One of the ways in which systems of injustice function most efficiently is by detaching society from their personal and social histories. By doing so, they are metaphorically disconnecting us from our “stories”. The article, Dreams of Our Grandmothers: Discovering the Call for Social Justice Through Storytelling, investigates the role of personal narratives in the context of social justice and education. The article exposes the essential need to share one’s familial past with others as this can aid in finding common ground and furthermore, influencing change among cultures. The article chronicles a study conducted by five students who conferred their ethnic backgrounds among each other. They argue that relating to their own or others’ tales …show more content…
Taking on an objective point of view, the authors go into explicit detail regarding specific investigations held in order to further justify their thesis. This includes a “Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution”, a sharing of personal stories and experiences in a doctoral-level class. (Dreams of Our Grandmothers: Discovering the Call for Social Justice Through Storytelling) The authors utilize personal storytelling throughout the article, intending to create empathy and recognition across cultural fissures expanded by a history of political violence. They chose to omit quotation marks for passages from the narratives, allowing them to integrate more synergistically with the text and to indicate that the narrators are subjects, rather than objects of the analysis. This was the strongest persuasive technique used throughout the text, as readers were often reminded of the “bonds of fellowship and community” that were created through the telling of stories. (Dreams of Our Grandmothers: Discovering the Call for Social Justice Through …show more content…
The introduction quickly captures the reader’s attention by openly stating that school systems in North America often disrupt First Nations peoples’ family relationships, language and culture. Such striking accusations intrigue the reader as they furthermore suggest an educational insignificance of woman and minorities. Thought provoking questions are introduced to the reader that are later on answered. This strategy offers us the chance to develop our own opinion before being presented with further evidence concerning storytelling and its effect on social justice. Subtitles are also used throughout the text, dividing segments such as Storytelling, Identity and Meaning, Social Justice, Resistance, and Culture and Agency, Continuity, and Change. Each subsection offers a personal inscription touching upon their given title, all of which reflect the choice and action of an individual standing up for something that they believe
Thomas King uses an oral story-telling style of writing mingled with western narrative in his article “You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind” to explain that Indians are not on the brink of extinction. Through this article in the Racism, Colonialism, and Indigeneity in Canada textbook, King also brings some focus to the topic of what it means to be “Indian” through the eyes of an actual Aboriginal versus how Aboriginals are viewed by other races of people. With his unique style of writing, King is able to bring the reader into the situations he describes because he writes about it like a story he is telling.
In Drew Hayden Taylor’s essays, he creates and manipulates various tones that each appeal to a different reader, which allows for his writings to be accepted and related to by various people. Through his use of shifting tones in “What’s an Indian worth These Days” and “Why did the Indian Block the Road”, from humorous to informative to sarcasm, Drew Hayden Taylor challenges stereotypes about First Nations people.
Canadians are just recently beginning to realize the detrimental aftermath of the years of trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples of Canada, such as the survivors of the residential school system. It is often difficult for these people to overcome the impact that follows. Undoubtedly, it requires help and support from others, but these people must make their personal healing journey themselves. The passages “Rock Bottom” by Steven Keewatin Sanderson and the “Legend of the Sugar Girl” by Joseph Boyden prove that although trauma can significantly undermine groups of people, they can overcome their difficulties. Both authors illustrate how trauma negatively affects characters, causes them to fall victim
In Thomas King's short story "Borders," a Blackfoot mother struggles with maintaining her cultural heritage under the pressure of two dominating nations. Storytelling is important, both for the mother and for the dominant White society. Stories are used to maintain and pass on cultural information and customs from one generation to another. Furthermore, stories can be used both positively and negatively. They can trap individuals into certain ways of thinking, but they can also act as catalysts that drive social change within society.
In The Truth about stories, Thomas King shares a Native perspective on Native issues. In fact, this sentence alone suggests some of the problems he deals with throughout his book. King 's book covers topics as diverse as racism and stereotyping, basketball, and coping with life 's sorrows, but it looks at all of these issues through an exploration of narrative in the forms of stories that we tell ourselves and others. The book 's main message is one that discusses the importance of seeing people for who they are, and not trying to classify them as one particular race or culture. I think this is a message that is especially important for social workers to keep in mind as they struggle to help those who are not a part of the dominant culture or socio-economic class.
This is an anthology of writing by nineteen Native Canadian writers, which represents both an attempt to promote Native writing, and an effort to undermine commonly held misunderstandings. It is published by McClelland & Stewart, "The Canadian Publishers", which gives the collection a status of national and cultural importance, while indicating how these writers are working in and through Canada's hegemonic culture. This would seem to go some way towards undermining the book's claims to authenticity, but for the fact that King's stated purpose is much more complex than that. In fact, his introduction specifically considers the concept of the authentic, and is wary of what is potentially a highly limiting notion. Thus, the selection includes work that represents Natives in both traditional and contemporary roles and situations; and the format of the writing ranges from a transcription of an oral narrative to examples of conformity with the generic conventions of the Western short story. He is reluctant to constrain the possibilities for Native expression, but is ready to admit that the advent of a written culture with English as a shared language has allowed the various indiginous cultures to discover and explore areas of common belief and practice.
