Native Canadian writing and 'Halfbreed'

Native Canadian writing in terms of form of autobiography:

Abstract:

                The present paper focuses on the elements of autobiography and how the present autobiography ‘Halfbreed’ is use full to know about the lives of Native Canadian. Autobiography is not only the presentation of the ‘one’s self’ but it’s the presentation of the person’s socio historical and political context. This paper will also focus on the term Native, Metis, and aboriginal. How these people suffers because of imperialism, race, colonization and identity. Identity is something like that which will come always along with you. Apart from that we also try to know how different ideologies and states apparatus work within the society. What Marx says, what we see is the superstructure of the society, we need to see or understand the base (Capitalism). How the white projecting the history of Native Metis as inferior by using media and how white gaze works within the Canadian society.

Keywords: Halfbreed, Native, Self, Metis, race, identity.

Introduction:

            Why do we need to write? In order to survive any culture or tradition writing is very important and writing direct relates to the knowledge. If the knowledge is lost, the Native identity will be lost. Here we come across with native culture and native identity in the present autobiography ‘Halfbreed’ 1973. It generally happens in the case of autobiography that it sometimes full of resistance and rebel, if it were written by a marginalized person. For example, in India Dalit autobiography, Afro-Americans autobiographical writers show their anger and frustration. Here the present work is also the result of frustration and anger which came through her pen and paper. Campbell writes, “I tried being the militant speaker and the activist…. That’s when I realized that… writing was the best way to reach people” (190).

Native Canadian writing and Halfbreed:

            Autobiography primarily means ‘auto’ (self), ‘bio’ (life) and ‘graphy’ (writing). Now a day we call it life writing or self-formation. This autobiography deals with the violence of race and identity in the social world, its accent on collective suffering, experiencing of humiliation and community formation. It is deeply rooted in the Enlightenment project of modernity and rationality. It’s concern with the representation of the self in relation with the outer world. This narrative negotiates with the private, the public, the social, and the political barriers. Actually it is not like the tradition autobiographies which suggest a certain power of the personality over society. The question is why people write autobiography? Because it is became the transcendental narrative, where the act of writing helps the narrator cross the limitation of the self itself (Pascal 39).

            Here Maria Campbell’s autobiography Halfbreed rebirth the Native biographical genre. It generally provides the clear picture of the Matis community. Now let see how she describes the problems related to aboriginal and Metis.  It begins with the Metis history of Northwest Territories. The history includes Red River Rebellion 1869, the battle at Batoche 1884 and Louis Riel was hangedas a result of it. She gives the outline of these incidents in first chapter. It means that the opening of the autobiography is from the rebellion. She writes,

“I believe that one day; very soon, people will set aside their differences and come together as one.  Maybe not because we love one another, but because we will need each other to survive. Then together we will fight our common enemies.” (184)

            She holds a positive outlook towards her people and to see the Metis as distinct from either Indian or Whites. In order to understand this work first we need to understand what Metis means.  Metis means a person of mixed blood; especially often capitalized: the offspring of an American Indian and a person of European ancestry (dictionary). Here the writers herself is Metis and brought up by Metis family. Let us do the epistemological study of Metis. These mixed blood generally called ‘Half-breed’ means neither fully this nor that.  The seed of the Metis community was from the Red River Rebellion in 1869 and battle at Batoche. These half-breeds were defeated at Batoche in 1884. These half-breeds establish Matis history and politically struggle of Rial. The origin of Metis was in the Red River during 1800 and now they located in north. Where they fight with Hudson’s Bay Company and finally formed government in 1869 (Web). Loosely speaking the Metis develops form a mixed race descendants of unions between, first nation women and western European men. Now Metis recognized as an Aboriginal people.

            Here we can truly say that Halfbreed is the story of Campbell’s retelling of Native history in a revolutionary tone and this is a rereading of the hegemonic writing of the Metis history. Here first she illustrated the nature of Halfbreed people and their origin. The above lines shows that she believes in a whole family and instead of being shame full she take pride on her Metis Identity. No doubt in the first part she describes the poverty and economical problem faced by her family but she draws the happy picture of her childhood days. She also describes about Cheechum her grandmother as her best friend. She passed most of the time with her. Here Cheechum’s dual awareness can be seen through conveyor of the corporate past and the prophet of the future. She does the class based analysis of society.

            She also describes Native and halfbreed as superstitious people. She remembers about the Native medicine and the power of the word which are closely related to the oral tradition and their knowledge.The description shows that Campbell’s early life is full withthe memory of the Native Community like Christmas, Funeral, marriage etc.

