COLONIALISM, RACISM AND SEXISM: An analysis of Jeannetue Armstrong’s Whispering in Shadows By Dr. Santosh Bhart
The purpose of my writjng has always been to tell a betuer story than is being told about us. To give that to the people and to the next generatjons. The voices of the grandmothers and grandfathers compel me to speak of the worth of our people and the beauty all around us, to banish the profaning of ourselves and to ease the pain. I carry the language of the voice of the land and the valour of the people and I will not be silenced by a language of tyranny. [Jeannetue Armstrong; b. 1948]
INTRODUCTION Jeannetue Armstrong, belongs to Okanagan tribe, is a poet/writer, an artst, and an actvist, who promotes Indigenous Canadian literature, Indigenous Cultural and Politcal Self-determinaton. Since 1978, she has been working with Okanagan people’s En’Owkin cultural centre, serving as its director. The En’Owkin Centre houses They-tus Books-the fjrst Natve-owned and operated publishing house in Canada. Slash was her ground breaking novel in 1985, followed by Whispering in Shadows , published in 2001. Besides, her internatonally acclaimed novels, her poetry and essays have appeared in various anthologies and magazines.
WHISPERING IN SHADOWS: LITERARY TECHNIQUES Creates complex interrelatons between a heterodiegetc narraton (protagonist as object) and some of dairy entries, letuers, poems, in which the protagonist writes about herself. A new form of resistance against the incorporaton of indigenous peoples into the world’s marketplace and its specifjc and localized efgects on indigenous communites The novel’s narratve explores Penny Jackson’s spiritual and psychological journey, beginning with a separaton from herself to a complete embrace of her indigenous identty. Time is almost intangible in the novel; adopts non-linear approach to illustrate how history made society the oppressive entty.
CONFRONTING ISSUES: Colonialism, Racism, Sexism • Since the novel adopts hybrid and fragmented aesthetcs, it stresses on indigenous conditons due to impact of colonial/neo-colonial interference in Canadian indigenous traditonal lives and communites. • Indigenous peoples mediate between two cultures: white culture and indigenous culture. • Social welfare assistance: Part of imperialist policy heritage. • Results: Poverty, dependence, marginalizaton, identty crises.
Being jobless, Penny Jackson, questjons the current politjcal system and welfare assistance given to indigenous peoples. She states: “I come from the reserve. That’s all I know. And you know the reality there. There isn’t anything anybody can get a job at. The few steady jobs are in the administratjon. That’s it. And all those jobs are taken up for life, almost. Only a few jobs change hands in a decade, if there is an electjon turnover, or somebody dies.....no welfare for me. My family always worked or made do with a litule farming and trapping. I resist welfare like my mom does. [WIS 58]
Further she remarks: “No wonder it’s easier [for some indigenous] to stay on welfare. Do you think that’s part of the scheme? So a percent of the populatjon stays on welfare. So there is always a reserve corps of the jobless, happy to pay for the privilege to work? Could it be that people have to be kept so busy surviving that they can’t afgord to questjon it? So that they keep paying and the companies keep profjtjng and the government stays fat on all the “service” jobs maintaining that system?”. [WIS 59]
Penny camping against logging, notjces racialized comment: Ordering me! We have a licence to log this area. That’s the law. I dont give a hoot what claims you [indigenous] think you have in this area. That’s the government’s problem, not mine. We’re losing thousands of dollars every day those machines and their operators sit. Enough is enough. We’re gonna get to work. Now get the hell outa the way. Why dont you order those idiots around you to get decent jobs. Or go back to your welfare line. Move! These machines aren’t stopping. .... . [WIS 114] Such racialized remarks puts- fjrst, Penny in “inferior” positon as indigenous person and second, indicates denial of indigenous primordial territorial and land rights.
Further, he says: Fucking Indians and tree huggers! Go home! [WIS 115] Later, by calling them “tree huggers” freezes them in colonial tmes as barbarians, savages, meat eaters and so on, make them as culturally difgerent people lacking civilizaton and puts them in “other” category who needs to be controlled.
• Efgects of neo-colonial globalizaton • Miseries, sufgering, isolaton, etc • Disconnecton from traditonal indigenous land • Sense of helplessness Penny calls globalizaton as: “It’s like this huge darkness... is looming world-wide and consuming everything good”. [WIS 188]
Later, Penny writes a poem on globalizatjon: POEM FROM HER DIARY Globalizatjon Something about breathing In the dirty Buzz words and missed manners a global design of conjure and conquer situatjng the hilarity as common text a mastering and the master class [WIS 151]
Penny, direct comment: “But you, as an individual, and as a Natjve person didn’t do these things. It’s the corporatjon’s the money mongers. They are responsible”. [WIS 248] Penny apprehension: “If we don’t restore balance, eventually all living things will mutate to a new balance....whether we are rich or poor, whether we are plant or animal. Humans may be spared or not. Probably not”. [WIS 248] Penny provides solutjon: We have removed ourselves so far from the rest of nature, that we are the most vulnerable....and that there is need to restore balance. [WIS 248]
• Racism and Sexism are by products of colonialism which stll persists. • Depicton through harassments and humiliaton • Questons ‘indigeneity’ and space [claim] In Class, Julie introduces Penny as: “ Hey you guys, did you know Penny’s an Indian? I never met one before. She’s the legend... [WIS 67] “Border crossing” scene and Penny’s reactjon: “ No wonder some people go on a rampage. Freaking racist.....Go, if they only knew the depth of insult those border crossings are to us. There are laws! My ass. It was pure lawlessness, and stjll is, that allows aggression and thefu of our lands. This is my country and why am I the alien? Who is the real alien here? [WIS 195]
Further, Sexism undermines the value and positon of Canadian indigenous women, on and ofg reserves: Penny states: “oh damn, Did she call the cops on him this tjme? If she didn’t Im sure as hell going to. He cant get away with shit like that. Where do you think Toby went?... .[WIS 267] Later mother informed: “She’s okay. A few bruises and stufg. She said she whacked him a few good ones over the head with a ladle. She betuer just quit with the guys. She’s almost fjfuy now. I hope she goes through change soon. .. [WIS 268] Therefore, the issue of colonialism, racism and sexism, in the novel, brought out through the character of Penny Jackson and other female characters artculates the partcularites of what it means to exist as an indigenous and that too an indigenous woman in a global age.
CONCLUSION Whispering in Shadows weaves traditonal oral literatures, poetry and prose into longer episodic passages that depicts/represents the harsh realites of indigenous peoples in Canada. Armstrong’s writng draws atuenton to impacts/efgects of both colonialism and neo-liberal colonialism on indigenous traditonal lives and calls for affjrmaton of indigenous identty by reviving their indigenous culture.
“In their words we saw their sadness, desperatjon, anger and pain, but we also saw their strength, courage, wisdom and hope. Throughout history, Aboriginal peoples [esp women] have made many adjustments to cope with the circumstances facing them, and they contjnue to do so today”. [RCAP,1996E:7]
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