Indigenous Peoples’ Life Stories

Voices of ancient knowledge

Bibliographic Data

ID18973992
AuthorsStan Bird (Peguis First Nation, Peguis, Manitoba, Canada., corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume10
Issue4
Pages376-391
Publication date2014-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAlterNative An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1177-1801 • E-ISSN: 1174-1740
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/117718011401000405
OpenAlexW1511437467
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited19

Narrative is a meaning-making tool used broadly across cultures. Individuals use their particular cultural narrative to interpret experiences and construct a personal narrative or life story. This research focused on the life stories of Anishinaabe people, an Indigenous group of the North American Great Lakes region, whose history is characterized by attempts at assimilation into the dominant Western culture. We sought to understand if maintaining traditional Indigenous knowledge affected meaning-making in life stories. Participants included four groups of volunteers: Elders and young adults, with and without traditional Indigenous knowledge. Results showed that the narratives of the two traditional Indigenous knowledge groups evidenced statistically significant greater efficacy and personal resolve than those of the non-traditional groups. Additionally, the Elder traditionalists’ narratives showed significantly greater involvement with existential/spiritual issues than other groups. We concluded that traditional Indigenous knowledge positively shaped participants’ narratives, thus confirming the importance of cultural narratives in the meaning-making process

Art · Indigenous · Literature · Narrative · Sociology · Traditional knowledge · Anthropology · Gender Studies · History · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Representations and Identity · Ecology

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