            Here Cheechum represent the symbol of hope. She knew about the politics and Native Organizations and their activities. She has seen many failures. Cheechup tells Maria, “Wait my girl, it will come. I’ve waited for ninety years and …. You will feel discouraged like this many times in your life but, like me you’ll wait.”(76-77). She encourages Maria to take part actively in Native organizations. This shows the spirit of the Natives. She knows that the main issue of her community was overheard and never paid much attention by government. This also leads to the painful struggle of Metis Community in Canada during 19^th century. Because of this they are being called ‘Road Allowance people’.

Though they are the true native of the country, they don’t have a proper identity. Halfbreeds are created by subjective externalization in western Canada because of many reasons. The government is not in favor with them, this lead them to move toward side tracks. Here she try to portraying her collective identity she writes, “It’s not my story I’m telling; it’s the story of a people” (85). This is direct resistance against the non-Aboriginal society and government who set up different discourses in order to hide their own identity as Native. This resistance will be helpful for the critics of post-colonial theory.

Campbell writes, “Go out there and find what you want and take it, but always remember who you are and why you want it” (98). This emphasize on the fact that they belong to a particular community. Campbell also writes that there is inner conflict between the Native part of her and her desire for the upper-class wealth and lifestyle available to whites is the root of her identity conflict and downfall. A theoretical movement called ‘post-positivism realism’will help to understand these multiple identities within Halfbreed.Actually this movement attempts to reclaim identity as a meaningful term of analysis without falling into restrictive claims.

            There are two other aboriginal writers like Duke Redbird and George Manuel take excerpts from Halfbreed and published in Maclean’s magazine under the title of “Death of a great Spirit: Canada’s Indians speak out.” This shows the history of halfbreed how they tragically ruined. This magazine helps Halfbreed to spread out among the readers. Then critics take aboriginal identity as an essential critical and political concept. Apart from that Beth Paul said on radio about Halfbreedas ‘A New Native Literature’ that forming non-Indians about us (native people) as People’ There is also a movement called ‘Aboriginal Nationalism’ which leads by aboriginal scholars and fight for their problems. But we need to remember that the influence of one culture on the other is natural and that develop ones identity accordingly. This generally happens during the colonization. This aspect can be clearly seen in Halfbreed, we can call it as the resistance and rebel against colonial policies and attitudes. Campbell writes, “I write this for all of you, to tell you what it is like to be a halfbreed woman in our country” (8).

            This text is not only resist and rebel against the prevailing norms of government but also generalized, idealized, and de-historicized the social condition. It means this text possesses both the element like resistance and connection because it also connects the native people. It also shows the effect of colonization when she reduced to a ‘cold, rich and unreal’ sexual tool and drug addict. Here ‘cold’ means an absence of humanity. She is fascinated by the white symbol of success. It shows the colonization of Maria’s subjectivity by the economic necessity. She writes, “”no worse sin in this county than to be poor” (61). She faces with the gender ideology and race ideology which force her to be a whore-housewife. An employer claims that Indians are “only good for two things – working and fucking” (108). It’s the example of gender ideology.  The beauty of the prostitute, serves economic necessity for person. She writes, “A beautiful world full of beautiful people with no feeling of guilt or shame” (137). Guilt and shame are emotions that Metis and Indians have is the result of colonization. It is generally defined by the white the dominant, the term “Indianans”. It is the result of White gaze.

It is both for their resistance and empowerment. The same thing found in another autobiography named Thunder through My Veins (1999) by Gregory Scofield. Actually Halfbreed makes him to write about his own life struggle because Halfbreed provide him the sense of connection to a larger community. Her person story is relational, summarizes into struggles, frustrations, and dreams of the oppressed.  Generally this tone can be found in most of the autobiography by the marginalized or oppressed people. They use writing as a tool to express their anger. Here two things play very important role i. e. Land and History.That’s why we can say that Halfbreed Theory works as Tradition knowledge of the indigenous people of Canada.

Conclusion:

            Here we sum up that In Halfbreed, Maria Campbell challenges Eurocentric standards also in term of genre. She uses the form of autobiography to subvert the imperialist history. Here she also breaks the linear history in Halfbreed which can be mark as decolonization. She uses the oral tradition to create her characters. This autobiography through the private life Maria provides us the clear picture of the Metis community and their problems. It means that writing an autobiography is not a personal one but it creates the collective or community feeling.

References:

1)      Campbell, Maria. Halfbreed.Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. Print.

2)      Miner, A.T. Dylan. “Halfbreed Theory: Maria Campbell’s Storytelling as Indigenous Knowledge and Une Petite Michin.” Maria Campbell Selected Essays. Print.

3)      Lundgren, Jodi. “Being a Half-breed” Discourses of Race and Cultural Syncreticisty in the Works of Three Metis Women Writers.Print.