Monthly Archives: February 2020

Assignment 3:2, Lesson 3:1

Translating Orality Into Literature with God and Coyote

5) For this blog assignment I would like you to make some comparisons between Harry Robson’s writing style in “Coyote Makes a Deal with the King Of England” and King’s style in Green Grass, Running Water. What similarities can you find between the two story-telling voices? Coyote and God are present in both texts, how do they compare in character and voice across the stories?

Like Blanca Chester states, it is clear that Harry Robinson’s voice as recorded in Living By Stories inspired Thomas King while he wrote his novel Green Grass, Running Water. Both King and Robinson’s stories about Coyote and God forces you to slow down and read carefully. You are made to appreciate the format of the writing, and reading it quickly takes away the rich orality present on the page. As Georgia put in this blog post, “[i]t was impossible to skim the phrases; rather, I had to voice every word within my head. It felt wrong to read the story rather than hear it. The style, the spacing, the colloquialisms and individual quirks of speech made it seem far more of an oral tale than a written one” (Masaki). I completely agree with this observation, and feel it was the same in the Coyote sections of King’s novel. I find reading it carefully helps me really absorb the words on the page, and because the stories are written this way it is the next best to hearing them orally recited. In the Coyote stories the writing comes across as less academic, more casual, and very conversational. The grammar is poor, specifically in moments of first person writing (“I says” [King 38], “I seen him twice” [Robinson 81]), and both stories are filled with incomplete sentences. This all aids in the conversational aspects, and does not deter from the quality of the story. In fact, I believe this oral authenticity only strengthens the stories’ poignancey, while at the same time exhibiting them as thoughtful pieces of Indigenous storytelling.

God and Coyote are both present in each story, and they function in similar as well as differing ways. Like when I first read Robinson, the blending of an Indigenous story with biblical elements is entertaining and took me off guard again when reading King. In both stories, God is an omnipresent entity guiding specific plot moments while Coyote is a mythological character taking centerstage. God is a force that pushes along characters such as Coyote or First Woman, and Coyote acts as a neutral party, portraying a passive protagonist who is guided along by other forces (be that the unnamed narrator in King’s novel or God in Robinson’s story). Although there are similarities, the characters of God and Coyote differ in each storyteller’s story. In Robinson’s story, God appears more like the Christian God; he is absent (sends an angel to speak with Coyote), stoic, and unequivocal in his message. The angel delivers Coyote God’s message to write Indian laws with the King of England, and then leaves Coyote to complete this mission. In King’s novel, God is far more human. He’s unsure of his surroundings (“Where did all this water come from?”, “What happened to my void?” [King 38]), and when First Woman and Ahdamn have a picnic in the garden with the food they stole from God, God starts throwing a tantrum and threatens First Woman and Ahdamn, claiming they are “going to be very sorry” because “[t]here are rules, you know” (King 69). I believe Robinson’s God is more Christian because they appear as they would in biblical stories, whereas while much about King’s character of God is also biblically accurate, they are portrayed as a caricature of the classic.

Works Cited

Chamberlin, J. Edward. If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? Random House of Canada Limited, 2004.

King, Thomas. Green Grass, Running Water. Toronto, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., 1993.

Leiper, Alice. “The Passive Protagonist,” Ally’s Desk (blog), 15 April 2013, https://aliceleiper.com/2013/04/15/the-passive-protagonist/. Accessed 28 February 2020.

Masaki, Georgia. “Assignment 2.6: Harry Robinson’s Interfusional Literature,” Oh Canada (blog), https://blogs.ubc.ca/georgiamasaki/2020/02/19/assignment-2-6-harry-robinsons-interfusional-literature/?fbclid=IwAR29yv9Us3pBqkWZVdvR1WeJO7kscrNwANgFeiy0FcuIxux22A0YUeZMui0. Accessed 28 February 2020.

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory. Compiled and edited by Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver: Talon Books, 2005. Print.

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Uncategorized

Blogs For Evaluation

The blogs I’ve chosen for evaluation are:

– Assignment 1:3, Lesson 1:2 “The Essential Power of Words”
– Assignment 2.2, Lesson 2:1 “Home Is The Place I Am”
– Assignment 2.4, Lesson 2:2 “The Consequence of the Belief in Paper”

I chose these three blog posts because I believe they express a good range of content and subject matter we’ve focused on sofar; one is based on Chamberlin, one is storytelling in the form of creative writing, and one is based on the Coyote story of the stolen paper. In my first blog, I answer Lesson 1:2’s Question 3: Based on Chamberlin’s understanding of how riddles and charms work, explain this “world of words.” Reflect on why “words make us feel closer to the world we live in” (1). Reading Chamberlin for the first time, my mind was opened to a whole new way of seeing Indigenous culture, and as a settler I was humbled to be offered this wealth of knowledge. What I write about in my blog “The Essential Power of Words” touches on some highlights of my readings of Chamberlin. I also chose to submit this post because his novel has acted as a solid foundation that I regularly refer back to as the course moves on.

