Monthly Archives: January 2016

I have a story to tell you. It’s a story of how evil entered the world.

This story takes place in the past, at a time when human beings grew separate from each other as different individual species, like types of flowers. These humans were quite similar to the humans that currently populate the earth, with one major difference. Each group was born with the ability to experience only one emotion. For example, there was a group that knew only joy, one that knew only sadness, one that knew only compassion and another that knew only fear. Each of these groups, we’ll call them tribes, adapted to their environment using what they knew and only that. They knew the place they were born and only that place. They would spend their lives living in harmony with the individuals of their same type, never leaving and never knowing anyone but their own. Over time, however, each tribe steadily grew in number, requiring more space to live, expanding like drops of ink on a surface of water. As they grew, the elders of each tribe sensed that a change was about to come. Their borders would soon meet with the borders of other species. One elder, from the tribe of Curiosity, decided to go on a journey to see what she could learn about this sense of forthcoming collision.

The first group she came across was the tribe of Joy. She was welcomed with joy upon arrival and brought in to meet the elder of the Joy tribe. Upon connecting, each was able to describe to the other what made them who they were, their stories of Joy and Curiosity. After exchanging these stories, a seed of each other’s emotion was planted in the other’s heart; the people of Joy now understood curiosity and vice versa. A decision was then made that the two elders would continue on to see what other tribes they could find. They traveled far and wide, eventually exchanging their stories with the tribes of Sadness, Compassion, Wonder, Anger, Love and a variety of others. Each meeting resulted in an exchange of stories, and with that exchange, a seed of each emotion was planted in each heart. By this time the travelling band had become a group of much more emotionally complex individuals, yet they were still able to live in harmony.

There was only one tribe left still living in seclusion. This was the tribe of Fear. The elder of Fear had also sensed the forthcoming collision of tribes, but had counselled her tribe to hide, because she was afraid. A time came, however, when they could no longer hide and were forced to accept the encounter with the travelling band of elders. Because her tribe was dominated by fear, they were constantly scanning the horizon and checking their borders, in an attempt to protect their land. They saw the travelling band approaching and immediately told their elder. The Fear elder told them all to hide, for she was afraid of what might happen upon meeting with the strange group of beings coming her way. She retreated to her home and waited for the group to approach. The group of elders approached the same way they had all approached each other throughout their journey. Of course, here, they sensed a difference. There was nobody to be found. Finally they arrived at the Fear elder’s home, and entered, expecting to find nothing. Here they met the Fear elder, huddled in the corner of her space. The group, led primarily by Compassion and Curiosity, approached Fear and encouraged her to share with them her story, as they all had. Fear was overwhelmed with fear but was eventually able to describe to them what that felt like. As she spoke her story, the others slowly understood, as the seed of fear was planted in their hearts. When she finished her story, and her seed had been planted, the group of elders, afraid of what they now felt, begged her to take it back.

“But of course, it was too late. For once a story is told, it cannot be called back. Once told, it is loose in the world” (King 10).

The End.

One quick comment on this assignment as my story is already quite long. I learned this week that for many, current lifestyles make it difficult to even find the time to stop and listen to a story such as this one. In attempts to tell others my story, I was amazed at how difficult it was to be able to get through its entirety without interruption of some kind. I knew I would learn something by the end of this week, that is what I learned. We tell each other stories all of the time: stories about our world, our interactions, our current situations. Do we need to make more time for stories of a different kind? Perhaps.

Sierra Gale

Thoughts on Assignment 1:4

Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra. “Theories of Emotion.” About.com Health. About.com. 20 June 2015. Web. 31 January 2016.

Lennon, John. “Quotable Quote.” Goodreads. Goodreads Inc.. 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 31 January 2016.

King, Thomas. The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. Toronto: Anansi Press. 2003. Print.

4.) Figuring out this place called home is a problem (87).  Why? Why is it so problematic to figure out this place we call home: Canada? Consider this question in context with Chamberlin’s discussion on imagination and reality; belief and truth (use the index).Chamberlin says, “the sad fact is, the history of settlement around the world is the history of displacing other people from their lands, of discounting their livelihoods and destroying their languages” (78).  Chamberlin goes on to “put this differently” (Para. 3). Explain that “different way” of looking at this, and discuss what you think of the differences and possible consequences of these “two ways” of understanding the history of settlement in Canada.

