Chamberlin’s work, If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? provides an intriguing look into the connection between fact and fiction, history and culture, and how they all relate to the human notion of home. His last chapter, titled “Ceremonies” touches on the ‘Ceremonies of Belief’ that are expressed by every culture throughout humanity. These ceremonies are, generally speaking, rituals of faith and meaning, that bring a community together and provide them with a sense of communal identity. Some interesting points I found in the chapter were: the idea of the meaning of stories (those given by humans, blending history and dreams), the universal human condition (is it really the same?), and the border of truths and untruths of stories (how does it blur the line of Us and Them?).
The Meaning of Stories:
Chamberlin speaks of an ancient story of the Gitksan people, telling of a landslide caused by a grizzly bear. The story is not only a piece of history, but also a lesson of cultural values – one of gratitude. When this story was presented in court, the officials sought to confirm the truth of the story, and had geologists discover that the story was in fact, scientifically sound. It is interesting that the Gitksan people place trust and respect in the storytellers to tell a story of history, culture, and of morals. The meaning placed in the story is initially written by the writer, and the sustaining meaning is held by those listeners who remind themselves of the importance of the story and how it reveals something true about their home.
The Human Condition:
There is a common ground that Chamberlin speaks of, that expresses itself in stories amongst differing cultures. We are fulfilling a human need for some sort of satisfaction – whether it be an emotional, spiritual, or material fulfillment. Is, however, the necessary human condition an utter feeling of need and want? It appears so, with Chamberlin’s argument. The power of communal occasions and connection through a force of story or song was so evident to him through his experience with the U2 concert. Tears and singing through the collective draw to the emotional power of longing. These ceremonies of belief are a grand representation of what brings us humans to our knees, and what provides us with hope in the end. Much like a funeral, he explains, is a reminder of loss yet provides the attendees with a restored feeling of community. Throughout the regular human emotional turmoils, there are ways we all find to bring ourselves together again.
Us and Them / Truths and Untruths:
Chamberlin illustrates the metaphors or ‘transubstantiations’ of the Christian communion practice. The fact that such a ceremony is communal, is to develop an individual identity within the framework of a collective identity. He also speaks of borders, such as the thin line between the truth and imagination in a story. The place where these borders meet, and that moment we feel that the truths and untruths are real to us, is the same moment of common ground that we can use to transcend the borders of Us and Them. The identity of one, versus the opposing identity of the other. Chamberlin encourages finding that common ground among all cultures, and working our ways to peace.