Papers by Deidre Cullon
BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly, Apr 15, 2013
We have come to meet alive, Swimmer. Do not feel wrong about what I have done to you, friend Swim... more We have come to meet alive, Swimmer. Do not feel wrong about what I have done to you, friend Swimmer, for that is the reason why you come that I may spear you, that I may eat you, Supernatural One, you, Long-Life-Giver, you, Swimmer. Now protect us, (me) and my wife, that we may keep well, that nothing may be difficult for us that we wish to get from you, Rich-Maker-Woman. Now call after you your father and your mother and uncles and aunts and elder brothers and sisters to come to me also, you, Swimmers, you Satiator.
With its myriad of relationships, my study considers the Laich-Kwil-Tach enlivened world in which... more With its myriad of relationships, my study considers the Laich-Kwil-Tach enlivened world in which multiple beings bring meaning and understanding to life. Through exploration of Laich-Kwil-Tach ontology I engage with the theoretical concepts of animism, historical ecology and political ecology, in what I call relational ecology. Here, I examine the divide between the relational world and what Western ontology considers a natural resource; fish. Through an analysis of ethnographic texts I work to elucidate the 19 th-century human-fish relationship and through collaboration with Laich-Kwil-Tach Elders, based on Vancouver Island on the Northwest Coast of North America, I seek to understand how the 19 th-century enlivened world informs 21 st-century Laich-Kwil-Tach ontology. In this ethnographic and ethnohistorical account of the relationship between Laich-Kwil-Tach people and fish I grapple with the question of how, within a framework of ontological difference, we can better understand foundations of Indigenous rights and find ways to respect and give agency to multiple forms of knowledge in practice. In the spirit of reconciliation, decolonization and a renewed understanding of ontological multiplicity we are challenged to create analytical frameworks that include both human and nonhuman interests and relationships. Doing so requires engagement with any number of ontological propositions and it requires a confrontation with hegemonic ontological assumptions inherent in the Western scientific, bureaucratic and legal paradigms. By accepting western-based science as one among many ways of producing knowledge, space is made for other forms of knowledge. In the process we are better able to respect Indigenous land and marine tenure systems, as well as the Indigenous right to maintain a long-standing and ongoing relationship with other beings and all that this entails.
The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2017
1. Before the feast: overview of the importance of feasting 2. Food sharing and the primate found... more 1. Before the feast: overview of the importance of feasting 2. Food sharing and the primate foundations of feasting behavior Suzanne Villeneuve 3. Simple hunter/gatherers 4. Transegalitarian hunter/gatherers 5. Domesticating plants and animals for feasts 6. The horticultural explosion 7. Chiefs up the ante 8. The first states 9. Feasting in industrial societies.
A "manifest content analysis" of testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for th... more A "manifest content analysis" of testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia (1913-1916) by Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and Tsimshian people shows that many of the themes and concerns voiced then continue as major themes and concerns to Aboriginal negotiators today. There was a strong desire both to secure access and control of the traditional resource base and to secure opportunities to participate in the contemporary British Columbia economy. Une "analyse du contenu manifeste" de temoignages presentes a la Commission royale des Affaires indiennes pour la Colombie-Britannique par les peuples Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth et Tsimshian demontre que plusieurs des themes et preoccupations abordes par les negociateurs autochtones se perpetuent encore de nos jours. Forte etait la volonte de proteger I'acces el Ie contr61e des ressources traditionnelles, tout comme de se garantir les occasions de participer a I'economie contemporaine de la Colombie-Britannique.
In the literature, much emphasis has been placed on the Kwakw a k a ’wakw winter ceremonial with ... more In the literature, much emphasis has been placed on the Kwakw a k a ’wakw winter ceremonial with its lore of cannibalism, the taming of a man gone wild, its intriguing dances, vibrant and intricately carved masks, its art, drama, and its interaction with the spirit world. Many of these writings attempt to re-interpret the Boas and Boas-Hunt materials in an effort to gain an understanding of the winter ceremonial’s fundamental meaning. This article moves the discussion of the Kwakw a k a ’wakw ceremonial in a different direction. By considering the Kwakw a k a ’wakw summer ceremonial, its connection to salmon and traditional animistic beliefs, we begin to understand how Kwakw a k a ’wakw cosmology was sensitive to salmon ecology. I argue that Kwakw a k a ’wakw beliefs connected to the summer ceremonial not only promoted salmon stewardship but that it was upon this belief system and the corresponding practices that the success of the famous winter ceremonial relied.
