«Le chef gagne tous les jours de nouveaux sujets» : pouvoir, leadership et organisation sociale chez les Algonquins des lacs Abitibi et Témiscamingue au 19e siècle
Thèse ou mémoire / Thesis or Dissertation
Date de publication
Autrices et auteurs
Identifiant ORCID de l’auteur
Contributrices et contributeurs
Direction de recherche
Publié dans
Date de la Conférence
Lieu de la Conférence
Éditeur
Cycle d'études
Doctorat / Doctoral
Programme
Affiliation
Mots-clés
- Autochtone
- Algonquin
- First Nations
- Algonquin
- chief
- culture change
- ethnohistory
- nineteenth century
- Catholicism
- shaman
- Abitibi
- Timiskaming
- chef
- changement culturel
- ethnohistoire
- 19e siècle
- catholicisme
- chamane
- Abitibi
- Témiscamingue
Organisme subventionnaire
Résumé
Résumé
Cette thèse cherche à documenter le changement culturel vécu par les Algonquins des lacs Abitibi et Témiscamingue au 19e siècle, à partir d'une démarche ethnohistorique. Le changement culturel autochtone est souvent perçu comme ayant été défavorable et produit sous l'effet de la contrainte. Cette thèse montre que le contexte changeant du 19e siècle a offert des opportunités permettant aux Algonquins d'apporter des solutions nouvelles à d'anciens problèmes pour lesquels il n'existait pas de solution autrefois. Bien que cette période corresponde à l'amorce de la dépossession territoriale des Algonquins, on n'y observe pas, à cette période, de stress environnemental ayant pu induire ces changements.
Cette étude se fait sous le concept unificateur du pouvoir. Le pouvoir dans la conception algonquine est une qualité intrinsèque, qui peut fluctuer au cours d'une vie. Il est manifeste par l'habileté d'une personne à faire fléchir le sort en sa faveur et à déjouer l'infortune. Il est également transmissible à l'intérieur de certaines familles. Au début du 19e siècle, certaines personnes étaient réputées détenir beaucoup de pouvoir et leur leadership ne pouvait être remis en question. Ainsi, il existait des chefs héréditaires et des chamanes puissants et parfois craints.
J'avance qu'après l'introduction du catholicisme, les Algonquins ont utilisé cette religion pour se prémunir contre un pouvoir perçu comme démesuré. Ils ont également pris l'initiative de mettre en œuvre le mode de scrutin prévu à la Loi sur les Indiens afin de désigner des chefs choisis pour leur compétence et éloigner des personnes craintes ou incompétentes. Ils ont également mis en place des mesures de protection, évitant de concentrer trop de pouvoir entre les mains d'un chef élu.
Le siècle a vu émerger une place plus grande pour la bande comme entité sociale algonquine. En effet, les rassemblements estivaux au niveau de la bande se sont amorcés à cette période, d'abord en conséquence de la participation aux brigades de transport des marchandises, puis à la tenue estivale des missions catholiques. À la fin du siècle, les chefs se sont vus attribuer un pouvoir de représentation politique très grand et ont joué un rôle social grandissant au niveau de la bande.
This thesis examines cultural change as experienced by the Algonquins of Lakes Abitibi and Timiskaming in the nineteenth century, using an ethnohistorical approach. Aboriginal cultural change is often perceived as having been disadvantageous and brought about through constraint. This thesis shows that the changing nineteenth century context afforded new opportunities to the Algonquins, enabling them to find solutions to old problems for which none had existed previously. Even though this period marks the beginning of the territorial dispossession of the Algonquins, no environmental stress that could have brought about these changes is discernible. This study makes use of the unifying concept of power. As conceived by the Algonquins, power is an inherent quality which can fluctuate throughout a lifetime. It manifests itself in a person's ability to bend fate to his advantage and to avert misfortune. It is also transmissible within certain families. In the early nineteenth century, certain persons were reputed to be powerful, and their leadership could not be questioned. Chieftainship was hereditary, for example, and there were certain powerful shamans who were feared. I suggest that after Catholicism was introduced, the Algonquins used that religion to shield themselves from power that was perceived as being excessive. They also took the initiative of holding elections under the provisions of the Indian Act, in order to have chiefs who were chosen for their competence and to remove feared or incompetent representatives. They also put protection measures in place, thereby avoiding an excessive concentration of power in the chief's hands. During that century, the band, as an Algonquin social unit, acquired greater significance. Summer gatherings involving the band came to be held, initially as a consequence of the employment of Algonquin men in freighting, and subsequently in response to Catholic summer missions. By the end of the century, chiefs had come to wield broad powers of political representation and were playing a growing social role within the band.
This thesis examines cultural change as experienced by the Algonquins of Lakes Abitibi and Timiskaming in the nineteenth century, using an ethnohistorical approach. Aboriginal cultural change is often perceived as having been disadvantageous and brought about through constraint. This thesis shows that the changing nineteenth century context afforded new opportunities to the Algonquins, enabling them to find solutions to old problems for which none had existed previously. Even though this period marks the beginning of the territorial dispossession of the Algonquins, no environmental stress that could have brought about these changes is discernible. This study makes use of the unifying concept of power. As conceived by the Algonquins, power is an inherent quality which can fluctuate throughout a lifetime. It manifests itself in a person's ability to bend fate to his advantage and to avert misfortune. It is also transmissible within certain families. In the early nineteenth century, certain persons were reputed to be powerful, and their leadership could not be questioned. Chieftainship was hereditary, for example, and there were certain powerful shamans who were feared. I suggest that after Catholicism was introduced, the Algonquins used that religion to shield themselves from power that was perceived as being excessive. They also took the initiative of holding elections under the provisions of the Indian Act, in order to have chiefs who were chosen for their competence and to remove feared or incompetent representatives. They also put protection measures in place, thereby avoiding an excessive concentration of power in the chief's hands. During that century, the band, as an Algonquin social unit, acquired greater significance. Summer gatherings involving the band came to be held, initially as a consequence of the employment of Algonquin men in freighting, and subsequently in response to Catholic summer missions. By the end of the century, chiefs had come to wield broad powers of political representation and were playing a growing social role within the band.
Table des matières
Notes
Notes
Autre version linguistique
Ensemble de données lié
Licence
Approbation
Évaluation
Complété par
Référencé par
Ce document diffusé sur Papyrus est la propriété exclusive des titulaires des droits d'auteur et est protégé par la Loi sur le droit d'auteur (L.R.C. (1985), ch. C-42). Sauf si le document est diffusé sous une licence Creative Commons, il ne peut être utilisé que dans le cadre d'une utilisation équitable et non commerciale comme le prévoit la Loi (i.e. à des fins d'étude privée ou de recherche, de critique ou de compte-rendu). Pour toute autre utilisation, une autorisation écrite des titulaires des droits d'auteur sera nécessaire.