I am heading out to a Powwow this weekend and was informed that it will get underway at noon "Indian time." That's okay, I wanted to say, I've already had to get used to Nova Scotia time, could Indian time be any worse? Apparently so, at least for someone like me who likes things to start at the appointed hour. I will, however, deal with it.
The comment about time reminded me of a website I'd come across some months ago: Sota Lya Ye Yapi . This site outlines history and culture of the Dakota tribes including a section that compares Native and Non-Native values.
As I wrote on Wednesday, learning how we communicate helps us bridge our differences. I hope you find this interesting.
Here are a couple of examples of the differences as posted on the site.
Time
Native Values: Time is unimportant. Clocks are not watched. Things are done as needed. Often the family gets up as the sun rises and retires soon after the sun sets. "Indian time" means when everyone gets there. A community meeting may be set for 1:00 p.m., but people come as much later as they wish, so the meeting may begin an hour or two later. This bothers no one. (Additional: If people gather before a scheduled event, it may begin earlier than announced...)
Non-Native Values: Time is important. Time is of the utmost importance. When someone says they will be somewhere at 10:00 a.m., they must be there at ten. Otherwise, it is felt they steal another person's time. More and more, non-Indians rush. In these cultures, it is felt that using time to its fullest extent is good.
Today vs Tomorrow
Native Values: Today concept. Indian people generally live each day as it comes. Plans for tomorrow often appear to be left until the future becomes the present -- although gathering, harvesting, and storing of foods for winter months was a traditional method of survival for many tribes.
Non-Native Values: Tomorrow concept. Non-Indians constantly are looking toward "tomorrow." Such items as insurance, saving for college, planning vacations, and so on, suggest to what extent non-Indians hold this value.
Patience vs Action
Native Values: Patience. To have much patience and to wait is considered to be good and respectful.
Non-Native Values: Action. The person admired is the one who is quick to act. They get things done and move on quickly to the other things. To sit idly, and let the competitor pass by acting more quickly, is considered bad.
Shame vs Guilt
Native Values: Shame. The Indian community groups often shame an individual (to instruct, or encourage re-entry into what is considered by the group to be acceptable behavior), but once this is accomplished, no lingering guilt is felt by the individual.
Non-Native Values: Guilt. After a non-Indian commits an act that he or she believes to be wrong, he/she carries inside the burden of having done something wrong. This terrible feeling may make them ill mentally and physically.
There is also a section on differing communication behaviours that you may find interesting.
Differing Communication Traits
"Another way of assessing differences is in how people communicate with one another, their body language for example.
"Here are several generalizations concerning differences between indigenous and non-Native cultures:
Eye contact during conversion
Native: Very little eye contact; most conversation conducted while looking away from each other; direct eye contact may be considered disrespectful to other person.
Non-Native: Eye contact is continuous or nearly continuous during conversation; lack of eye contact considered lack of respect, not paying attention to the other.
Manner in speaking voice
Native: Tends to pitch voice lower and speak more softly and slower.
Non-Native: Tends to speak with a higher pitch and faster and louder.
Custom of handshake in greeting others
Native: Traditional handshake is soft with only one or two "pumps" of a gentle nature, gentle pressure.
Non-Native: Handshake is firm, with several "pumps" of the hand; premise is that the firmer and longer the handshake, the more sincere the greeting.
A Native and Non-Native try to communicate
Native: Is in no hurry to begin a conversation, is not uncomfortable with periods of silence at the beginning of, or during, conversation.
Non-Native: Feels must get conversation going quickly, is uncomfortable with silence, thus tends to be over-talkative.
Answer to a question
Native: Reply is delayed until facts are sifted through; thus, a few moments of "silence" may be appropriate before making a reply.
Non-Native: Reply is immediate although the first words of a conversation often contribute little to the answer; may talk while formulating answer.
An anxiety provoking social situation
Native: Remains motionless and watches for cues from others or from the situation; once the pattern, or situation is interpreted, only then is action taken.
Non-Indian: uses "aggressive experimentation," to try again, until the pattern is discovered and/or the situation no longer exists or is a threat.
Colleen
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2 comments:
This was a fascinating piece to read. It was before your time in Nova Scotia, Colleen, but I suspect that you know the details.
Don Marshall Jr, son of a Mik'maq chief, was imprisoned in Nova Scotia for 13 years for a murder that he didn't commit. Another man admitted to it eventually on his deathbed.
Marshall was convicted for several reasons, most notably because police convinced so-called witnesses that Marshall was guilty, and would walk if they didn't testify against him.
And why were police certain that he was guilty? Because he looked guilty during the interrogation. Because he wouldn't look them in the eye when he answered questions. Because he would pause before answering questions, as though he was searching for a lie. Because he was vague about times.
That's why these stories are important. Junior Marshall eventually was freed, and compensated, but he's lead a troubled life since then. Is it any wonder?
Thanks. We tend to project our own expectations on others, which is no doubt responsible for much of the miscommunication we suffer.
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