[.ca] Charcoal's World (ISBN 0803265522)

Charcoal's World:
Charcoal's World gives us a glimpse into the differing paradigms of First Nations people of North America and those of the Newcomers societies. It shows how the Newcomers values imposed on the First Nations people can lead to injustice. Charcoal's killing of his wife's lover may be a crime by western and modern standards but for the people of his time it was a way of "saving face," and upholding the laws that governed his people. To put it into perspective, the Ookaan ceremony that is sponsored by a woman indicates the importance of the fidelity required of a woman by the Blackfoot peoples. It is only a virtuous that can vow to build the Sun a lodge (Ookaan) in order to secure the help of Naatosi (Sun) in life and death matters such as ensuring the safe return of a husband who had gone off to battle, or in return for the survival of sick relative. To the Blackfoot survival (Kaamotaan) of their people is always a major concern. If a woman was not virtuous the option of a woman vowing to build the sundance lodge in return for survival would be eliminated. This is just one reason for a woman to to be virtuous. In hindsight and in the light of the values of the Blackfoot of that time, Charcoal perhaps should not have been prosecuted and consequently have spared the life of the North West Mounted Policeman. The book is also a good source of history even for members of the Blood Tribe. As with other Dempsey books the research conducted for this book is extremely valuable for those who wish to investigate their own Blood history. Many of his sources are no longer living making his quotes and cites all the more valuable. His record of that information is invaluable to all Blood and Blackfoot. I recommend reading this book especially for those who want to begin to understand the values of the Blackfoot and how those values and norms have evolved or have been corrupted with the coming of Newcomer societies. It is only a beginning... The book is a good read even if just for the sake of reading a good book.