Month: February 2020

For this week’s blog post, I chose to answer question 6 from Unit 3:1. The question is focused on Lee Maracle’s paragraph where she writes: “In order for criticism to arise naturally from within our culture, discourse must serve the same function it has always served. In Euro-society, literary criticism heightens the competition between writers and limits entry of new writers to preserve the original canon. What will its function be in our societies? (88)”. Maracle answers the question she poses in the excerpt in the following paragraphs in her essay, and she describes what she sees to be the function of literary criticism in Salish society. Today I will be summarizing her answer, and I will be drawing comparisons between Maracle and Frye’s analysis of the role of myth in nation building.

For Lee Maracle, developing a system for literary criticism in Salish society is essential and needed. Maracle writes that discourse must serve the same function that it has always served in order for criticism to arise naturally within our culture, and then goes on to ask ‘what will its function be in our societies?’. Maracle writes that in her society, ‘story creates discourse around health communal doubt, which inspires us to face ourselves and to grow and transform, also calling us to create myth from the new and transformed being’ (85). Maracle answers her question by first writing that the purpose of examining an old story is to understand it, see oneself in the story, and then to see our common humanity through the story. Maracle writes that from this past discourse we create new transformation myths designed to help us clear obstacles and point us in the direction of ‘the good life’ (85). The creation of these new stories help us gain awareness of the impact we have so we can learn from the consequences.

According to Maracle, criticism is done by individuals within the culture who understand the ‘original story base’ (84). Maracle writes that ‘the deployment of the historic and the continued use of original processes become part of the responsibility of the myth-maker’ (85). This means that the process of myth creation requires the myth-maker to be original and spark the interest of the nation because the nation is the one recognizing the story and interacting with the myth-maker. Maracle then goes on to discuss how transformation is at the centre of our oratorical story tradition and it is the objective of life itself. Maracle believes that the function of discourse in our societies is to primarily build upon it, learn from it, teach others about it, and build our common humanity toward a better life. Maracle puts a large focus on the role of myth and the myth-maker, and how the myth-maker can invoke the processes for story creation from within the culture. The myth-maker is responsible for respecting the knowledge of history and original processes in the interest of the nation within the culture.

Frye focuses in Canadian national identity, and the problems are different for Maracle and Frye. As mentioned in this unit by professor Paterson, both Maracle and Frye do share a connection, despite their different beliefs. Maracle is concerned with cultural growth, and writes “… with a broad and solid foundation in their society’s knowledge […] they do so through a careful and connected study of old and recent literary products that clearly arise out of the original story base (84).” Frye is also focused on growing culturally and believes in maintaining tradition like Maracle. 

Frye and Maracle take two very different approaches to tackling the topic of nation building and how oratory and literature affects it, but they share commonalities and recognize its importance. Both Frye and Maracle are concerned with addressing nation building, questions regarding nationalism, and focusing on literature and how oratory affects a nation’s ability to build and ‘grow culturally’. 

Thanks for reading! Maya 🙂

 

Works Cited

Maracle, Lee. “Toward a National Literature: A Body of Writing.” Across Cultures, Across Borders Canadian Aboriginal and Native American Literatures by Paul Warren Depasquale, Renate Eigenbrod, Emma Larocque (z-lib.org), Broadview, 2010. Print.

Frye, Northrop. The Bush Garden; Essays on the Canadian Imagination. 2011 Toronto: Anansi. Print.

Stugu, Ola Svein. “Myths, History and the Construction of National Identity.” Academia.edu – Share Research, www.academia.edu/6159236/Myths_History_and_the_Construction_of_National_Identity.
Thom, Brian. Coast Salish Transformation Stories, 15 Jan. 1998, www.web.uvic.ca/~bthom1/Media/pdfs/ethnography/transform.htm.

Hello everyone! Seeing that now is the time for midterm reflection, I will be listing below my three favourite blog posts from the first half of the term.