Deiter-McArthur, Pat. “Saskatchewan’s Indian People – Five Generations.” Acting on Words: An Integrated Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook. Ed. David Brundage, Michael Lahey. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc., 2012. 379-381. Print.
In “The Truth about Stories”, Thomas King, demonstrate connection between the Native storytelling and the authentic world. He examines various themes in the stories such as; oppression, racism, identity and discrimination. He uses the creational stories and implies in to the world today and points out the racism and identity issues the Native people went through and are going through. The surroundings shape individuals’ life and a story plays vital roles. How one tells a story has huge impact on the listeners and readers. King uses sarcastic tone as he tells the current stories of Native people and his experiences. He points out to the events and incidents such as the government apologizing for the colonialism, however, words remains as they are and are not exchanged for actions. King continuously alerts the reader about taking actions towards change as people tend to be ignorant of what is going around them. At the end people give a simple reason that they were not aware of it. Thus, the author constantly reminds the readers that now they are aware of the issue so they do not have any reason to be ignorant.
The emplacement of cultural elements and themes may have restricted the speaker’s audience and lengthened the distance between the speaker and western audiences, but through the use of a first person narrative and universal ideologies a connection is still established. The use of a first person narrative may not be able to fully transcend the cultural barriers that exist in the story, but is able to shorten the distance between the speaker and the reader and create a sense of authenticity and truthfulness.
In the article by Erica Neeganagwedgin she examines aboriginal education from pre contact, through the Residential Schools and concludes with contemporary issues in education, focusing on women in multiple sections. Neegangagwedgin argues how colonial education curriculum in Canadian schools are marginalizing and oppressing aboriginal students by rarely including their history, heritages and cultural antecedents therefore creating a ‘denial of the selfhood of aboriginal students” (p.28). She starts by comparing the pedagogy differences between Aboriginals and Eurocentric students the stem of differing worldviews which have created this problem as Canada denies to recognize the Aboriginal worldview as legitimate. Bringing light to the idea that
Students will partake in a seven week and seven lesson series on marginalized groups in America, these groups include- Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, Women, Arab Americans, and Children. Lessons will take place the last two months of school, once we reach the 1960’s in American history. This is in an effort to have students realize that there is not merely one group that has seen racism, discrimination, and a near destruction of their culture. The following lesson will be on Native American portion of the unit. The goal of this lesson is for students to understand that each period from colonization to self- determination had causes of historical context and can still be felt today by many Native Americans.
This paper will be addressing the difficulties that the First Nations face everyday, whether they are part of a non-Aboriginal community or simply in their own Reserves. It will also address what control the Canadian government has on the Aboriginal and their culture. No matter where these people are living, they face with certain discrimination from non-Aboriginal people everywhere they go. As a conclusion, the reader will have a better understanding of why it is important that the Aboriginals get a discrimination-free environment and treatment. They will also open their eyes that this is a matter of racism applied by everyone who fits in the ‘norms’ that society has created.
Stereotypes and generalizations have become the easy way to justify the separation of races, classes, and genders. Creating these ideas about the cultures that are different than our own is a dangerous habit that must be broken by this generation so that our children can play in merriment without the fear of being misunderstood on a day to day basis. So as Adiche said in her TED talk, stories matter, and to only pay attention to specific stories of one’s life, is to overlook all of the other formative experiences of life. “The problem with Stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” I charge you, Millennials, to go listen to the stories that fill this world, so that we might better understand the amazing things happening around us each and every
Many Aboriginal children across Canada are distressed as most of them have difficulty finding their inner quality and enhancements in life. This is visible in the life of Saul Indian Horse, the main protagonist in Richard Wagamese’s “Indian Horse”. Saul has many struggles in his life that he had to overcome, He could have come down a negative path, but instead learns from them. Saul’s personal growth is a result of overcoming racism, surviving residential school and his passion for hockey.
Throughout my life I have heard a wide range of stories from my parents. When putting this assignment together I have put these stories into account. Randall Bass, educator of English at Georgetown University, concurs that stories shape individuals ' personalities. Bass expresses that, "People infer their feeling of personality from their way of life, and societies are frameworks of conviction that decide how individuals experience their lives" (Bass 1). Social stories about family history, religion, nationality, and legacy impact individuals ' conduct and convictions. Personalities of diverse individuals originate from their societies. Narrating starts at home. Stories associate individuals to their frameworks of convictions. They shape individuals ' lives by giving them a model of how to live. Individuals get their most punctual learning from distinctive stories. (Bass)