Hello, and welcome to my blog page fellow readers and classmates! My name is Marie-Latifa, but feel free to call me Marie. I am French and Ivorian, and grew up for quite some time immersed in North American culture. My interests lie in art, literature, writing, philosophy and world history as far as it reaches. I am currently a 3rd year in UBC, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies.
I have just enrolled in ENG470a, a course with an interesting focus on the intersections and departures between European and Indigenous peoples in the Canadian region.
Since the era of discovery and colonization, native lands throughout the world have been and continue to be influenced by the roots of Western European culture. I like to think that being both from Ivory Coast (a West African country colonized by France) and France, and having been lucky enough to grow up immersed in both my cultures of origin, has given me a unique understanding of the intersections between European and native cultures. In a world plagued by social issues, wars, and a blatant disrespect for our environment, I believe it the personal responsibility of all humans to do their best efforts to restore harmony and peace to our globe’s societies. I am no authority on how that should be done, and I think it true that there are more than many ways to do so. In an effort to help unite the voices of our world, I personally have chosen to vest much of my interest in the voices of native cultures (meaning Native Americans, Africans, Australian Natives, Indians etc.), on their significance in the modern world, and how they have been affected, and continue to be affected by the influence (wether coercive or economic) of Western European voices.
To further my interest in such issues, I’ve been reading Malian author Amadou Hampâté Bâ’s “Oui, mon commandant!” (Yes, officer!), a memoir recounting the narrator’s voyages throughout Mali while working as an officer for the French colonizers.
Because I am interested in learning about the cultures from which our modern societies stemmed from, I am tremendously excited to be a part of an English course that is focused on Indigenous cultures and how they have changed and evolved since the start of European action within and outside of them. Although it is unfortunate that many of the Indigenous voices that continue to make up modern-day Canada have been under-heard, forgotten or misheard, I find it very hopeful that professors such as Erika Paterson, and individuals all around the world find it a worthy cause to revitalize them, and encourage them to be known and spread.
I read a very interesting phrase I hadn’t heard before by Edward Chamberlin on the front page of the course’ syllabus: “now, it is more important than ever to attend to what others are saying in their stories and myths – and what we are saying about ourselves”. Although I only in lesson 1.1, I find it exciting that my professor chose this phrase to set the tone of the course, and am really looking forward to opening my mind to new perspectives and ways of considering Indigenous cultures.
Works cited:
Hampâté Bâ, Amadou. Amadou Hampâté Bâ Oui, Mon Commandant ! Mémoires (II). Paris: Actes Sud, 1994. Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Oui, Mon Commandant! Mémoires (II). WebPulaaku – WebAfriqa. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://www.webpulaaku.net/defte/ahb/oui-mon-commandant/tdm.html>.
Paterson, Erika. “ENGL 470A Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres Jan 2016.” ENGL 470A Canadian Studies Canadian Literary Genres Jan 2016. WordPress, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/courseblogsis_ubc_engl_470a_99c_2014wc_44216-sis_ubc_engl_470a_99c_2014wc_44216_2517104_1/course-requirements/>.
Chamberlin, J. Edward. If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?: Reimagining Home and Sacred Space. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2004. Print.
Hello Marie,
Welcome to our course of studies, I am looking forward to working together this semester. Your blog looks good, except – you need to include two hyperlinks in each blog post. Thank you and I think you are going to enjoy this course.
Hello Erika,
I’ve included the hyperlinks, thanks for your comment.
I am already enjoying the course!
Hi Marie,
Thank you for sharing so much about yourself! I am intrigued and inspired by the way you are able to find intersections through both your French and Ivorian backgrounds. I think history is everything when trying to learn about a culture, race, society, etc in the present; it speaks volumes that you are taking the knowledge and experiences you have from both your backgrounds and applying them to further your understanding on native peoples around the world.