The first blog post I would like to submit for review is assignment 2:4, which is ‘the assumptions made on history’. The questions focused on Lutz’s assumption that “one of the most obvious difficulties is comprehending the performances of the Indigenous participants” (Lutz, “First Contact” 32).  The reason I enjoyed writing this blog post so much and felt like it was one of my stronger posts is because I felt like not only could I explore this quote, but I could analyze it and relate it to the general world and the rest of his article. I enjoyed writing this piece a lot and really felt engaged.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/mayasumel/2020/02/08/24-the-assumptions-made-on-history/

The second blog post I enjoyed the most is assignment 2:2, which is ‘what home means to me’. Personally, I felt like his blog post allowed me to introduce myself, my family, and my struggles, while also focusing on how I get by day to day and what makes me ‘me’. Writing this blog post felt very easy yet also challenging for me, and I felt like I channeled into the inner parts of my thoughts and myself. I was eager not only to share more about myself, but learn about the rest of the students in the class too!

https://blogs.ubc.ca/mayasumel/2020/01/29/assignment-22/

The third, but most definitely not the last assignment I enjoyed the most was assignment 1:5, which was the story we got to tell. I loved this blog post because we were given free reign with what we wanted to keep the same or change about the story, and it really allowed me to be creative and challenge myself and my thoughts. I found myself wanting to use less dialogue and more narrative, so I had to find creative ways to keep the reader engaged. This blog post was the first one where I felt I was finding my voice as a writer throughout this course and it felt amazing!

https://blogs.ubc.ca/mayasumel/2020/01/22/assignment-15/

Thank you for reading my blurbs regarding my submissions for the midterm review 🙂

Maya

The question I chose to answer for assignment 2:6 is question five, which poses “To raise the question of ‘authenticity’ is to challenge not only the narrative but also the ‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing” (Carlson, 59). This question is asking me to explain why this is the case according to Carlson, and why it is important to recognize this point.

The truth behind the narrative of ‘Salish ways of knowing’ is described by Carlson as extremely sacred to the extent that it is better not to tell a story if someone is unsure or parts are missing because ‘shortening myths would shorten the lives of all listeners’ (Carlson, 59). When Carlson says “to raise the question of ‘authenticity’ is to challenge not only the narrative but also the ‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing”, he is drawing upon the facts and importance of oral storytelling and accuracy. I will go more into detail below, but for Salish people, telling and sharing their myths is sacred, and as Carlson mentions, it is better to not say anything than to say something untrue. Their ways of knowing comes from traditions and beliefs passed down through generations and their culture, so when asking about authenticity, it simultaneously questions the truth behind the story and ‘Salish ways of knowing’. 

Carlson discusses how in each society it is understood that inaccurate historical narratives pose dangers to the reputation of the speaker and to the audience (Carlson, 58). Carlson also draws on how Western societies and Nazi history can depict dangerous stories as they are not told with the same authenticity or truth as Salish stories are, so that may also be a reason why people are so skeptical. These inaccurate stories may have severe consequences as well. Personally speaking, I always question what I am being told because each time a story is told it tends to change, which is also what we have learnt throughout class. That being said, it is not always the case.

The importance of the spirit world in retelling stories is one key reason to recognize this point. In this article Carlson discusses that retelling stories consists of deceased people, which are ancestors in the spirit world. He points to the importance of retelling a story, and how it is known to convene the spirits of the historical actors described (Carlson, 58). Carlson then goes on to mention that ancestral spirits are believed to be concerned with honour, integrity, and accuracy, and if their story is not told accurately they can cause ‘bad things’ to happen (Carlson, 59). It is also believed that the spirits may carry away one’s soul if their name is mentioned at night, and that is why some Salish people today do not mention the names of the deceased at night. This point also goes hand in hand with the obligation that Salish historians have to maintain the integrity of their sacred historical narratives and why people are ‘compulsively concerned about telling stories “right”’ (Carlson, 59).

This was very interesting for me to read about and discuss because I was able to see the importance of the Salish ways of knowing and of Aboriginal peoples history and their oral and written traditions. It is very different from what I have always been taught, which is to exercise caution, but Carlson explained it very well.

