In class, we briefly noted that “An Athabasca Story” was not merely a short story, but rather a narrative of a story being told. I took this idea home and developed it further, into a theory, and the topic of my close reading paper. Upon closer reading and interpretation, I came to the conclusion that the story is not only a folktale, but a Native American style allegory, written similarly to the orally dictated and passed down Native American tales we have here.
Crucial to the outer context of this story and its themes is the fact that the author of this story is of both European and First Nations descent. The First Nations group has been settled in the Athabasca-Alberta area and the tar sands industry has altered their lifestyles in several ways as it has offered them jobs while simultaneously forever altering their environment and way of life. The industries that have inserted themselves onto this land have caused a radical spike of inflation for the families that live there. Yes, there are jobs for those who seek them, but the conflict of interest for them is understandably deterring. Getting paid to help destroy your own backyard is a contradiction not everyone is willing to make. This inflation has led many to relocate their families, as an act of desperation.As a result, it is apparent why he, Warren Cariou, is concerned with the environmental predicament that is undoubtedly occurring. It is told with characteristics reminiscent of folktales, although it operates within the structure of another layer of storytelling. Based on the structure and narrative elements of the story, it can be interpreted as a Native North American folktale.
Another element that leads me to this conclusion is the cognitive estrangement imposed as Cariou depicts unfamiliar objects in familiar terms.By definition, cognitive estrangement is a literary tool that writers use to depict common objects or practices through an unfamiliar lens in an effort to make the reader evaluate the object or practice from an outsiders or objective perspective.
He uses the Elder Brother’s perspective to describe the massive machines as “enormous yellow contraptions that clawed and bored and bit the dark earth and then hauled it away toward the big house” (Cariou, 70). They are unfamiliar to him, but the reader understands that they are in fact large excavators and hauling vehicles, though they are never identified as such since the narrator is using a different frame of reference. This helps the texts to be read like a Native legend because someone who is unfamiliar with this type of heavy equipment could only portray the vehicles in such a manner.
Native stories often end in a warning, or an abstract explanation for an element of our daily lives. In this case, the story results in a powerful message that can be read differently by native people, as well as society at large. For our broader society, the message is obvious, leaving the audience rethinking their consumption of oil and considering the impact of extraction on native peoples. While presented in a language that suggests ancient tradition, this modern native allegory illuminates a current concern that is applicable in the present and urgent for the Athabascans and society at large.
I thought this story was interesting because did not seem like a normal story we have read. You make a point about how this story is Native American style allegory. I think that is a really interesting concept because this story is written differently. I thought reading a folktale was a cool way to talk about global warming. Also, made a point about how the Elder Brother is teaching the readers a lesson.
I liked how you used this story to further explore the idea of a modern fable with a specific culture. When most people think of folklore or fables they think of an older and rural setting but this one also connects with our world presently. So it is interesting to see how even though it is written for the present, it has the spirit and style of the past. In addition, connecting the story to Native American history with their culture being forced to deal with a lot of adjustments and the story representing this as an allegory is very insightful. Also good commentary on the issues of jobs forcing people to bend their ethics in order to survive, it’s a very struggling issue lower-class families are dealing with today.
Thanks for posting your interesting close reading of “An Athabasca Story.” In Alli’s blog post about the story, she included a link to a video of Cariou himself reading part of the story. After listening to him read and reading your post, another detail from the short story stood out to me. When Elder Brother encounters the company man driving the truck and the man rebuffs him, Elder Brother thinks to himself “Well that was rude … this man talked as if he had no relations at all.” Perhaps this idea of “having relations” (or, in the case of the company worker, not having relations) is another important dimension of the allegorical message of the short story? Maybe part of the folktale is teaching us the importance of seeing others — both human and non -human (like the earth itself) — as our relations, because having “relations” towards something implies that we have a sort of ethical obligation to him/her/it and must act with compassion. How do you think this consideration might affect a close reading of the end of the story?
Also, I recently came across this book about the history of the genre of “Elder Brother stories” and how these stories have played an important role in the cultural, political, and kinship practices of First Nations people: http://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/elder-brother-and-the-law-of-the-people