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REVIEWS
HOW IT IS: THE NATIVE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY OF V.F. CORDOVA
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edited by Kathleen Dean Moore, Kurt Peters, Ted Jojola, Amber Lacy
foreword by Linda Hogan
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| The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 2007. Notes. 272 pages. $45 cloth. $19.95 paper. |
| At first glance, readers may suspect that Cordova has homogenized Native American experiences and cultures into a single philosophical treatment, an unfortunate and recurrent oversight in many Native American writings. The truth is there are over 800 federally recognized and non-recognized tribes in America, each with unique characteristics in culture and philosophy. Cordova, who grew up in a marginalized community of Apache and non-Natives, does not overlook this diversity, and neither do the editors. She uses analogies, personal stories, and environmental and historical events to explain the transfer of Apache knowledge, her worldview, and the foundations of what she calls the Native American philosophy. Despite the singular connotation, each chapter builds on the truths in her life and ultimately shares philosophical foundations that differ from western dogmas but that many in Native American communities can agree on. |
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Cordova is believed to be the first Native American woman to receive her Ph.D. in philosophy, and her manuscript is neatly presented in five parts: Bridges is the foundation of her worldview and a glimpse into her heritage growing up within Apache and non-Native communities; Windows is her foundation of Native American philosophy and alternative ways of decoding western philosophical thoughts; What is the World? discusses the reality of space and time as well as worldviews affected by cosmological position; What is it to Be Human? brings about an understanding of Native American identity, individuality, stereotypes, and the objectification of indigenous peoples; and What is the Role of a Human in the World? discusses diversity, detached generations, sense of place, depression, and responsibilities of future generations. In each part, Cordova injects humor, intellect, concern, and a worldview firmly anchored in what she was taught as a young Native American woman. |
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Cordova's is a stimulating treatment. While many of us — regardless of ethnic background — are bound to philosophies grounded in histories of oppression and assimilation, she breaks free from dogmatic preaching engrained by an overbearing civilization. None of her lessons are presented as what all Native Americans believe. Rather, her worldview challenges readers to consider different lenses. In Cordova's world, the earth is a living egg — the earth is the yolk and the albumen is our atmosphere — not a hard surface upon which we simply walk, but a permeable and fragile environment that sustains us all. We are dependent on each other to care for our fragile world; not independent, but only with differing worldviews as her Native American philosophy suggests. |
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Perhaps one of the most intriguing observations is her analysis of space and time — space as being connected to everything in our global environment, and time as endless motion. For Euroman (her terminology), the creation of the universe either came from nothing or was violent, as in the "Big Bang." It is finite. From the Indian perspective, "the universe is infinite ... no beginning ... in motion ... harmonious, balanced and stable despite occasional and temporary suddenness" (p. 117). For Euroman, time is divided into three sections — past, present, future — each "as bounded [and] there will come a 'time' when the boundary is met and confronted" (p. 117). Indian time, however, is entirely different, "merely a measure of motion ... the sun, stars, and moon through the sky, of changes that are visible and can be predicted. Time, as a measure, is not a self-existing 'thing'; it is not even a dimension — it is a human construct" (p. 118). |
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She asks us, when considering Native Americans, to avoid common assumptions such as the views that we have a common set of beliefs, are less complex than western cultures, and are not sophisticated enough to engage in philosophical discussion. Native Americans are valid thinkers. There are no absolutes, and "despite 500 years of concerted efforts by government, the military, and educational and religious institutions to eradicate a conceptual framework alien to the West — [Native Americans have] managed to maintain a separate identity based on a conceptual framework that still seems to provide a better explanatory framework than that offered by the West" (p. 68). I agree. |
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Cordova's scholarship is sound. Her reasoning is valid. Most importantly, her Native American philosophy is not intrusive — it is simply an insightful perspective from a renowned scholar for readers to consider. A seminal work — the unyielding may hedge. Required reading for future generations of philosophers — absolutely. |
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| Jason Younker
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Rochester Institute of Technology
Coquille Indian Tribe |
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