So first off, thanks to Brent for being a trooper - the bobcat pelt hat was his idea. I think he gives us alot of great insights into folk knowledge from the perspective of someone who isn't examining it the way we are. first, he talked about how hunting w
as a big deal for his family - i got the impression that it wasn't just something they did, but it was an integral part of their family identity, it is a part of who they are. next, i think it is interesting that he mentions how it was probably frustrating for his dad at times - i immediately thought of the bison Dr. Petersen spoke of dealing with a mouse or young bear as this education is passed on. I also find it interesting that he said that because he knew his dad so well, he was able to learn more through observation. fourth, i found it interesting that he said most of the knowledge he has would be something all hunters would know. i think this may be one way in which hunting differs from other types of folk knowledge. Next, the differences in hunting today and that of the past were mainly advances in technology. In my mind, this is one of the common themes with all folk knowledge - they are passed from parent to child, but each generation of children adds to the knowledge gained fr
om their parents. Finally, the idea of putting a value on the knowledge he has gained through years of hunting was hard to do. the utility, sentimental value and role it plays in our personal and family identities make the folk knowledges we have an invaluable resource.<----- Brent and his dad hunting when he was younger (that's a cougar in the tree behind them)
What a cool folk knowledge to learn!
ReplyDeleteI like how he mentioned that when his father taught, it may have taken some time and caused some good kills to be lost, but it doesn't seem like his father stopped teaching him. He never stopped providing the folk knowledge. Perhaps with the mother tongue, since it is all about connecting and unifying, it also seeks to teach until it is understood completely. We teach those things because we are connected as family, or friends, or whatever.
On the other hand, the father tongue stands all sophisticated and only those who are willing to explore it learn it well. The father tongue doesn't seek to connect with us---it stands as is and doesn't care about anyone else. It's hard to think that my statistics teacher and my mother would ever teach me in the same way. . .or care about my learning in the same way. So the reason why Brent can't place a monetary value on his folk knowledge is because it would seem out of place. The connection made with his father in learning how to hunt was natural, not forced.
We place high value on the efficiency of education--hence we're at university, hence our culture expecting K-12 from everyone--yet in that we miss something. Brent was not simply learning the tricks and widgets of hunting, but he was integrating with that culture.
ReplyDeleteThroughout his comments he mentions 'going out and having a good time.' Learning the skills may have been frustrating at times, but he also learned that he does have a support structure. I also suspect that he picked up on how to be part of that structure for his siblings, his kids, and even his nieces and nephews.
As a family experience, hunting definitely played a huge part on folk knowledge and the way that they learned. And as it was a family thing it seemed to be something that they all looked forward to and anticipated, not something that maybe they wished to learn but something expected of all from the family.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see his view on it because of the way he was taught and the way it was ingrained into his life.
Kudos, Jared, for finding, interviewing, and videoing an expert in folk knowledge. Hunting is so fundamental, but we sometimes forget about it or consider it a kind of hobby or sport (when it used to be life sustaining, and in many cases still is).
ReplyDeleteJared, make sure you capitalize the pronoun, "I" and the beginnings of sentences. Blogging is more casual than formal academic papers, but not as casual as texting.
I wondered why no one sought out any historical sources about this very universal topic...