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Chapter 3 The Historiography of Christian Missions to Canada's First Peoples since 1970
- University of Ottawa Press
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Chapter 3 The Historiography of Christian Missions to Canada's FirstPeoples since1970 David N. Collins This paper has two sections. Thefirstpart presentsa critical analysis of writings about the Christian missionary endeavour to Canada's First Peoples published since 1970. It is based on the second part, which takes the form of a bibliography. Discussion of Christian missions to the world's indigenous peoples excites impassioned opinions both for and against. Christians themselves hold a wide range of views, depending on denominational differences, disagreements between the traditional and liberal wings within denominations and even rivalries between mission agencies. The vast variety and amount of literature about missions and missiology (the study of mission) may be gauged by glancing at the pages of a few journals.1 Adherents of other faiths and non-religious people hold views that are sometimes violently antipathetic to Christian proselytism. In addition academics writing from anthropological, sociological, feminist, Marxist, postmodernist, new age and other viewpoints, not to speak of the proponents of "political correctness," present more or less hostile critiques of the history and present state of Christian missionary activity. Very few writers approach the subject dispassionately, though often the confident way in which people express themselves seems to imply that as professionalsthey are writing objectively. It is not at all clear that complete "objectivity" about such a subject is either possible or desirable.It is, however,importantthatwriterson the subjectshould be honest about their particular religious, political or ideological 25 David N. Collins standpoint both to arouse their awareness of their own bias and to aid others' assessment of their work.2 Analysis of the large amount of literature directly concerned with Christian missions to Canada's First Peoples published since 19703 is complex given the multifarious approaches and diversity of subjects studied. Roman Catholic missions have received the most attention, both positive and negative. A considerable number of studies investigate developments during the heyday of New France, the seventeenth century. Naturally the Jesuit missions predominate, though some accounts detail the role of the Recollets and women missionaries. Then follows an hiatus with very little about the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The exploits of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the mid-nineteenth century, who spread Catholic influence beyond the limits of New France to the outermost parts of Canada, have given rise to a considerable and growing literature. Anglican missions have received less attention than those of the Catholics, but a respectable body of research is devoted to their activities from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Coverage of the Protestant free churches (Moravian, Presbyterian, Methodist and so on) is sporadic. Despite a few noteworthy studies, much remains to be done in this area. As for the small Evangelical churches whose activities began in the 1940s, the Pentecostals and the Charismatics who came on the scene from the 1960s, very littleworkhas been done. The historiographical survey will be divided into the following sections, each of which will be subdivided to facilitate analysis: a) Hagiographical Publications, Autobiographies and "Respectful" Biographies b) Broadly Neutral Studies and Primary Source Publications including Letters c) Moderately Critical Studies d) Severe Criticisms and Works Imbued with Strong Ideological Convictions Hagiographical Publications, Autobiographies and "Respectful" Biographies This section investigates "hagiographic descriptions of the work of.. .wilderness saints...[which] lauded the efforts of the back-country 26 [3.82.58.213] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 07:03 GMT) The Historiography of Christian Missions to Canada's First Peoples since 1970 clerics" (328, pp. 27-28. Citations from the Bibliography will be given in this form.), that is, items written from a generally uncritical position by Christians themselves in order to inform and inspire their co-religionists through tales of the heroic endeavours of their brothers and sisters in distant lands. Such works are unashamedly partisan and propagandistic, intended to foster greater belief among the faithful and to stimulate increased support for the missions. They are generally confident, unselfcriticaland superficial. Theologically rigid, they tend to gloss over many of the problems which beset missionary activity, except that they highlight their heroes' battles against savage environments, disease and superstition. Some of them show a keen sense of the grandeur and exotic state of nature, and on occasion manifest a somewhat grudging admiration for the hardiness of indigenous peoples. Onthe whole, though,they are eurocentred, with a lack of sympathy for local cultures and pity for the benighted state of the objects of the enterprise. They are usually based on a range of sources chosen to...