Ensuring Equality. (English Week Two Post)

In Touching Spirit Bear, during a Healing Circle, a feather is passed around to all those who wish to speak. An intriguing idea, I know. As it turns out, Native American tribes have been using such a system for centuries, more commonly, however, the item, or "Talking Token", took the form of a Talking Stick, with a feather on the end, as well as fur, and beads. At first I wondered why Ben Mikaelsen had chosen to use jsut a feather which seems to be much less common, then I remembered that these meetings were being held in contemporary times and as such most likely didn't follow every little detail of what would have once been considered average. Also, it may just have been that the Tlingit were one of the few tribes to forgo the Stick part of the Talking Token.

It was a system used in order to create an environment where everyone's opinions and thoughts were equal, and could be just as easily heard. Using a Talking Token ensures that not only the most passionate, forceful, or just plain loud people could be heard, but also the coolheaded, meek, and quite, could voice their thoughts on whatever matter a meeting was discussing. In addition, being the only one allowed to speak was supposed to give the speaker and added sense of duty, and honor with which to carry on to his speech making it truthful, and meant with good intentions. It is quite amusing when thinking about the intention behind the talking token, and how everyone using it is supposed to be honorable and honest... and then seeing some of the ways it was abused in the book. Cole did point this out at one point actually, but only after he had only done so himself.

Apparently the tradition has morphed through the years (as they all do) and been integrated into various places, used in any number of places with no specific requirements to use it. (I do think I remember using a beaney bag for some sort of version of this when I was younger...)

Works Cited: (Or, more appropriately, Work Cited:)

Locust, Carol. "The Talking Stick." Acacia Artisans. 7 July 2008 <http://www.acaciart.com/stories/archive6.html>.