Anthropos: Anthropos, 92.1997,1/3

Anthropos, 92.1997,1/3

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschrift

Werks-URN (URL):: https://digi.evifa.de/viewer/resolver?urn=urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

Persistenter Identifier:: BV043334262

Titel:: Anthropos

Erscheinungsort:: Fribourg

Verlag:: Ed. St. Paul

Erscheinungsjahr:: 1906

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

Wissensgebiet:: Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie > Allgemeines

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenband

Werks-URN (URL):: https://digi.evifa.de/viewer/resolver?urn=urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711886

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711886

Persistenter Identifier:: 1513768301723

Titel:: Anthropos, 92.1997,1/3

Erscheinungsjahr:: 1997

Signatur:: LA 1118

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenheft

Titel:: Bd. 92, 1997, Heft 1-3

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenartikel

Titel:: A Hermeneutic Exposition of a Plains Healer's Concept of "The Grandfathers"

Sonstige Person:: Young, David E.; Pompana, Clifford; Spitzer, Denise; Candler, Craig

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

Anthropos 92.1996: 115-128 A Hermeneutic Exposition of a Plains Healer’s Concept of “The Grandfathers” David E. Young, Clifford Pompana, Denise Spitzer, and Craig Candler Abstract. - The concept of “the Grandfathers” is a key element ln the religious thought of Plains Indian groups. Because there ls little scholarly literature on “the Grandfathers,” this paper e *plores the meaning of the concept from the point of view of a Dakota healer. In addition, the paper illustrates what we refer lo as “hermeneutic exposition” - a method which uses metafor- m ulations to “reframe” emic ideas (such as the concept of the Grandfathers) in order to reveal their inherent sophistication to outsiders. This method also allows emic ideas to be compared With similar ideas in other cultures without compromising their indigenous integrity. [Plains Indians, Dakota, concept of the Grandfathers, hermeneutic exposition, collaborative research, ^original thought, Native healing] David Young, Ph.D.; Professor of Anthropology and Director, Centre for the Cross-Cultural Study of Health and Healing, University of Alberta, Canada, - field research in East Asia ar >d northern Canada. - Publications: See References Cited. Clifford Pompana, M.A. in Anthropology. Dakota Sioux heal er. Denise Spitzer, M.A. in Anthropology; Ph.D. candidate, Uni- v ersity of Alberta, Canada. Craig Candler, M.A. candidate in Anthropology, University °f Alberta, Canada. 1 Introduction The concept of the Grandfathers plays a vital role ln the thought of many Native groups in the plains, an d adjacent areas, of Canada and the United States. The richness and importance of the concept, however, seems to have been lost on many schol- ars of aboriginal thought, as evidenced by the fact that there is very little literature on the concept. The primary goal of this paper is to help fill this gap. Addressing this issue involved collaboration be tween four anthropologists: a Dakota anthropolo- £ lst who provided information on his understand- ln § of the concept of the Grandfathers, and three n °n-aboriginal anthropologists who attempted to u nderstand and translate the Dakota material into a t°rrn that could be understood by non-aboriginals. To do this, we had to develop interpretive proce dures which would allow a highly specific emic view to be reframed in more general terms without doing violence to the original concept. We refer to this interpretive process as hermeneutic exposition. Thus the paper makes two contributions. First, it provides additional information on a little under stood aboriginal concept; and second, it explores collaborative methods for doing hermeneutic ex position. 1 The structure of the paper is as follows. First we briefly summarize the references in the schol arly literature to the concept of the Grandfathers, particularly those pertaining to the Dakota under standing of the concept. This provides a historical context for the remainder of the paper. We then turn to a discussion of the methodological issues involved. This is followed by a step-by-step anal ysis of the Dakota material provided by Clifford Pompana, moving from text to exposition. Finally, we turn briefly to more general issues. 2 References to the Grandfathers in the Literature Academics have made a concerted effort to docu ment aboriginal traditions in North America. Un fortunately, the conceptual systems behind these traditions, particularly in the field of “religion,” 1 See Watson and Watson (1985) for a good discussion of hermeneutics as the concept is used by anthropologists. Basically, hermeneutics refers to methods of elucidating a concept or practice from one time period or culture so it can be understood in another time period or another culture. An exposition is simply a systematic explanatory treatise. Therefore, the term “hermeneutic exposition” is used by the authors of this paper to refer to the systematic interpretation of a culture-bound concept or practice so it can be understood by outsiders and compared with similar concepts in other cultures. A classic discussion of issues associated with anthropological interpretation is provided by Geertz (1973).

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