• 4 years ago
• Posted in:Uncategorized
• 4
• Author: gabrielle rienhart

“If Europeans were not from the land of the dead, or the sky, alternative explanations which were consistent with indigenous cosmologies quickly developed” (“First Contact” 43). Robinson gives us one of those alternative explanations in his stories about how Coyote’s twin brother stole the “written document” and when he denied stealing the paper, he was “banished to a distant land across a large body of water” (9). We are going to return to this story, but for now – what is your first response to this story? In context with our course theme of investigating intersections where story and literature meet, what do you make of this stolen piece of paper?

My first response to the Black and White story was surprise because the ancestor of white people was said to originally come from the Americas rather than Europe, and lived in Europe upon being banished from the Americas for stealing a document. This contrasted from the stories I learned about European explorers discovering the Americas, because Europeans were said to be from the Americas in the first place.

I wondered why an Indigenous story described Europeans from this standpoint. However, upon thinking about it, I believe the story’s direction–in portraying both the Black and White Twin as having originated on the same land, the Americas, rather than having the White Twin originate in Europe–is intending to state that both parties have an equal birthright to the land. In Wickwire’s recounting of his conversations with Robinson, their was an inherent problem with the “Big meetings” where Indigenous, European and American newcomers bargained landrights. “Everyone had ignored how ‘Indians’ had come ‘to be here in the first place’: The Indians, they don’t say, they don’t say how come for the Indians to be here first before white… To belong to that what they have claimed… Underlying this statement was the implication that the Indians belonged to the land, not vice versa… that no justification was needed for their presence” (Wickwire, 6) Indigenous cultures’ tended not to view land as anyones’ property, Indigenous or White peoples’ as a result, they don’t feel they need to justify their right to be there. Despite White people historically coming from Europe and devastating the Indigenous population and displacing them from their land, the Indigenous story portrayed both parties as having equal rights to the land.

Another interesting note, White and Indigenous people’s ancestors were portrayed as twins, meaning they should have a sort of understanding, affinity, and connection with each other. Also, the statement that the Black and White ancestors were twins implies an inherent equality between them and a shared birthright to the land.

However, despite this shared birthright, White people were greedy and tried to take control and possession over things that were supposed to be shared with Indigenous people. However, it was unnecessary to do this in the first place because the land could have been used by both parties and belonged to both parties. White people are portrayed as harming Indigenous people because of their greed in trying to possess what belongs to both parties.

To me, above all, the stolen paper represents somethings that was supposed to be shared between both Indigenous and White people. It could represent a treaty or land rights; it could also represent a breach of trust. But overall, I think it is a metaphor for the stealing and attempt to possess something that belonged to both parties. However, it was unnecessary to try to monopolize it because it was 1) not something to be possessed, and 2) it was already the birthright of both groups.

After the White Twin was banished, the White Twin’s ancestors were supposed to come back to the Americas and share the content of the document the White Twin originally stole but instead of sharing it his ancestors kept the content for themselves. This seemed to have multiple possible meanings. First of all, the original agreement to return and share the document could symbolize that the White ancestors were offered a chance to do good and make everything right again. Secondly, this document’s content was supposed to be shared because it belonged to both parties, sharing it was the route to restore the relationship between the Black and White Twin’s ancestors. The Americas belonged to both Indigenous and White people, and although the White Twin was exiled for stealing what was shared, it was agreed that his ancestors would come back because the land still equally belonged to them. Although White people originally stole from Indigenous people and harmed them, they were given a chance to make things right by sharing again. However, when the White Twin’s ancestors came back to the Americas, instead of sharing the contents of the document which both parties had a right to, they kept it for themselves. This could represent a refusal to do the right thing and the unfair taking of something that was equally a birthright of Indigenous people. The White Twin’s stealing of the document and the White ancestors’ refusal to share something that equally belonged to Indigenous people represents unnecessary greed and selfishness.

Overall, the White Twin’s ancestors were portrayed as greedy, selfish, and heartless, not caring about the people they were supposed to be related to and supposed to share with. They created problems and harm by taking away, first, the shared document, then later, the land and lives of Indigenous when they came back. All of this was unnecessary because everything belonged to both parties. White people historically took the majority of land for themselves, monopolized it, killing and marginalizing Indigenous people.

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory. Compiled and edited by Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver: Talon Books2005. (1-30)