Claiming Anishinaabe: Decolonizing the Human Spirit

by Lynn Gehl

Relying on Indigenous ways of knowing, Status draws on personal experience and introspection. Author Lynn Gehl explores Anishinaabeg knowledge philosophy, conceptions of truth, and the nature of the human spirit. Knowledge, she tells us, is not only located in the mind. It is instead found in the heart, in our practices, our stories, and the rituals and ceremonies we engage in. It is that knowledge that Gehl draws from when resisting the ongoing colonialist policies of governments that are still used to control Indigenous peoples.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Canada

212 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2017

About the author

Lynn is an author, advocate, artist, and public speaker. Her work encompasses both anti-colonial work and the celebration of Indigenous knowledge. She challenges Canada’s practices, policies, and laws of colonial genocide such as the land claims and self-government process, sex-discrimination in the Indian Act, the continued destruction of Akikpautik / Chaudière Falls–an Anishinaabeg sacred place, and Canada’s lack of policy addressing Indigenous women and girls with disabilities who are bigger targets of sexual violence. She weaves wampum belts, builds petro-forms, and paints. She also has several professionally published peer reviewed books: “Gehl v Canada: Challenging Sex Discrimination in the Indian Act” (2021), “Claiming Anishinaabe: Decolonizing the Human Spirit” (2017), “The Truth that Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims Process” (2014), and “Anishinaabeg Stories: Featuring Petroglyphs, Petrographs, and Wampum Belts” (2012). She has several academic contributions in journals and chapters in books; 140 community contributions in magazines, websites, news papers, and op-eds; as well as 150 personal blogs. Lynn is frequently called upon as an expert by various media outlets to offer commentary on Indigenous issues.

Reviews

[jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

read bits of this, soon to read the whole thing. one of the deepest, most passionate native thinkers in canada. her work is necessary.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy to have read this book and I only learned about it from meeting the author at a Vipassana Retreat! Quite by chance - but meant to be so.

I love meeting authors especially before reading their books. It just makes the reading process warmer and more personal - more grounded in some ways.

This book, Claiming Anishinaabe: Decolonizing the Human Spirit, is so well organized and so well written. It is like a textbook of facts and a personal journal of Lynn's journey into Indigenous knowledge. Written in the first person while crediting sources by name in the text and throughout through the notes it reads like a story full of truths.

I love and really appreciate the language of the book, the mix of the academic voice and the personal voice - truths learned and shared often first in the academic then followed by the personal or clear language re-statement.

This journey takes the reader into the realm of paradigm shifting if the reader is open enough and ready to surrender to the process and really listen to the wisdom shared. Mind-changing.

It aligns so well with Vipassana teaching. For me as well it aligns strongly with what I learned from reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn - wisdom about where we humans fit into the bigger picture of the development of the universe and more specifically earth. Last to arrive and with the least knowledge to share and so much humility to learn in light of our dependencies!

I wish I had been taught the truths shared in Claiming Anishinaabe in school when I was growing up. We learned none of this knowledge. We were indoctrinated into a world view that is false and harmful in so many ways. Unlearning it takes work. This book is part of my journey of unlearning and re-learning.

Each of the 21 chapters in this book tells a story and provides much fodder for reflection and self learning. I appreciated that the chapters are short for that reason - just enough in each to grapple with and absorb. And I read all the Notes.

Appreciated the Glossary of Anishinaabemowin words and meanings - and learning a few new words along the way!

Lynn Gehl truly walks her talk in this book, sharing her acquired knowledge and wisdom gained through introspection and more introspection based on her own journey to claim her Algonquin Anishinaabeg membership. Her journey of finding her spirit and describing so clearly for us how spiritual disenfranchisement happens and what it takes to recover and nurture that spirit.

For the type of reader I am, I love the presentation of this journey - always clear statements of where we are going and how we will get there at the start, and then very clear succinct statements of fact and reflection. Just such clear writing. No wasted words. Such clarity of thought expressed. Loved the read!

And I also love Lynn's petroglyph drawings at the beginning of each of the four Parts of the book. Simple visuals that offer another way of taking in the knowledge and wisdom shared - visual prompts to strengthen the invitation at the end of the book to visit Petroglyph Provincial Park to experience more of the history and extend the journey.

Lynn has written other books.The Truth That Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims Process is next!

[Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

- review to come -

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partly personal journey, partly a discussion of the long-term impacts of cultural genocide, partly a philosophy of interconnections - well done.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-felt message of identity recovery, sobering reminder of the ongoing devastation of colonialism.

[Patricia L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so full of spirit and hard ass analysis and just plain honest stories.
I am in awe of this author!

[Pamela Schreiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
I loved this book. It helped me understand that my current mind knowledge and interests started in my body and heart when I was a child. And when I think back, this was definitely true for me.
It also helped me to understand that my crazy, non-conventional way of learning is actually quite natural..........
Thanks Lynn!

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely insightful. Gehl brings forward so many important ideas about reconciliation and indigenous knowledge systems that need to be heard.
The text, however, is very wordy and dense, with her points getting muddled at times because she uses too many words to get a point across.
All in all, I’m glad I read it, but I’m glad I’m done.