Lesson 2:3 – Authenticity and Truth

5] “To raise the question of ‘authenticity’ is to challenge not only the narrative but also the ‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing “(Carlson 59). Explain why this is so according to Carlson, and explain why it is important to recognize this point.

As Carlson explains in his article, imposing European concepts of authenticit” onto Salish history challenges the fundamentals of Salish culture. The narratives which Salish people share are sacred, and the importance which is placed on their accuracy ensures that mistakes are not made during their telling. Authenticity, as we understand it, relies on material evidence. Applying this mode of judgement to Salish storytelling is not only pointless, but harmful to our understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity. The Salish stories emerge out of a culture which values accuracy in storytelling the same way in which we value it in our historiography. Carlson writes that “it is difficult to imagine a context in which a Salish person could intentionally modify a historical narrative… the community would not allow such an individual to get away with it even if they tried.” To impose a Western concept of authenticity is to discredit the strength of Salish tradition.

Further, the status of Salish oral histories is strong enough that it “cannot be easily challenged by either indigenous people or Non-Native newcomers and their competing chronologies of interpretation.” (59) By applying European methods of authentication we are supposing that these methods, and our opinions which derive from them, have any bearing whatsoever on Salish perception of their own histories. This may be an example of Europeans granting our opinions more merit than they actually possess. Salish stories belong to the Salish people. Salish concepts of truth exist independent from our scrutiny. To instill our own truth-telling devices onto Salish stories is to evaluate something which is not ours to do this with.

It is important to recognize that we do not need to analyze the validity of Salish stories, because our evaluation of them ties in to a larger characteristic of Colonial-Indigenous relations. I am referring to the idea that the Indigenous culture has to be identified and made valid according to the value system of the colonizer. In reality, it is not necessarily our responsibility to do this, and I believe in doing so we assert that the colonial culture is inherently more valid than the indigenous culture. 

Works Cited:

“Enjoy Coast Salish Territory.” Sonny Assu. Web. 17 Feb 2014.

“Eurocentric.” Miriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. 17 Feb 2014.

Paterson, Erika. “Lesson 2:3.” ENGL 470A Canadian Studies Canadian Literary Genres. University of British Columbia Blogs, 2013. Web.77 Feb. 2014.

Carlson, Keith Thor. “Orality and Literacy: The Black and White of Salish History.” Orality and Literacy: Reflections Across Disciplines. Ed. Carlson, Kristina Fagna, & Natalia Khamenko-Frieson. Tornoto: U of Toronto P, 2011. 43-72.

 

1 thought on “Lesson 2:3 – Authenticity and Truth

  1. jrobichaud

    I really enjoyed your blog post, and agree with you 100%. These stories are sacred. Some stories as so sacred that they are not shared with outsiders. I agree with you that is is not our responsibility to understand or even translate these stories to fit what into what we can understand.

    In one of my other English classes we are studying modernists texts and a lot of texts that are focusing on issues of Imperialism and Colonization. In all of these different stories, such as “Heart of Darkness” and “A Passage to India.” We see this sense of entitlement that the Europeans had when colonizing and taking over a land that is new to them. I feel that it is unfortunate, and enough has been taken from the Natives, so we should leave some of these stories alone and not try to dissect them. They should be for the Native people.

    Reply

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