The creative non-fiction blog I chose was about my concept of “home.” This one was challenging for me at first because I think I do not have a traditional sense of home, and finding out what that concept means to me took some inward searching. Writing this blog acted as a catharsis, and as someone who does not dabble in non-fiction storytelling, I am happy with the result.

The final blog I chose to submit for evaluation was my response to Question 5 in Lesson 2:2: 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? In writing this blog post, I was able to reference another fantastic observation Chamberlin makes in If This Is Your Land, and I tie in the story of Coyote, the paper, and the king to the current ongoing conflict regarding the Wet’suwet’en people and the government of “Canada,” bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary storytelling.

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Uncategorized

Transformation Through Literacy

7) Following Carlson’s discussions on literacy as “part of a broader genre of transformation” (61), try to explain what he means when he says that transformation is an “act of literacy.”

When Keith Carlson says transformation is an “act of literacy” (62), he is speaking of making a mark. He argues that this can be done in numerous ways besides the written word, and Indigenous people pre-contact were no less familiar with the concept of literacy than they are today. The act of writing literature is, at its core, making a mark on a page that stands for something greater than the sum of its parts. When writing, the author is articulating something; they are portraying a history, concept, or story. Conversely, this is how Indigenous communities have always facilitated themselves; it did not take the arrival of Europeans to trigger this form of information sharing.

When you see a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, you know it is by Vincent Van Gogh. Through his style, you can “read” the work. There are no letters on the canvas, nor do you have to read the art tag to understand it is him speaking to you. These elements of style are literal marks made by paint in a specific arrangement, such as the mark made by a traditional warrior song to commemorate missing and murdered Indigenous girls, women, and two spirit folx to stand for contemporary injustices. These literacy acts “are about documenting the change from one state to another” (61), and are each an act of transformation without using the written word.

Written literacy is only one way to transform. According to Carlson, “literacy was regarded within the context of earlier understanding of what it meant to inscribe, make permanent, preserve, transform, and reveal” (63). There are so many different ways to express a cultural narrative, and Carlson believes that the written word is only one amongst many. To say Indigenous cultures were not “literate” is inaccurate. On the contrary they were phenomenally literate, from acts such as weaving, mask carving, and beading (as referenced by Chamberlin) to their plethora of Transformation stories. As Carlson explains, transformation stories are “about creating permanency or stability” (61) just like written literacy acts to record laws, stories, and customs. Indigenous culture has always been rich in literacy, and the concept of “making a mark” has been imbedded in their communities for time immemorial. Carlson highlights that the Stó:lō verb to write is “xélá:ls.” This is significant because it is not only a word not derived from English or French (languages of the colonializers), but it comes from the root word for “marking” (61-62). This implies that “xélá:ls” includes all concepts of transformation from the actions performed by the Great Spirit to the post-colonial written word. (62).

Works Cited

Chamberlin, J. Edward. If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? Random House of Canada Limited, 2004.

“Vincent Van Gogh Style and Technique.” Artble, https://www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh/more_information/style_and_technique. Accessed 19 February 2020.

“Women’s Warrior Song – 8000 Drums Sacred Ceremony.” YouTube, uploaded by BurningFistMedia, 22 March 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlAZjca2YMo.

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Assignment 2:4, Lesson 2:2

The Consequence of the Belief in Paper

On my initial read of the story about Coyote, his twin brother, and the written document I was immediately reminded of the concept of a MacGuffin, a trope found commonly in film. A MacGuffin is an object that seems important at the beginning of a story, but by the end serves virtually no purpose. Like a MacGuffin, this piece of paper puts the story in motion and sets up the main conflict. As I was reading Wendy Wickwire’s compressed version of the story in Living By Stories, I (like assumably most readers) was curious as to what was written on the document. When the contents of this paper are not revealed by the end of the story it feels as if the paper was meaningless, just a representation of power rather than the definition of it. I feel as if this can be taken as an allegory for the weakness of the written word, how it acts as something that (white) people are willing to covet and manipulate to garner dominance. The influence of this document took me back to Chamberlin discussing the power stories hold as long as people believe in them: “Stories are like currency or lines of credit… Currency, like a story or a song, is worthless unless we believe in it – give it a line of credit, as it were” (Chamberlin 198, emphasis added). Like the paper in this Coyote creation story, it is worthless – it’s just paper. But the whites believe in its power, and through this belief lies their vindication for occupation and violence.