I hope you all enjoyed reading my blog post this week!

Thank you,

Maya 🙂

 

Works Cited:

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

White, Sophia. “A Very Short History of the Coast Salish People.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 3 Dec. 2014, theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/articles/a-very-short-history-of-the-coast-salish-people/.

“Oral Traditions.” Indigenousfoundations, indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/oral_traditions/.

For Assignment 2:4, I chose to answer question 3 at the end of unit 2, which is based on a section on John Lutz’s book ‘Myth and Memory’. The section I read and analyzed for this question was “First Contact as a Spiritual Performance: Encounters on the North American West Coast”.

Lutz makes an assumption in this section of his book about his audience. Lutz assumes that “one of the most obvious difficulties is comprehending the performances of the Indigenous participants” (Lutz, “First Contact” 32). By Lutz making this assumption, he encompasses his entire audience, including me, into it. Question three asks what I make of this reading, and if Erika (our instructor) is being fair when she points to this assumption, and in turn, if Lutz is being fair when he makes this assumption. As our professor Erika mentions, it is because “one must of necessity enter a world that is distant in time and alien in culture, attempting to perceive indigenous performance through their eyes as well as those of the Europeans”. 

 I found that Lutz has a very general, yet in depth outlook on first encounters, and what I found particularly interesting is how he mentions that both parties aim to minimize danger and maximize opportunities. He has an extremely interesting outlook on the European colonisation of Indigenous peoples which I enjoyed reading. I do agree with Erika’s assumption that Lutz believes his readers belong to European descent, which is not always the truth. His assumption also suggests that it is more difficult for a European to understand Indigenous performances, rather than Indigenous peoples understanding European performances. Even though Lutz is making generalizes assumptions, they hold a majority of the truth. While I am not from European descent, I am sure that most people reading his work are, which adds truth to what he is saying.

In terms of fairness on Lutz’s end, I do believe that he is being fair. Most people, writers in particular, have to take a stance and provide reasons as to why they believe this. Lutz took the assumption that warrants more truth, and I do believe it is fair. That being said, I do believe that upon first encounters, the Indigenous peoples would have found the European mannerisms just as strange and foreign. Lutz explains that for Indigenous peoples, first contact exchanges involved integrating the appearance of the white European men with their previous long-held knowledge of the animal and spiritual world visitors they had encountered (“First Contact” 36). Lutz then went on to note that the Indigenous peoples also associated the arrival of the Europeans with the spirit world (“First Contact” 36). 

I am not too familiar with the beliefs, culture, and spirituality of Indigenous peoples here in Canada myself, but upon reading I have learnt a lot of the importance. Upon familiarizing myself, I found myself understanding Lutz’s referencing and meaning, and I do hope that other students in this class and readers do the same.

Thank you very much! Maya 🙂

 

Works Cited

Lutz, J. S., Binney, J., Dauenhauer, N. M., Dauenhauer, R., & Maclaren, I. S. (2014). Myth and Memory: Stories of Indigenous-European Contact. Vancouver: UBC Press.

“Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/religion-of-aboriginal-people.Joseph, Bob. “Why Continuity of Indigenous Cultural Identity Is Critical.” Why Continuity of  Indigenous Cultural Identity Is Critical, www.ictinc.ca/blog/why-is-indigenous-cultural-continuity-critical.

Hi everyone! For this week’s blog post I will be identifying similarities in my classmates’ and my definition of ‘home’. I’ll be discussing Alexandra’s, Chino’s, Jade’s, Gaby’s, Megan’s, and Georgia’s blogs about the values of home. 

Alex says that she had a solid concept of home. She emphasized the trust her and her family members had, and how they valued honesty.

Georgia mentions that the feeling of home is having safety and warmth around you, and an overwhelming feeling of comfort.

Chino says that home is largely where you live and grew up, and where your house is.

Gaby discusses that home is where you feel loved and appreciated.

