I Hear the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven

1116 Words3 Pages

The elders of the ancient Kwakiutl tribe in the book, I Heard The Owl Call My Name, by Margaret Craven, were naturally insecure with the ways of the white man, yet the tribal youth seemed eager to welcome the change in lifestyle. Mark, an Anglican minister, was sent by the Bishop to spread the ideas of the faith among the people of the Kwakiutl tribe in Kingcome. While performing his duties, he worked with the villagers on a day-to-day basis. He brought his way of life to the tribe and taught some of the children what the white man was all about. The elders feared the loss of their heritage having someone of white descent amongst them. There are three distinct situations in which one can observe a switch in conduct between the youth, the elders of the tribe, and their desire to hold on to their past. A change can be noticed in both their mood and behavior toward the white man and his “evil ways”; from the first time Mark arrived at the village, to when the children began schooling, and finally when he passed away.
Upon first setting foot on the soil of the beach in the small village of Kingcome, Mark came into contact with the people of Kwakiutl. Along with him, he also brought “the way of the white man”, which many were not accustomed to. Talking about an elderly woman sitting on the steps to the vicarage, Mark said, “’I did not see her when we passed the vicarage carrying the organ to the church.’” and Jim replied, “‘She saw you, and was afraid. She hid.’”(P.24) Most of the older villagers were unfriendly and timid toward Mark when he first arrived. Even the children were a little timid at first and did not really know why or what this strange person was doing in their community. “They had entered without knocking…When he asked their names, they did not answer, watching him from their soft, dark, sad eyes, as their ancestors must have watched the first white man in the days of innocence.”(P.39) As the months passed by, the tribal children began to show an interest in this new person living in their village and the elders had a strong negative feeling and concern for this admiration of the white man.
As summers and winters arrived and passed, the Kwakiutl children had now grown into young adults and had became genuine friends with Mark, not just acquaintances.

Open Document