The Role Of Cultural Integrity In The Three Day Road

Over many years, the indigenous people of the Canadian society have been affected by oppression. Oppression may be defined as abusing authority or power in a cruel or unfair manner. One major oppressive factor the Indigenous people are faced with throughout history is residential schools. These institutions operated over 160 years where First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were forcefully removed from their homes. The residential schools undermined indigenous culture across Canada, removing Indigenous practices which contributed to a general loss of culture. During the Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, the character Elijah transforms into a figurative Windigo which eventually results in his destruction. Elijah’s childhood friend Xavier is resistant to oppression and culturally sincere which helps him overcome oppressive experiences. Niska resorts to spiritually to solve problems that arise. The outcome of The Three Day Road demonstrates how cultural integrity enables some characters to overcome oppression, while disregarding cultural beliefs inevitably results in the destruction of others.

Throughout this novel, Elijah devolves into a metaphorical Windigo which ultimately leads to his destruction because his lack of cultural sincerity prevents him from resisting oppression. There are many evident influences for his descent into evil. Elijah is a part of one of many residential during his childhood. These schools portray all aspects of oppression, and aim to eliminate all aspects of indigenous culture. The exposure to the Wemistikoshiw’s way of living have outweighed his cultural beliefs. The oppressive experiences also cause emotional and mental distress which makes Elijah a victim. Elijah joins the war against the Germans and becomes a killing machine for the Wemisitkoshiw. This development is apparent as Elijah, “Turns the dead man on his stomach and removes his sharpened skinning knife from its sheath and pulls the man’s hair back and removes his scalp with careful motions as he would remove the skin from a pike”.

This act is a result of being marginalized by French men. Marginalization is relegating or confining a group of individuals to lower social standing. The Frenchmen disregard and treat Elijah insignificant because of his “Indian” appearance. One French man by the name of Francis gives him advice, to take the scalps of his enemies as proof of his kills in order to be honoured amongst them. In the eyes of the Frenchmen Elijah is seen to be of lower standards and ultimately has to prove himself worthy of respect. This passage demonstrates Elijah’s developing desire to be accepted amongst the Frenchmen, and his inability to stay true to his culture. This passage also highlights how Elijah is drifting from his cultural beliefs. The indigenous people kill to survive and eat, whereas Elijah has taken it upon himself to kill for pleasure and acceptance. Even though war consists of killing, Elijah is going beyond what is expected of him. Furthermore, Elijah indulges in the use of morphine and begins neglecting his personal needs. This engagement is observable after a medic says to Elijah, “You got the beginnings of a nasty case of trench-foot, Corporal”. Morphine is the Wemistikoshiw’s medicine. The Wemistikoshiw uses this “medicine” to numb the pain of an injury, and soldiers eventually become addicted. This medicine does not heal, but gives a euphoric feeling and temporary relief from physical suffering. This statement signifies how cultural imperialism imposes Elijah to resort to morphine for healing. Cultural imperialism describes the way in which the ruling class in a society takes its culture and establishes it as the norm. Elijah’s culture uses herbs and spiritual guidance for healing, but Elijah evidently overlooks this cultural remedy and gives into the Wemistikoshiw’s “medicine”. Lastly, Elijah is not only speaking the Wemistikoshiw’s tongue but changing his accent. Xavier narrates, “Since being wounded in our raid, he has given up fighting the morphine. “I’m just dabbling with it,” he likes to say with his English accent. This change illustrates that cultural imperialism dominates Elijah’s actions once more. It is also evident at what point Elijah initially gives into the morphine and becomes addicted. Marginalization also applies to this scenario. Elijah feels the need to speak the Wemitikoshiw’s tongue and accent for acceptance. Throughout the reading Elijah neglects his original tongue and barely uses it in most cases.