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The story of Canada’s settlement is one I am sure most of us have heard before, in various forms. The version I know best: Europeans arrive on new territory, decide they want to claim it as their own, and do what they feel is necessary and appropriate to get what they want. It features one group’s desire to claim land as their new home, and a resulting need to displace and destroy those they see as a threat to achieving that desire. I think this is why it is so difficult to figure out this place we call home: Canada. It is a home that has been stolen for some and lost for others. For many of us it is built on a “myth of discovery,” a story that was created to help one group manage blame for the pain and loss they were responsible for (Chamberlin 28).  I find it difficult to resist seeing this story as wrong or untrue. However, Chamberlin seems to be trying to get rid of the idea that anybody’s story can be seen as wrong or untrue. He is trying to convince us that more than one truth can exist, more than one story can be seen as ‘real’ or ‘true’ (228). Problems arise, however, when we refuse to believe anybody’s story except our own. The ability to find common ground disappears when we become so convinced that our story is the truth and no other truth can exist. Chamberlin tells many stories in an attempt to shake up our view of ‘reality’ or ‘the one truth.’ He is able to use different perspectives to support his argument that “dividing the world into Them and Us is inevitable. But choosing between is like choosing between reality and the imagination, or between being marooned on an island and drowning in the sea. Deadly, and ultimately a delusion” (239).  One way he does this is by offering an alternative to the language of displacement and destruction often used to describe stories of settlement around the world. He chooses to describe it as: “a history of dismissing a different belief or different behaviour as unbelief or misbehaviour, and of discrediting those who believe or behave differently as infidels or savages” (78). With this different language he has offered us a new way to see the truth of the history of our home, a new way that might be easier to swallow, or at least to move forward from.

The idea that a group of people could so obviously harm another, displace and destroy their home and livelihoods is dreadfully uncomfortable. Chamberlin explores this uncomfortable space in an attempt to use it to help find common ground.  By re-framing the story we have been telling ourselves (as newcomers and settlers of this land) Chamberlin is able to create space for a new story to be heard and understood. By casting European settlers as nomads and those people already living here as the settlers, the understanding of a different story is able to begin (Chamberlin 30). He tells the story of Them and Us, of the barbaric and civilized, before encouraging us to question where those distinctions come from. One way he works to dissect these distinctions is by focusing on the root from which divisions and conflict between groups of people often grow. His discussion of “doodlers and doers” and the “useless and the useful” helps us understand how the stories one group of people tells themselves can colour their view of the other (28). This is where Chamberlin’s ‘different way’ of looking at settlement in Canada becomes helpful.  He is able to bring us closer to the discomfort behind choices that were made and the damage that was done. By bringing us closer to this place of shared discomfort we are better set-up to meet and re-create our story together on common ground.

Sierra,

An Assignment for Lesson 1:2

Works Cited:

Chamberlin, Edward. If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. Toronto:  AA. Knopf, 2003. Print.

Kenrick, Douglas T.. “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?: The origins of xenophobia”. Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 02 April, 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.

“Protestant ethic”. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.

Hi everyone,

My name is Sierra Gale and I welcome you to read what I have to contribute to English 470’s semester-long discussion.

Seeing as this course will focus on the place we call home, and how we think and speak about that home, it might be useful to share with you the various homes I have called my own. I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, a place I have called home for the majority of my life and will continue to for an uncertain amount of time. However, I left Saskatchewan in 2007 and have since lived in Texas, Vancouver, Revelstoke, Hawaii, the seats of various busses travelling throughout South America, and a 1976 Dodge camper van. I am currently splitting my time between Vancouver and Gibsons and am so happy to be back on the west coast.

I graduated from UBC in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. I’ve enrolled in this course with you fine people because I am currently applying to various post-degree teacher education programs. An additional english literature course is something I require to be considered admissible to most schools. Why did I choose this course in particular? My knowledge of Canadian history is, in my opinion, shamefully lacking. The opportunity this class offers, to be able to learn more about Canada’s history online, with a focus on storytelling and First Nations’ perspective, is one I couldn’t pass up.

Throughout my travels, I have often been asked what it’s like to be from Canada. Every time I am asked this, I find it very difficult to form a useful answer. When I am asked about our politics, our culture, or how we relate to one another, anything I say just doesn’t seem accurate enough, or complete. I know racism exists here. I have seen it most obviously in my home province of Saskatchewan. Why it exists has been a topic of many late-night kitchen debates. What I am hoping to gain from this course is a better idea of what it means to be Canadian, truly, through the interpretation of stories and perspectives I would otherwise not be exposed to.

I look forward to learning from, and with all of you. Here’s to the beginning of what I hope will be a supportive, inspiring online platform!

Sincerely,

Sierra

Works Cited:

Gale, Sierra. “Skipping Winter: An adventure in the southerly direction.” Web blog post. Skipping Winter. WordPress, 9 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

Smith, Kim. “Bleak picture painted of racism in Saskatchewan.” Global News. Global News Canada, 23 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.