Supervisory Committee Dr. Ann Stahl Department of Anthropology Dr. Brian Thom Department of Anthr... more Supervisory Committee Dr. Ann Stahl Department of Anthropology Dr. Brian Thom Department of Anthropology Dr. John Lutz Department of History With its myriad of relationships, my study considers the Laich-Kwil-Tach enlivened world in which multiple beings bring meaning and understanding to life. Through exploration of Laich-Kwil-Tach ontology I engage with the theoretical concepts of animism, historical ecology and political ecology, in what I call relational ecology. Here, I examine the divide between the relational world and what Western ontology considers a natural resource; fish. Through an analysis of ethnographic texts I work to elucidate the 19-century human-fish relationship and through collaboration with LaichKwil-Tach Elders, based on Vancouver Island on the Northwest Coast of North America, I seek to understand how the 19-century enlivened world informs 21-century LaichKwil-Tach ontology. In this ethnographic and ethnohistorical account of the relationship between Laich-Kw...
A "manifest content analysis" of testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for th... more A "manifest content analysis" of testimonies before the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia (1913-1916) by Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and Tsimshian people shows that many of the themes and concerns voiced then continue as major themes and concerns to Aboriginal negotiators today. There was a strong desire both to secure access and control of the traditional resource base and to secure opportunities to participate in the contemporary British Columbia economy.
BC Studies, 2013
In the literature, much emphasis has been placed on the Kwakwaka’wakw winter ceremonial with its ... more In the literature, much emphasis has been placed on the Kwakwaka’wakw winter ceremonial with its lore of cannibalism, the taming of a man gone wild, its intriguing dances, vibrant and intricately carved masks, its art, drama, and its interaction with the spirit world. Many of these writings attempt to re-interpret the Boas and Boas-Hunt materials in an effort to gain an understanding of the winter ceremonial’s fundamental meaning. This article moves the discussion of the Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial in a different direction. By considering the Kwakwaka’wakw summer ceremonial, its connection to salmon, and the traditional animistic beliefs of Kwakwaka’wakw people, it is possible to understand traditional stewardship. I argue that Kwakwaka’wakw beliefs tied to the summer ceremonial not only promoted resource stewardship but that it was upon this belief system and the corresponding practices that the success of the famous winter ceremonial relied.
Book Reviews by Deidre Cullon
BC Studies, 2016
Review of Brian Hayden's book, The Power of Feasts.
Books by Deidre Cullon
Ronsdale Press, 2012
Captain Richards' journal is an account of three survey seasons on Vancouver Island aboard two Br... more Captain Richards' journal is an account of three survey seasons on Vancouver Island aboard two British Navy ships, the HMS Plumper and the HMS Hecate. Between 1860 and 1862 Richards and his dedicated crew surveyed and charted the entire coastline of Vancouver Island, creating baseline information for the nautical charts we use today.This monumental task, faithfully and often humorously recorded, also includes a lively description of California on the eve of the American Civil War as Richards sits in dry dock following the near wreck of the Hecate. Part of the private collection of a direct descendant of Captain Richards, the journal is a little known and untapped resource.Extensively annotated and supplemented with excerpts from the journals of Second Master John Gowlland, the journal provides a unique and personal view of the aboriginal, colonial, nautical and natural history of Vancouver Island. Richards is revealed as a man of immense energy and diplomacy; the descriptions of the First Nations he encounters are remarkably unbiased for the time and his keen observations are a portal into the social and political life of Vancouver Island during these formative years of the colony.The journal will appeal to historians, anthropologists, sailors, meteorologists and the general reading public alike.
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Papers by Deidre Cullon
Book Reviews by Deidre Cullon
Books by Deidre Cullon