By withholding the paper from the Indigenous people, the colonizers are intentionally withholding power to create an imbalance between the two groups of people. To me, the story is expressing how oral storytelling is more authentic and inviting, while written storytelling is coveted and exclusive; there seems to be a vein of resentment towards the written word for most of the story. It isn’t until Coyote and the king of the other land work together that the written word is used for the good of Coyote’s descendants. The king shares the knowledge of the written word with Coyote, and a chance at unity between the two peoples is founded (I think it’s important to note that it was a “speech to the king” (Wickwire 10, emphasis added), not a written letter, that led to common ground). The story further highlights the hope to make peace between the two groups of people. It’s honouring the differences with a set of “Black and White” laws (Wickwire 10) while delivering a cohesive message to both groups; their cultures are different, opposite even, while simultaneously complimentary. By sharing this literature, the stories of both peoples can be honoured, and both groups can be unified as their forefathers were at the beginning of Time.

Works Cited

Chamberlin, Edward. If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. AA. Knopf. Toronto. 2003. Print.

de Ryk, Carolina. “Press freedom challenges, more arrests expected in day two of RCMP enforcement of court injunction against Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs,” CBC: Daybreak North, 6 February 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/programs/daybreaknorth/press-freedom-challenges-more-arrests-expected-in-day-two-of-rcmp-enforcement-of-court-injunction-against-wet-suwet-en-hereditary-chiefs-1.5456047. Accessed 7 February 2020.

“Hitchcock Presents: The MacGuffin.” YouTube, uploaded by The Take, 22 September 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4h1Gpq_wWk. Accessed 7 February 2020.

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory. Compiled and edited by Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver: Talon Books, 2005. Print.

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Assignment 2:3, Lesson 2:1

Observations of “Home”

In my reading of stories of home, I was contented to find the six stories I read to share a common thread: home is defined by the feeling of safety. Whether it was a family member that brought comfort, or the familiar aspects of a hometown, home is a state of feeling comfortable.

I read the blogs of Maya, Emilia, Jade, Nargiza, Sarah, and Georgia. Here are some similarities I found:

– In all six stories, safety and comfort was the overarching signifier of all concepts of home
– Most authors suggest elements of a physical place can be home, but in each story a physical place is not the most important aspect of home
– All six authors related home to a sense of a loving family
– Specifically Nargiza and Georgia note quality time with family gives them a strong sense of home
– Emilia, Jade, Sarah, and Georgia acknowledge home is defined by symbols, as well as sensation triggers
– Both Emilia and Jade reference the importance of family heritage and immigration as a way to identify home

I related to Sarah’s story about searching for and discovering home. Sarah wrote a story about not knowing what home was to them as they moved from place to place. They’ve had opportunities and were objectively successful where they lived, but still did not feel “home.” Unlike Sarah, home to me is wherever I can live authentically; Sarah sees their mother (and father) as the definition of home. Sarah’s story also brought up a great question: “So what happens when that person or home leaves this earth?” This is essential to consider when thinking about the importance we put on family and specific places; as Sarah writes, once those things are gone are we “homeless”? Further, I was affected by Emilia’s symbols of home that they have found in Italy. Not only do they have familial roots in Italy which creates a strong sense of home and belonging, but different triggers like the hills and taste of tomatoes reminded them of their home in British Columbia.

I was interested to see that no other blogger perceived home as I did. My relationship with my family does not appear to be as strong as expressed in these six stories, so perhaps that is why. Maybe I’ve had to develop a more abstract sense of home because of my relationship with my family as well that I’ve never lived in one place for more than two years. After reading some of these stories, I felt wistful for some aspects of home (specifically the more permanent ones like the family home). Overall it was pleasing to read some fellow classmates’ fond feelings of home as well as gain insight into select individual’s stories of connection to their concepts of “home.”

Works Cited

Afful, Sarah. “Dressed by my Mother.” Sarahafful, 28 January 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/afful/2020/01/28/dressed-by-my-mother/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

Alimova, Nargiza. “Assignment 2:2.” Engl 372: Oh Canada, 28 January 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/nargizaalimova/2020/01/28/assignment-2-2/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

Brandoli, Emilia. “Assignment 2:2: Home.” English 372: Oh Canada, 29 January 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/emiliabrandoli/2020/01/29/assignment-22-home/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

Greer, Jade. “Assignment 2:2- Stories, People, and Nature: What Home Means to Me.” Canadian Literary Genres, 2 February 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/jadegreer/2020/01/29/assignment-2-2/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

Masaki, Georgia. “Assignment 2.1: Home.” Oh Canada, 27 January 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/georgiamasaki/2020/01/27/assignment-2-1-home/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

Sumel, Maya. “Assignment 2:2.” Ooh Canada!, 29 January 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/mayasumel/2020/01/29/assignment-22/. Accessed 3 February 2020.

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