Lecture 3- Land and Anishnaabe Flashcards
What is ontology?
The study of existence. It deleves into fundamenytal questiuons about the nature of reality, what kinds of things exist, and how they relate to each other.
What is epistomology?
Knowing about knowing. Explores questions about how we know what we know, what constitutes valid knowledge, and how knowledge is acquired and shared
what is speaking with names?
The apache practice of speaking with names where the simple mention of a place name can evoke an entire story or moral lesson. A concept explored by Keith Basso in his book Wisdom sits in place
-The practice reinforces communal bonds and cultural identity
What is stalking with stories?
The apache stories are not abstarct but rooted in specific places. When someone behaves innappropriately, elders might recount a story about a place where something similar happened
What does Land as Knowledge mean?
For Indigenous peoples, the land is not just a backdrop for historical events but a
living entity that holds stories, memories, and teachings.
● Knowledge is deeply tied to specific geographic locations, and these places carry
sacred significance. Indigenous oral histories, creation stories, and cosmologies are
embedded in the landscape itself, meaning that the land is a source of wisdom,
morality, and historical records
What does Places as teachers mean?
Indigenous cultures view the land as an active participant in
the transmission of knowledge.
● The land is not inert but has a spiritual presence and vitality
that teaches, heals, and guides people.
● This stands in stark contrast to Western scientific
frameworks, which treat land as an object to be studied,
exploited, or observed but not as a living being capable of
holding and conveying wisdom.
what does it mean that land is a historical record?
Indigenous histories are lived and recorded in the
land itself.
● Specific places act as living archives, where events
that shaped the people and the environment are
remembered through storytelling, ceremonies, and
rituals.
● This holistic approach means that history is not just
a sequence of human events but includes
relationships with natural features like mountains,
rivers, and lakes.
What does it mean that land is a living entity?
The relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land is one of kinship
and mutual responsibility.
● Deloria explains that this worldview sees humans as part of a larger web of life,
not as masters over nature.
● The land is treated as a relative that provides sustenance, guidance, and
protection, and in return, it must be honored and nurtured.
what are the manidoog?
Diverse spiritual beings that inhabit the natural and supernatural world. The range from Great spirits to more localized spirits.
Who is Kitche Manitou
The Great Spirit, th of life for all beingse creator, and the ultimate source
what is the Animikii
- the thunderbirds
-Powerdul sky spirits associated with storms, thunder, lighting. They are often seen as protectors
What are the Mishipeshu
-The Underwater panther
-A powerful and often feared water spirit that resides in lakes and rivers. It represents both danger and protection.
What are the Windigos
Malevolent spirits associated with greed, hunger, and winters cold. They are often seen as symbols of the dangers of inbalance and losing touch with ones humanity
What is the nana’b’oozoo
- The Nanabush
- A trickster figure who is part spirit and part human. Through his adventures, he teaches valuable lessons about life, often using humour and mischief to highlight important truths
What is the 7 fires prophecy?
a series of predictions and teachings that hold deep spiritual significance in Anishanabee culture. Outlines 7 distinct eras or fires in the history and future of the peoples.
