Assignment 2:6 | The Intersection of European and Aboriginal Histories: A conversation about accuracy and validity in literary scholarship

6]  Carlson writes:

“Harry Robinson’s account of literacy being stolen from Coyote by his white twin conform to all the standard criteria associated with a genre of Salish narratives commonly referred to by outsiders as legend or mythology with one exception – they appear to contain post-contact content” (Carlson 56).

Why is it, according to Carlson or/and Wickwire, that Aboriginal stories that are influenced or informed by post-contact European events and issues are “discarded to the dustbin of scholarly interest”? (56).

I think there is too often an assumption that Aboriginal stories are only worth acknowledging if they are from a time before (what we now call) Canada’s colonization. This mindset leads into a deeper, underlying assumption that “colonial” and “post-colonial” Aboriginal tales are not worth paying attention to because they were written in eras that we have already learned about. Of course, what we learn is not necessarily what is true; in this week’s lesson, we see this clearly as Dr. Paterson recounts her school days where she and her classmates were taught that the British extended nothing but hospitality and grace to the Aboriginal peoples. However, today we know this perspective on Canadian history is all but true.

On a different but similar note, this overarching attitude towards more ‘recent’ Aboriginal stories leads into the assumption that there is nothing special, different, or worth acknowledging about Aboriginal stories that have been influenced by European culture. This idea is probably based on false assumptions that once literacy and the European way of life was “bestowed upon” the Aboriginal people, their tales lost historical significance and accuracy — in other words, their stories are now white-washed and hold no cultural or historical significance worth noting to literary scholars.

Carlson reveals the differences between Western and Salish methods of keeping track of history & determining legitimacy. He explains while Western historians consider accuracy to be something which is reaffirmed by other historical events and documents from the same period, Salish communities determine accuracy through a hierarchical perspective (57). That is, those who have higher ranking in the community would be deemed more legitimate than those in lower ranks. These cultural differences in determining validity translate into major differences in determining which stories are worth keeping. From a Western perspective, Aboriginal stories created or told post-European-contact aren’t worth acknowledging because a) they hold no historical accuracy, and b) they are assumed to not be “special” enough, since by then Aboriginal people (and by default their cultures and stories) have been assimilated into Western culture. (Please note, I am not stating these points as fact, I am stating this as the Western assumption/perspective.) By contrast, Salish culture* considers its pre-European-contact stories just as important and accurate as their post-European-contact stories. This is largely due to how Salish communities value their stories. They believe their “ancestral spirits…are extremely concerned with honour, integrity, and accuracy” (58-59) and their stories intertwine with these beliefs, insofar that if a story is improperly recounted, the spirits involved in the stories will retaliate. Carlson emphasizes with these facts in mind, it would be quite rare for a Salish person to alter or falsely tell a story. Thus, their tales – past and present – can be interpreted as accurate and significant.

*Of course, at this point it is important to note that perhaps not all Aboriginal cultures follow the same methods and beliefs for determining accuracy.

In Harry Robinson’s “Coyote Makes a Deal with the King of England”, there is an intersection between European history and Interior Salish history. From a European perspective, this tale would be written off as a myth or legend due to the fantastical element of a personified Coyote king. However, from what I have gathered through the readings, the Interior Salish would consider the Coyote to be just as legitimate as the King of England. I couldn’t help but continually read this tale as a legend or myth, as I am so used to thinking there is a difference between European history and Aboriginal stories. My own european biases made it difficult for me to read this tale as accurate or worth taking seriously. Carlson helped me dismantle my own Eurocentric assumptions towards Robinson’s story, which made me view it in a completely different light. Upon understanding how Salish people recount their stories, going to great lengths to preserve the truth, I was more willing to accept the tale as accurate and valid. Through this process I also realized that the very fact that I needed to accept the tale before it could be noted as accurate or valid is problematic unto itself and exposes the internalized European biases towards Aboriginal tales — both those which intersect with European history and those which do not.

Literary scholarship as we know it is predominantly eurocentric. This means that European standards of historical accuracy and validity are upheld while the standards of Aboriginal cultures are ignored. In this sense, we can understand why many literary scholars disregard post-European-contact Aboriginal stories to be less valid than stories dating back to pre-European-contact. All this said, when it comes down to it, it becomes increasingly evident that the only ones who determine the accuracy and validity of Aboriginal stories are the very same people who do not belong to these cultures.

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Works Cited

Carlson, Keith Thor. “Orality and Literacy: The ‘Black and White’ of Salish History.” Orality & Literacy: Reflections Across Disciplines. 43-72. Print.

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory. Ed. Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 2005. Print.

Thompson, Jeffrey. Vector of Coyote. 2009. Cutcaster. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. <http://cutcaster.com/vector/100361485-Coyote/>.

Whiteout-WEBSITE. 2015. Evanstonian Online. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. <http://www.evanstonian.net/archived-opinion/2014/10/05/history-lessons-whitewash-history/>.