Sometimes the most important lessons arrive in the most simplified forms. Jo-Ann Archibald’s book teaches us some important lessons concerning how educators and academics should approach First Nations communities and their reverence of oral education. She begins by sharing with us her morning prayer and how it serves her needs in conducting research within First Nations communities in western Canada. Her prayer creates an avenue for a culturally centered learning process for indigenous and non-indigenous scholars. The prayer’s key elements are respect, reverence, responsibility, and reciprocity (1). Also, Archibald stresses that oral teachings continue to be an integral part of indigenous peoples’ identities. In many regions around the world, stories are one of the few remaining elements that can define communities. If the stories are lost then indigenous people will do a disservice to their ancestors and to their descendants. She dutiful reminds her readers that words—written or spoken—are medicine that can heal or injure. From these important lessons, she leads the reader to an articulation of First Nations storytelling.
For me personally, Archibald’s book is the first time an indigenous person has been able to eloquently describe exactly how modern indigenous peoples transfer knowledge to the upcoming generation. Her presentation is very clear on how reproduction of knowledge is accomplished. Archibald educates her readers on the significance and location of aboriginal stories. She provides numerous examples and methods helping one to record, document, understand, and interpret stories. As a result, she hopes that we can appreciate the diversity of indigenous communities and their stories. Stories are much more than the anthologies we encounter in academia; aboriginal stories have many genres, purposes, protocols, and meanings. Most importantly, she stresses that stories are not just texts or narratives that deal with a linear sequence of events, but that each has its own unique form. In the process of teaching us, Archibald also reeducates herself into the significance of indigenous-based oral education.
The author explains how stories can lose meaning through translation, language shifts, and misappropriation by non-members and Western-trained members. Within Western-style education indigenous peoples are faced with the contradictions of Western standards of literacy and quickly fading indigenous traditions, which often are not explicit in meaning. This becomes the primary goal of her book—to legitimately place First Nations stories within the academic and educational environment.
Interestingly enough, the numerous methods described by Archibald feel very familiar. These are methods encountered in many graduate social science methodology seminars; however, in the explanation of her research methods we are allowed insight into the simplicity of her research and her fruitful results. We also observe how there are subtle nuances of methodology that must be tailored in approaching communities of interest. Archibald reinforces the uniqueness of field methods by highlighting First Nations’ scrupulous traditions, protocols, and rules concerning stories and how those stories are transmitted via teaching and learning. Story types can range from sacred to historical, and from traditional ways to personal narratives of life experiences. Stories also can be entertainment and powerful teaching tools. Stories are much more than the myths and oral histories usually encountered in academic literature. What is not usually considered is that these stories are often owned by an individual, family, clan, band, and nation. As a result not all stories belong in the public domain, nor should they be accepted as such.
I felt that Archibald spent too much time setting up the book. I appreciate her attention to detail—it proves beneficial in other sections of the book—but too much time was spent on how she came to this project. The first two chapters, and parts of chapter 3, have tangible pieces of information, but it requires one to read every word and to sort out useful information from her narrative. Additionally, she makes her points through redundancy. I am well aware this device is employed in many traditional settings to solidify knowledge with students, but in written form it becomes too much for the reader to bear.
By the conclusion of her book, I feel she does place the importance of indigenous oral delivery alongside Western-based academic and educational traditions. She moves the importance of indigenous oral delivery from the specialized “Indian books” of lower-division undergraduate classes into the realm of education. If your area of interest is collaborating with aboriginal communities and their various forms of knowledge, then this book should be part of your personal library. Archibald’s book is an excellent resource for indigenous researchers who are reluctant to work within their own communities, but it is also beneficial to non-indigenous researchers interested in working with indigenous communities.
As a final note the last chapter should be a required reading for any methodology class. The author meticulously guides researchers through necessary steps that will aid in accomplishing a successful project. This book will serve as a reminder that different forms of education and cultural norms continue to exist and that the Western way is not the only or right way.
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[Review length: 826 words • Review posted on August 17, 2009]