(no subject)
Well. Here I am in Labrador doing field research for my thesis.
I'm researching the Innu language. Since there are so few things written in Innu, the only way to learn about the language is to talk to Innu people. And the only place to talk to Innu people is in an Innu community. So here I am. I'm living in a cabin halfway between Goose Bay and Sheshatshiu (about 15 minutes from each). Every day I drive my rental car into Sheshatshiu to do translating/recording sessions with Innu speakers. I arrived a week ago; I plan to be here for two months. (The University is paying, thankfully.)
It's kinda funny because in high school, Michelle always told Steve Pollard that he'd be living in a cardboard box on the road to Sheshatshiu. And now I'm living in a cabin on the road to Sheshatshiu! That's pretty close.
I was really nervous about coming up here -- not only because I'd be entering a different culture in which people have many good reasons to be hostile towards white people, but also because I was worried that my living arrangements might be less than perfect.
But guess what? I love it here! My cabin is great -- it even has wireless internet and satellite TV. And the area is just beautiful. The air is so clear and sweet, it's unbelievably quiet and peaceful, and the scenery is vast and inspiring in a way that I didn't even realize was possible. And Sheshatshiu is not the terrible place that so many people warned me about (mostly people who didn't know what they were talking about). I mean, the town has more than its share of problems, but it's in an absolutely gorgeous setting, and the people have been very welcoming and nice to me -- I really enjoy working with them.
So at the end of week one, this has been, hands down, one of the best experiences of my life. Here's hoping that it continues.
Good luck to all of you who are starting a new semester in September!
I'm researching the Innu language. Since there are so few things written in Innu, the only way to learn about the language is to talk to Innu people. And the only place to talk to Innu people is in an Innu community. So here I am. I'm living in a cabin halfway between Goose Bay and Sheshatshiu (about 15 minutes from each). Every day I drive my rental car into Sheshatshiu to do translating/recording sessions with Innu speakers. I arrived a week ago; I plan to be here for two months. (The University is paying, thankfully.)
It's kinda funny because in high school, Michelle always told Steve Pollard that he'd be living in a cardboard box on the road to Sheshatshiu. And now I'm living in a cabin on the road to Sheshatshiu! That's pretty close.
I was really nervous about coming up here -- not only because I'd be entering a different culture in which people have many good reasons to be hostile towards white people, but also because I was worried that my living arrangements might be less than perfect.
But guess what? I love it here! My cabin is great -- it even has wireless internet and satellite TV. And the area is just beautiful. The air is so clear and sweet, it's unbelievably quiet and peaceful, and the scenery is vast and inspiring in a way that I didn't even realize was possible. And Sheshatshiu is not the terrible place that so many people warned me about (mostly people who didn't know what they were talking about). I mean, the town has more than its share of problems, but it's in an absolutely gorgeous setting, and the people have been very welcoming and nice to me -- I really enjoy working with them.
So at the end of week one, this has been, hands down, one of the best experiences of my life. Here's hoping that it continues.
Good luck to all of you who are starting a new semester in September!