Assignment 2:6 – Authenticity and Truth
by maya sumel
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/.
Hi Maya,
I enjoyed reading your post. Early in the post, you mention: “and as Carlson mentions, it is better to not say anything than to say something untrue.” At the end, you say “It is very different from what I have always been taught, which is to exercise caution, but Carlson explained it very well.” I’m looking for some clarification on what you mean – you seem to suggest that Carlson would agree with your understanding of the need to exercise caution and that stories must be told accurately for the reasons you’ve outlined in your post. What do you mean by this is different than what you’ve been taught?
Thanks for expanding on this for me so that I fully understand!
Katarina
Hi Katarina! Thank you for your question, it makes me feel like you really are trying to understand my blog post and my point of view, which I do appreciate!
What I meant by this is that I have been taught to always exercise caution but the way that Carlson described made me understand why Indigenous people’s spirituality is so important. I haven’t been taught to trust in stories, and I do agree with Carlson. I was simply pointing out that the way that Carlson explained the different ways of storytelling helped me understand it more.
I hope this clarifies things for you! 🙂 Maya
Hi Maya,
Thanks for the interesting Blog post!
Carlson did a really great job explaining why accurate storytelling is very important to Indigenous people and you did a great job summarizing! Considering the spiritual importance placed on story telling how do you think academics and scholars should study Indigenous stories? In other academic areas, studies may focus on certain story genres, pay more attention to one story over others or dismiss certain stories all together. If we are going to study Indigenous stories with respect tot their importance in Indigenous culture, it appears to me that typically (colonial) methods will not suffice. Do you see a way that scholars can study Indigenous stories with respect while also doing their academic due diligence?
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for your reply, I really appreciate your comments on my current blog post and your insight and respectful feedback.
In terms of academics studying Indigenous stories, I think it is important to always keep in mind what the spiritual importance is and to not make assumptions. I find that sometimes we look at things with a scientific view instead of a more realistic view.
Sadly, I do not see a concrete way that scholars can study Indigenous stories with respect while also doing their due diligence. I think that skepticism and doubt is in our nature, while trust is in theirs. I think that having someone with Indigenous background conducting part of the research may help mitigate the bias!
Thanks 🙂 Maya
Hi Maya,
I quite enjoyed your post! One should definitely always exercise caution when hearing a story, the “truth” can be a tricky thing the interpretation of what people see or experience can be very different between persons. Particularly, the line: “it is better to not say anything than to say something untrue,” stuck with me. In practice, I have found this to be both a good and bad thing. For example, spreading false stories is absolutely horrible (I don’t know about you, but I had some horrible experiences with false information making it way through the rumor mills in highschool), but on the other hand, I have also been found in situations where I had made assumptions that were very inaccurate, but I didn’t know any better at the time since no one talked about it. Through reading your post, I think you understand where I am coming from. I would be curious to know your thoughts though. Would it be better for stories to be told, and possible also corrected once they are told, or to keep stories to one-self if not sure of the accuracies?
Thanks!
Hi Nicole!
I think that it would be a shame to not tell stories! I think and believe strongly that if a story is mistold, it is easy enough to try to rectify and make the situation right by telling it correctly. By not telling a story, we are changing the way we live and possibly ending forms of communication. I feel like storytelling is such a vital way in which we communicate, share our thoughts and experiences, and carry on traditions and experiences to others.
Thanks! Maya
Hi Maya!
Excellent post. I think you raise a very interesting issue when you state in your post:
“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”
I suppose that would mean that is is vital to distinguish between authenticity and authority. Nazi story tellers would certainly be sharing their stories authoritatively, however, that certainly does not mean that it is true.
Great read!