Xavier’s cultural sincerity enables him to overcome the potential negative results of giving into oppression. Xavier is also a part of the same residential school as Elijah. However, Xavier spends less time under the influence of the Wemistikoshiw’s culture after Niska rescues him. Niska and Xavier both return to the bush where Niska exposes him to his original culture and teaches him the way of the indigenous. Niska also engages Xavier in spiritual practices and introduces him to the systematic circle the indigenous follow. This circle consists of four sections with components such as; The four main cardinal points, Earth, fire, water and the sky. Xavier relies on his spiritual beliefs to overcome oppressive experiences. One event where this practice is noticeable is when Xavier kills a horse with a broken leg to stop the animal from suffering. Xavier says, “Elijah sees that one of my hands rests on the floor with my skinning knife in it”. Xavier also narrates, “No choice. Legs broke”. These events juxtaposes to Elijah’s intention of killing. Elijah kills for acceptance and pleasure while Xavier kills the horse as a remorseful and respectful act. This event also demonstrates how Xavier is culturally sincere because the indigenous people honour and respect animals. These are animals the indigenous often pray to for spiritual guidance hence one reason to show respect. The indigenous’ respect is evident in this reading when Niska narrates, “Any of the hair that the bear shed was carefully collected from the floor and clothing, and burned in the fire, whispered prayers drifting up with the stinking smoke”. This practice of honouring and showing respect to animals sticks with Xavier. Moreover, Xavier is experiences marginalization many times throughout this reading for being unable to speak in the Wemistikoshiw’s accent and tongue well. Elijah has all the attention and is heavily influenced by cultural imperialism to be accepted. Unlike Elijah, Xavier stays silent and does not force himself to speak foreign languages to be accepted: “I’m an Indian, Elijah says. From the North. This one too, but he doesn’t speak much English. He is a heathen, speaks nothing but his own tongue”. This reference demonstrates Xavier’s resistance to cultural imperialism.

Throughout this reading Niska demonstrates her cultural sincerity by resorting to spirituality and beliefs to overcome oppressive situations. Niska is rescued from a residential school by her mother during her childhood, spending less time under the Wemistiksohiw’s influence. Niska’s father is a Windigo killer and the village’s hookimaw. A hookimaw is the indigenous term for spiritual leader of a clan. Niska is greatly influenced and exposed to spiritual practices and culture which sticks with her throughout adulthood. Niska’s spirituality and reliance on her cultural is evident after being exploited by the Frenchman where she creates a shaking to ask the animal spirits for cleansing. Niska says:

“I opened the flap to that small place and crawled inside, poured water on the rocks to that small place and crawled inside, poured water on the rocks so that the steam became a living, burning thing, and prayed to the four directions and to the earth, the sky, the water and the air, pouring more water onto the rocks until i thought my lungs would catch fire. I prayed harder for purification until the pain became ecstasy.” 

This reference illustrates how Niska handles issues based on her beliefs and not resorting to other alternatives. One of these alternatives is drinking the Wemistikoshiw rum to ease her emotional distress. Niska does not partake in the Wemsitikoshiw’s ways but chooses her spirituality to overcome that battle. Additionally, Niska prays for the boys before they leave for war, and makes a medicine bundle for them to take. Niska says, “I tied a small medicine bundle around each of your necks. I’d chosen the ingredients carefully, pinches of the protective herbs I had, along with the tooth of the lynx that would offer speed, invisibility and vision.” This passage demonstrates how Niska aims to include her beliefs and spiritually in her daily life. This passage is relevant to the last night before Elijah and Xavier joins the army. A lynx circles their tent in the woods and cries. The lynx sounds “hurt,” like a “mother who’s lost her children.” Boyden implies that this wounded lynx is the spirit of Niska,who is mournful about her “children” leaving.

The result of this novel illustrates that cultural integrity aids some characters in overcoming oppressive experiences, whereas disregarding cultural practices and beliefs consequently results in the destruction of others. Elijah lacks cultural sincerity after being under the influence of the Wemistikoshiw’s practices as a child and is unable to resist oppressive experiences. Niska’s faces oppressive situations and always resorts to her culture for help. Xavier is most resistant to oppression than Elijah during this novel which helped him to overcome the experiences. Despite the fact that residential schools no longer operate, oppression is still an ongoing challenge for the indigenous people in Canada’s society. The oppression these individuals face is often subtle in today’s society, however sometimes apparent. 

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