I Will Fear No Evil: Ojibwa-Missionary Encounters Along the Berens River, 1875-1940

Description

Susan Gray offers a new perspective on missionary-aboriginal encounters among the Berens River Ojibwa and Christian missionaries between 1875 and 1940. “I Will Fear No Evil” moves beyond a simple chronicle of how Christian elements were introduced and adopted by the Ojibwa; Gray recognizes and highlights a complicated ebb and flow of ideas and beliefs between the two groups. Conversions and the adoption of Christianity had multi-dimensional meanings and were interpreted in a variety of ways by the Berens River Ojibwa. Christian rituals and practices were integrated into their worldview in ways that were meaningful to the participants. Today, both Christian and Ojibwa ideas are interwoven into the lives of Berens River residents, and both traditions hold meaning and are observed with sincerity. Their dynamic, complex, and adaptive religion sheds new light on the understanding of cultural contact and change.