Megan discusses how the idea of home is largely based on the people you are surrounded by and spend time with.

Jade says that home is known as the place you lived from birth to present, the place you fell in love, and where you had your first heartbreak.

Upon reading everyone’s blog posts, I found a common theme that most people found the meaning of home either based on where they were born and grew up, or where their family was. I thought that each blog related largely to my conception of home but in very different ways. 

While family does not mean ‘home’ to me, it largely shaped my perception and meaning of home, which can relate mostly to Alex’s meaning of home. Alex says she feels safe with her family, and has a feeling of safety, love, and security. She also says that when her family moved to Vancouver last year, she no longer referred to the island as her home. Alex went on to attribute this to the fact that since her parents now live in Vancouver, she associates the feeling of ‘home’ to Vancouver, which is where her family is. 

Chino went on to state that home is the people that surround you, which I support. The people around you don’t have to be your family, but they can become like family. Home is also attributed to where your roots are. I found Chino and I to be quite similar when she says  ‘home is where the heart is’. I attribute this common saying to a feeling of safety and warmth, which is what I emphasized in my blog post about the feeling of home. Chino also says that home is everything and everyone we hold in our hearts, which I believe to be true.

Gaby believes that home is based on safety, acceptance, freedom and warmth. The feeling of safety was the grand notion in my blog post. I ended the post by saying that home is where you feel safe, which I feel Gaby also captures when describing her meaning and feeling of home for her. She also associated home to a feeling of fulfillment, pleasant experiences, and the things we love and appreciate. She believes that home is created by us and shaped by our own experiences.

Jade’s feeling of home resonated with me because she emphasizes where you grew up and experienced most things, and for me that is Vancouver. She also says that home is not just physical, but it is also emotional, and it is possible to have many homes because the home is what you make of it.

Megan was similar to me in the sense that she emphasizes familial ties, but she has a more positive outlook on it. She says family plays a large role in feeling and being at home, which I do agree with as well.

What I realized after completing this assignment was not to focus on how my peers and I viewed home as different concepts, but rather acknowledge that despite our extreme differences, we still have some of the same values. I found this extremely comforting and also interesting, and I hope you all enjoyed reading my blog post this week!

Thank you,

Maya Sumel 🙂

 

Works Cited:

MeganCameron. (2020, January 28). Megan Cameron’s Blog. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/megancameronengl372/2020/01/28/assignment-22/?fbclid=IwAR3E2RzujtfO7OU72_Z8ktgkV-51Jv1jaAsPaq8Wdr_MA_GgQZ6USxlmk8A

Greer, J. (2020, January 29). Menu. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/jadegreer/2020/01/29/assignment-2-2/?fbclid=IwAR2uvTDGBlj9uWNexvBmHyhbWffHqHOpteB9y4Ni5V2ecG4f5K5t2s-C6FE

Explorer Gaby’s Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/gabyliteratureexplorer/2020/01/28/the-story-of-home/?fbclid=IwAR0cn6_GtccTYjtuKPZ7ZzhW3jf6obFea-m0_8DayHJ6KKScVtBd9x2Wb9g

Masaki, G. (2020, January 27). Assignment 2.1: Home. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/georgiamasaki/2020/01/27/assignment-2-1-home/?fbclid=IwAR0t0awBGXwCE9zSdd2sxsAnNpEj7K96ZayKftf4OxsuHdWXnE75f039lZ4

Sinclair, A. (020, January 29) Assignment 1:5. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/english372/2020/01/29/assignment-15-2/

Rodriguez, A. C. (2020, January 28) Assignment 2.2: Home. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/crodriguezengl372/2020/01/28/assignment-2-2-home/?fbclid=IwAR0abiRkHbznyc-CFNSnY-kUOIL7vqfcYBRDD1n3qd-cf0xEy4uDkOn7C-4

Nelson, Zanteria. “Home Is Where The Heart Is.” The Odyssey Online, The Odyssey Online, 16 Oct. 2019, www.theodysseyonline.com/the-heart-is-home.