Trapped By The Crees Or

A vivid account of the values and world view of an indigenous society.

Native Americans first came to settle North America many thousands of years ago. The Cree is an ancient group that chose to set up their communities in Quebec, Canada. Their ancestors passed down their history from one generation to the next through word of mouth. As years passed, the Cree built communities and faced many challenges. This is the story of the Cree nation, how they survived hardships and obstacles, and continued into the present day.

Cree and Christian develops and applies new ethnographic approaches for understanding the reception and indigenization of Christianity, particularly through an examination of Pentecostalism in northern Alberta. Clinton N. Westman draws on historical records and his own long-term ethnographic research in Cree communities to explore questions of historical change, cultural continuity, linguistic practices in ritual, and the degree to which Indigenous identity is implicated by Pentecostal commitments. Such complexity calls for constant negotiation and improvisation, key elements of Pentecostal worship and speech strategies that have been compared to jazz modes. The historical sweep of Cree and Christian considers the dynamics of Pentecostal conversion in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of other denominations and the underlying foundation of Cree cosmological worldviews. Pentecostalism has remained open to recognizing the power of spirits while also benefiting from its own essential flexibility. Pentecostals often seek to gain a degree of temporal and spiritual autonomy and authority that may not have seemed possible under previous Christian practices or Cree traditions. Cree and Christian is the first book to provide a fully historicized account of Indigenous Pentecostalism, connecting contemporary religious practices and pluralism to historical Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic, and mainstream Protestant missions since the nineteenth century. By tracing religious practices and discourses since the 1890s, Westman paints a picture of the transformations and encounters from the earliest conversions (and resistance) to today’s pluralistic, mediatized, and bilingual religious landscape.

BIB Theory [From B(rilliance) I(n) B(lather).] -noun The concept of genius being derived from within the context of nonsensical babble. With the completion of this memoir comes confi rmation of this theory; to which a lifes work has been devoted. ~ Dr. Michael Arthur Creed

With one simple myth, nations burned. Under the Almighty, an empire has been forged, bringing peace to the once-divided continent. But now, a spark of truth threatens to ignite the religion of lies. Chapman unknowingly brought the Seventh Precinct to their demise. Now Officer Holden Sanders, known throughout the Capital City as the survivor, seeks the truth of how so many he held dear were slaughtered. But when it comes to light his former mentor might still draw breath, the Officer of God is forced to wage war against the Almighty itself.

David Pelly tells the Thelon’s story, exploring the mystery of Man’s relationship with this special place in the heart of Canada’s vast Arctic barrenlands. From Thanadelthur and Telaruk to J.W. Tyrrell, John Hornby and Eric Morse, the history is detailed, complete and exciting. The Thelon is the setting for a compelling Canadian adventure tale – with all its drama, intrigue, joy and tragedy. But the writer goes beyond that to contemplate the significance of the Thelon wilderness, and to examine its uncertain future. "It is the richness of human experience, layered on top of the natural splendour of the river valley and its wildlife, that really sets the Thelon apart. The place has a history, both Native and non-Native, which gives it standing beyond the intrinsic value of wilderness itself." David Pelly writes as one who has been there time and again. He knows the Thelon from personal experience. As a freelance writer for 20 years, he has travelled many parts of the Arctic, but claims that "nowhere draws me back more powerfully than the Thelon."