spiritual Performance,” Lutz makes an assumption about his readers (Lutz, “First Contact” 32). He asks us to begin with the assumption that comprehending the performances of the Indigenous participants is “one of the most obvious difficulties.” He explains that this is so because “one must of necessity enter a world that is distant in time and alien in culture, attempting to perceive indigenous performance through their eyes as well as those of the Europeans.” Here, Lutz is assuming either that his readers belong to the European tradition, or he is assuming that it is more difficult for a European to understand Indigenous performances – than the other way around. What do you make of this reading? Am I being fair when I point to this assumption? If so, is Lutz being fair when he makes this assumption? – Erika Paterson, ENG 470A.

First contact – Juan Perez and the Haida – 1774

It’s quite interesting how seemingly contradictory I find Lutz’s readings to be. His assumption tells us that we must be of an alien culture, distanced from either Indigenous or European performances to properly understand their meaning, but then spends time in his article to note that similarities in both cultures are what contributes to their peace. He shares stories from both Indigenous and Europeans to demonstrate the similarity in their beliefs: spirituality and religion. And those two common aspects are what established a good middle ground that avoided violence from both sides. The belief in Europeans are “transformers” for example are told in many different stories across the Indigenous culture. Each is told with only a slight difference–the white men descending from the sky or from death with their pale skin, came from the salmon world, or similar other cosmology that resulted in the same conviction: Indigenous people believe in the spiritual world, and those different from them were/are seen as creatures of magic. On the other side, Europeans were heavily influenced on their religious beliefs, believing that God guided their missions across the seas and blessed their voyages (40). This, Lutz claims, “explains why they are peaceful” (41). The conjunctions between both cultures help either group connect and understand their ancestor’s stories. These similarities is what makes people understand, the shared stories and beliefs created connection and better comprehension rather than produce doubt and confusion.

I don’t necessarily think Lutz is making the assumption that it’s harder for Europeans to grasp Indigenous performances, since he shared their equally unique beliefs that somehow mirrors that of an Indigenous culture. Rather than further distinguishing the difference in either cultures, I think Lutz did a fairly good job of finding their commonality and connect the two groups, perhaps erasing some of the alienation attributed to either culture by either party. Though he did make a point to say that comprehending the performances of the Indigenous participants is “one of the most obvious difficulties,” but he then shares the beliefs of Europeans that can be rather unknown to the Indigenous. It’s just a little unfair that we didn’t get how the Indigenous would find the European culture from his article. But I assume he wrote that assumption towards his Western readers who can relate more to the world of Christianity and religious beliefs than that of the existence of a spiritual world. The divide comes between the reader and the telling of Indigenous culture, rather than the European and Indigenous. Though still, It’s not entirely fair for him to assume that Indigenous performances are more difficult to understand, not everyone feels the same way about Christianity or God’s presence in retaliation. But given that if his target audience for his reading are towards the Western culture, it would make better sense to offer this conjecture.

The biggest takeaway from Lutz’s reading is at the very end; that despite these distinctions, alienation or connection in cultures’ stories, the time it takes for any culture to be familiarized in the unfamiliar.

“The place of the European stranger has shifted in indigenous cosmology, but probably not as rapidly as some have suggested. Likewise, the place of indigenous people in European cosmology has shifted, but slowly, unevenly, ad incompletely” (43).

It is in the nature of belief systems, no matter how similar or different, that they change overtime. The strength in this is precisely what is incorporated into the familiar.

Below is a performance of a Potlatch in the villiage of Wuikinuxv, Rivers Inlet BC. An example on one of their performances to spread gifts and wealth among their culture.

“The potlatch is a traditional gathering held by many of the coastal aboriginal groups. The word itself (may be derived from the Nootka word pachitle) is a Chinook Jargon word that means “to give”.”

Works cited:

Lutz, John S. Myth and Memory Stories of Indigenous-European Contact. Vancouver: UBC, 2007. Print.

“Potlatch July 2009 by RdCdrCarver.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube,  10 Jul. 2009. Web. 6 Jun. 2015.

Myers, Mark. First contact – Juan Perez and the Haida – 1774. N.d. Index of uploads/images/ouevres/20s/Myers. Artetmer.com. Web. 6 Jun. 2015.

“First Nations Potlatch.” Potatch – First Nations in B.C. – BC Archives Time Machine. British Columbia Archives, Royal BC Museum. Web. 6 Jun. 2015.