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TitleSpirit gifting: The concept of spiritual exchange
Publication TypeBook
Year of Publication1996
AuthorsGhostkeeper, E.
Publication Languageen
KeywordsMétis cosmology, Métis economic conditions, Métis philosophy, Métis social conditions, modes of production, traditional knowledge and native spirituality
Abstract

The author describes two Métis livelihoods and the respective worldviews that they both reflect through their seasonal round of activities. Interwoven with the narrative are also descriptions of their modes of production. The worldview described is Ghostkeeper's own, and is but one individual's interpretation of Métis cosmology. Thus, his insights may conflict with those of other members of the community. Chapter 2 narrates events of the year 1960. It begins with a description of the basic concepts of the local traditional worldview. A central concept is of a force referred to as "The Great Spirit." Métis view themselves as part of the land of living beings, and their relationships with other living beings include exchanging all their "aspects." Aspects of the spirit, mind, and emotion are thought to provide life for the body through the activities of ceremony, ritual, and sacrifice. These activities are referred to as "Spirit Gifting" when one makes a living with the land, using the gifts of plants and animals for food and medicinal purposes. The narrative describes a spiritual relationship created between the plants, animals and people, through the process of making a living with the land. Chapter 3 narrates events of the year 1976. The concept of mode of production is used to analyze a pattern of livelihood that comprised two modes: the construction of a natural gas field and grain farming. The technical and social relationships of these modes are described. The land, equipment, and labour, or forces of production, are more or less under the control of individuals from the community; the relationships, or means of production, are under the control of forces outside the community. Chapter 4 summarizes the dynamics and impact of making a living with the land versus making a living off the land. The comparison demonstrates and discusses the absence of spiritual relationships and "Spirit Gifting" between living beings and the land in the second pattern of livelihood.

Notes

Writer commissioned by the Arctic Institute of North America

Locational Keywords

North-eastern Alberta

Active Link

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35925809

Group

CEMA

Citation Key24796

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