The opening passage that John Lutz writes deeply resonated in my understanding of the all too often miscommunication that exists during first encounters. Both the natives and strangers, as he says, struggled with similar concerns and questions upon first meeting (30). This misunderstanding may persist when we now try to understand and put ourselves in the position of the First Nations people. It must have been a difficult task for two societies who are deeply cultured, ever changing and ambivalent to the core to communicate and reach common grounds. Having only words and sign language to transcend the gap often fails to do justice to real intentions.

“Undoubtedly, what was sent via the performance was imperfectly received by the audience, and the response to the misunderstood message was no doubt also misunderstood in a cycle of confusion” (30)

I believe it is fair to assume that Lutz considers a large percentage of his readers to come from Western or European influence. I also believe it a fair assumption that it is difficult for European’s to sympathize with First Nations but I do not know if I would agree with it being easier for First Nations to understand Europeans. If we go off history, I would say yes because the Western culture has been so consuming and has had the impact of washing away or even blending into other cultures. However at that particular moment, during the first encounter, both parties were in complete dark in regards to the foreign people they would meet

Lutz appears to out the Indigenous people as the ones who are at fault or at the failing end of delivering coherent communication,  making “us” not be able to understand what they are trying to say. Just because something is different from what you are used to does not mean it is any less wrong from what we know. They had a common ground, literally the ground they stood on was what the two sides could attempt to communicate over. However the two people had very different relations to that land and it could result in equal miscommunication. For the Indigenous people they draw their thoughts and feelings from the land. Whereas the Europeans who focused more on how to attain it and how to get around any obstacles that stood in their way. In any sense, once the two groups were able to communicate over a common issue, simultaneously messages were exchanged but they may not have translated in the exact manner either one intended.

Works Cited

Lutz, John. “First Contact as a Spiritual Performance: Aboriginal — Non-Aboriginal Encounters on the North American West Coast.” Myth and Memory: Rethinking Stories of Indigenous-European Contact. Ed. Lutz. Vancouver: U of British Columbia P, 2007. 30-45. Print.