Book Review: Civilization schemes attributed to loss of land and culture

Assault on a CultureBy Karl Hele

Assault on a Culture is the story of the Anishinaabeg of Michigan’s interactions with the French, British, and American Empires.  Written by a descendant of the Mackinac Ainse family (Odawa), this monograph examines the various changes that Anishinaabeg culture underwent over approximately 300 years in Michigan.

The volume begins with our lives and world views before contract – essentially highlighting some of our core beliefs, such as the concept that precludes humanity’s separation from nature and the belief that the world around us is filled with living beings. This section shows the weakness of the English language and it dualistic concepts to adequately describe Anishinaabeg metaphysics; nonetheless, in my estimation Adams is successful in presenting a cultural primer.

Following the pre-contact era, Adams deals with the French era’s non-directed culture change that came about due to participation in the fur trade, such as the incorporation of newcomers and their material culture as well as changes brought about by participating in a profit-driven process. He acknowledges the extent of cultural change to be both great by largely driven by Anishinaabeg. The British period is characterized as a holding pattern, since England maintained sway in the region for less than 50 years.

Adams sees the American period as a time of rapid and great cultural change, driven by settler actions and policies. The dramatic loss of lands and forced acculturation via various civilization schemes are presented as the main culprits in this on going process. The greatest weakness of the volume is its focus entirely on the Anishinaabeg of Michigan.

Nevertheless, for those interested in reading about the period from approximately 1600 to 1855 in what became Michigan this is a perfect beginning.

Charles E. Adams, Jr. Assault on a Culture: The Anishinaabeg of the Great Lakes and the Dynamics of Change.  USA: Xlibris, 2013.  ISBN: 978-1-4386-1291-1