essay

Ojibwa power belief system

anthropology of power : ethnographic studies from asia, oceania, and the new worldNew York • Published In 1977 • Pages: 141-151

By: Black, Mary B..

Abstract
This article examines the Ojibwa concept of 'power-control' and how it is related to Ojibwa beliefs and behavior, particularly in the realm of interpersonal relations. The author states that 'the system that unifies and organizes these behaviors and beliefs places a strong emphasis on each person's privacy of self-determination or autonomy (freedom from control), and at the same time underlines the dependence of human beings on the 'spirit' persons for abilities to get through life in the proper manner. Basically, this constitutes the foundation for Ojibwa religon, but it also permeates most area of daily living. The ideal of individual autonomy and the rules for the acquisition and use of power have yet to be related to the several other spheres of cultural organization: social structure, political structure, social control, education and enculturation, and the securing of the subsistence' (p. 150).
Subjects
Status, role, and prestige
Social relationships and groups
Sacred objects and places
Ideas about nature and people
Ethnopsychology
culture
Ojibwa
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Arctic and Subarctic
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1998
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
'traditional' to ca. 1850
Coverage Place
Central Ojibwa: Minnesota, United States; Ontario, Canada
Notes
Mary B. Black
Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-151)
LCCN
76009150
LCSH
Ojibwa Indians