Description
Through a series of recorded interviews, anthropologist Dennis Gaffin explores the backgrounds of Indigenous friends and probes how they view and experience the birds of upstate New York and southern Ontario. The two naturalist friends, Michael Bastine and John Volpe, share their experiences from their Algonquin, Ojibwa, and Iroquois upbringing with birds.
The two Indigenous speakers gained their knowledge about animals, plants, and birds from several sources. Living within the forest, nature was their primary instructor, then past lore was passed down by the tribal wise men of the times and from their surrounding culture.
Birds were constantly observed, and they noted that the avian creature would interact, but would only kill for subsistence. Working with wounded animals and birds, they learned that the creatures could sense when it was safe or in danger. They’d observed the tricks and plays that birds engage in for communication.
The talks between the two Indigenous naturalists and the white interviewer emphasize the conceptual difference in views between native people and Western teaching. While it is edifying to learn how others see the world and while the stories are important, unfortunately the script reading of the interviews becomes tedious.