Craft, ritual, and world view : Ojibwa ontology through transformative philosophy

Abstract

The meaning of Ojibwa crafted objects within their cultural horizon is explored through interviews with Ojibwa crafts people. Transformative philosophy is used as a method to bridge the profound gap between Western and Ojibwa world views. David Abram's work in phenomenology supplies the philosophical content needed for cultural shift T ^ life-world layers are identified; the deep life-world, shared by everyone, in which perceptual reciprocity forms the webwork of interconnection; and the cultural life-worlds ^ ic h overlayer the firs t Ojibwa crafted objects are seen as animate beings within the spiritual matrix of the life-world. Further, they carry Ojibwa traditional cultural meaning. The artisans work in a mode of spiritual awareness to craft, to create, spiritual and sacred objects.