essay

Ojibwa power belief system

anthropology of power : ethnographic studies from asia, oceania, and the new world • New 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).

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