| dc.description.abstract | In this thesis I explore three novels by Aboriginal authors, using a perspective that evolves
from traditional Anishnabe teachings about the “Windigo" character. In the Introduction, I
elaborate upon the reasons why a n interdisciplinary study is necessary for the advancement of
Aboriginal education.
In Chapter One, “Literary Colonization," I formulate an Aboriginal literary criticism through
“inside” perspectives of Aboriginal social reality and community. I propose that through Aboriginal
literary self-determination which includes youth. Elders, community, and Indigenous traditions and
stories, one may find an escape from literary colonization. In Chapter Two, “The Windigo,” I focus
on the Windigo not only as a character but also as a metaphor. I use the Windigo to explain
humanity though a traditional Indigenous, multi-layered perspective of human reality.
In Chapter Three, “Silent Words and the Tradition of Respect,” I study the novel Silent Words
by Ruby Slipperjack for its rejection of Windigo domination and its establishment of respect for
community. This chapter promotes Aboriginal pedagogy and traditional teachings through a study
of the protagonist’s journeys under the guidance of traditional teachers, from whom he learns
about balanced, reciprocal relationships.
In Chapter Four, “Ravensong and the Them e of Transformation,” I study the novel Ravensong
by Lee Maracle in terms of resistance to assimilation and Windigo infection, noting the necessity
for and possibility of transformation. Emphasizing the importance of Indigenous community to
Indigenous life and identity, this chapter explicates the protagonist's role as a potential “bridge”
between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal cultures.
In Chapter Five, “Slash. Assimilation, and Cultural Survival,” I study the novel Slash by
Jeannette Armstrong as a challenge to Windigo, opposing assimilation and assisting cultural
survival. The protagonist’s journeys include political activist events as well as an inner exploration
where he must realize internalized oppression in himself as well as Windigo disease in his
community and in the greater Canadian society.
In the conclusion and recommendations, I suggest that the Windigo can be overcome through
creative acts of literature and through informed reading of Indigenous literature from an insider perspective. I also recommend that Indigenous perspectives, such as those expressed in this
thesis, be accommodated by literary studies as a whole. | |
