Last summer, I went to Uganda, as part of my Psychology in Developing Countries course and through International Service Learning. I worked at Good Samaritan School for the Deaf, which meant so much to me, because I was born profoundly deaf. I could not hear until I got a cochlear implant – a truly miraculous piece of technology unavailable to them. Upon my first day there, I was greeted by a few students and one teacher–all deaf–who wanted to give me a sign name. Receiving a sign name is very interesting–they scrutinize you, and brainstorm ideas, often honing in on your most distinct–or embarrassing–features. I became uncomfortably aware that they could use my cochlear implant, an emblem of my own deafness, which exacerbated my realization that I had all but forgotten sign language. However, they settled on my prominent Adam’s apple – just a tap on it. That remains a part of my identity; just like a “normal” name, it becomes part of you.
To give you an idea of sign names, and how happy these children are, here is a video I made:
My partner and I visited 11 families, with the Head Master of the school serving as a translator. Unfortunately, only a few had sufficiently learned sign language. Many of the students live at the school almost all year round, making it harder for the parents to practice. Some did not even bother, saying that they are busy and that their child can speak enough Luganda–which was surprising: We only saw them signing, showing that it is an identity they chose for themselves. Nonetheless, each and every family member got excited, overjoyed, when we asked their sign names.
However, if their parents only knew Luganda, why were the students only taught English? I was reminded by how First Nations children were forced into residential schools. I was reminded by how my parents were going to enroll me in Jericho Hill, and found out it was shut down for endemic abuse. While school is supposed to create bright futures, it has been exploited for oppression, sexual abuse, and forced assimilation. Africans and Indigenous Canadians share a similar colonial history, where a rich oral tradition is superseded by the need to read and write English, disrupting ties between generations.
This blog is for English 470A: Canadian Studies, or what Instructor Erika Paterson likes to call, ‘Oh Canada: Our Home and Native Land?’ I wanted to begin with my unexpected, visceral reminder of “home” to welcome readers to my blog. In this course, we will be talking about the power of stories, and the intersection of story and literature for First Nations peoples.
In many ways, the power of storytelling is like one tale being told by different people: It is bound to change; with stories being put to print, the “magic is gone.” Rote memorization being encouraged by education systems does not help either. Nonetheless, literature being put in libraries is akin to stories being passed down generation to generation. There is power in mastering the language of your ancestors’ oppressors, and inserting your own native style, as writers like Tomson Highway, Joseph Boyden, and Thomas King have.
I expect that naming will become important, as names have different associations, meanings, and symbolic value to different peoples.
Works Cited:
McLintock, Barbara. “Reading the Signs of Sexual Abuse.” The Tyee. The Tyee, 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.
Franey, Evan. “Good Samaritan School for the Deaf.” Youtube. Evan Franey, 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 May 2015.
“International Service Learning.” Student Services. UBC, 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.
“Good Samaritan School for the Deaf.” WordPress. Good Samaritan, n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.
“Cochlear Implants.” National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). National Institute of Health, Aug. 2014. Web. 15 May 2015.
“A history of residential schools in Canada.” CBCnews. CBC, 07 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 May 2015.
Hey Evan,
Amazing introduction!! Your comments on naming and its importance is something that I have often been intrigued by and looked at in both linguistics and through dramatic texts.
Brian Friel has an amazing play called translations that focuses on the English colonization of Ireland and how they renamed Irish locations to have English names. It’s a fantastic read and has inspired some great conversation in my own life. Here’s more about it if you’re interested: http://etudesirlandaises.revues.org/1818
Excited to read more & Thanks for sharing!
-J
That looks really interesting. I often wonder what the original Native names are for Canadian landmarks. I know that many First Nations people call the world or North America, “Turtle Island,” which is in part a merging of tradition with the language of colonizers. However, there is a very nice story attached (varying from tribe to tribe): http://www.turtleisland.org/front/article3.htm
I’ve become much more mindful about naming in the past year. For example, in Uganda there is a word–“Kasiru”–that is Luganda for “stupid,” and often attached to deaf people. Sometimes it is used so often that a parent actually forgets the name of their deaf child because they kept calling them “Kasiru.” Now, the stigma is getting better, and I never really heard the word in my time there, but the misunderstanding of deafness is still prevalent in many parts of the country. Unfortunately, the misconception that deaf people are “stupid” is quite common throughout history, and “Kasiru” has an analogue in “deaf-and-dumb,” which is still used. It’s also pretty easy to gesture “stupid,” and many get the actual sign right without trying.
That’s one reason I think it’s so important to understand so-called “minorities.”
As Oscar Wilde says, “From a label there is no escape.”
Hello Evan, and welcome to our course of studies, I am indeed pleased to read your blog introduction, you bring an excellent set of experiences to our course and I look forward to learning more from you. I think you will indeed enjoy this course a great deal. Thanks, Erika
Hi again, I forgot to thank you for the great hyperlinks! Thanks
Hey Evan, amazing post! Your story of the divide between English and Luganda, and the language of a colonial power is very interesting, as it demonstrates the fact that language can be used as a significant tool of oppression. So much of any given culture is tied to language, and that can all be lost if the language goes into disuse. Chamberlin talks a lot about the cultural baggage any given dialect carries with it, and so your story about the Ugandan children not speaking the language of their parents is both heartbreaking and very relevant for this course.
The divide between Luganda and English is something the school struggled with. They tried to teach both, but that was too confusing for the students, who would mix up the two when writing. Plus, there are dozens of official languages in Uganda, so while the families we spoke to knew Luganda, most live further away and may speak other languages. Unfortunately, English is often seen as a “superior” language, so they may WANT their children to learn it. On the other side of the same coin, some see it as the colonizer’s language, and speak it really quietly, as if ashamed.
It really makes me think about the pressure to assimilate for First Nations. Because at the end of the day, that is easier for the young ones to do, creating a disconnect between generations.
For a deaf person, it is absolutely essential to be connected to others, especially one’s family. If they’re not, they could become mentally handicapped–it’s essential to learn language, which is so much a part of being human. GSSD understands this, and we made English/Luganda sign language booklets to help their mission to connect deaf people with their families.
Like you said, language is irrevocably part of culture. First Nations people should not feel out of place or disconnected in their own home.
However, the power of naming can be liberating, which is something I hope to touch on in a future blog.
🙂
That must have been a profound trip. The gravity of experiencing something so close to home — in the sense that you were once deaf — while being so far away from your physical home is such a meaningful juxtaposition. It’s really interesting to see the breadth and diversity we have in this class and helps me to understand how there are such diverse, well-thought-out ideas.