As you said, “In a world plagued by social issues, wars, and a blatant disrespect for our environment, I believe it the personal responsibility of all humans to do their best efforts to restore harmony and peace to our globe’s societies,” — I couldn’t have said it better myself! I definitely agree there isn’t a single correct way to do it. From my own experiences, I have found the best way to learn about something/someone is by listening, understanding, being empathetic, and asking questions. Like you said, so many people, such as Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, are misheard, ignored, and/or misunderstood and I think today’s non-Aboriginal Canadians should take a moment sit down, listen, and try and understand instead of assuming they know everything about their history, culture, and oppression. While there are so many complex layers to the problems faced by Canadian Aboriginals, this could be a positive step in the right direction.
Of course, this is not my area of expertise and is simply my opinion from observations and discourse I’ve had over the years, so I will get off my soap box now! I am very excited to read more of your posts in the future and see what you have to say on the various topics we’ll cover this semester.
Hey Julia!
That was a very motivating and kind comment, thanks. 🙂
I think it’s great that we agree on the points I made, and I completely agree with your point on listening, and making an effort to empathize and enquire about the things that we don’t know about. I am excited to read your posts, and perhaps create more conversation around the topics we’ll be studying.
Hi Marie,
I find it very interesting how you’ve created a dichotomy between our modern societies and those Indigenous cultures that predated ours. The notion that Indigenous cultures may have evolved since the start of European action is one that is not commonly heard. By that I mean, European action has always been seen as a denigration of Indigenous culture in Canada. Would Indigenous people want to go back to their pre-European contact culture if they could, giving up the technology Europeans brought? Would they have developed much of the same technology as us in their own time? (I guess we’ll never know.) What parts of their more ancient culture do they still retain and practice? I find I’ve been educated quite a bit on how Indigenous cultures used to be, but how they are now is a subject I lack significant knowledge about.
Caitlin
Hey Caitlin,
thanks for your comment! That’s a really interesting question you raise about whether or not Indigenous peoples would want to go back to pre-European times. I’m sure the answer would vary depending on their geography, cultural beliefs and other related factors.
In terms of the ancient cultures Indigenous groups still practice, there are quite a few examples, although keep in mind a lot of these cultures have evolved and adapted to the modern world. For instance there are many indigenous peoples in Canada like the Metis and the Inuit who still live amongst each other in settlements, that have kept their language, and continue to practice their customs and traditions. Another example can be found in Mali, West Africa, where many natives of the country have kept close to their pre-European traditions and customs. A good example are the Dogon people of the Pays Dogon who’ve kept their ways and customs despite the fact that they are living in a region heavily visited by tourists. However this is a slightly different example, as unlike the natives of the Canadian region, the natives of most of Africa weren’t majoritarily killed off.
Although Western culture too easily seems to have taken over other ways of life, and this perception often overshadows the different cultures who live without necessarily depending or believing in Western ideals, on it’s really not true. Western culture seems more entrenched within urban areas, and only 53% of the world’s population are currently living in urban areas. That entails that close to half of the world is living in rural or un-modified lands. Many Indigenous groups are part of the people who live in these parts. Costa Rica has many natural reserves, and protected Indigenous lands. The Borucas are an Indigenous group living amongst each other in a reservation in the SW of the country; they have kept their language, and root beliefs. They have a celebration called ‘Fiesta de los Diablitos’ which is done in thanks to the animal spirits that guided them to successfully resist Spanish conquest.
I’d be inclined to think that more than a few Indigenous groups have kept close to their cultural traditions and beliefs, just because there are many groups that fight for their rights to preserve them. (Think about Canadian politics; there are many organizations (Métis Nation of British Columbia or the Assembly of First Nations) that continue to raise social and political awareness in order to protect and preserve Indigenous cultures and populations) But I don’t know how much these traditions have changed or evolved. As you mentioned, the many technological inventions of the West have probably affected many Indigenous cultures, but to what extent? I guess we’ll need to find out 😛