Isabella Crawford’s The Camp of Souls Poem

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The poem The Camp of Souls by Isabella Valancy Crawford can be described as a monologue spoken by a spirit of an aboriginal returning from the realm of death and revising the that of the mortals. To make such an argument regarding the poem, one would need to have a deep understanding of the cultural context of the poem and the lives of the Natives. The poem makes several subtle and direct references to some aspects of the Natives’ religion and practices. Therefore, a key question that needs to be explored is whether the poem is simply a sentimental effusion made for sales and entertainment or it is a serious exploration of Canadian native culture. This essay argued that the understanding of the Canadian native culture appears to be too shallow, which could only make the poem a piece for sales and entertainment. This argument will be supported by digging deeper into the spirituality of the Canadian natives and applying the views of such critics of such post-colonial writers as Edward Said.

The background information of the poem is a good starting point in making the argument that her poem was simply for sales and entertainment. She was born into a cultured and educated family, which was quite impoverished. Her family moved to Canada in 1858 where their hardships continued (Zeller). Her father was tried and convicted of misappropriating public funds which left her, her mother, and her siblings to supper in poverty. Crawford’s meager earnings from literary work were depended upon by her family, which should be seen as a reason to produce as many interesting pieces as possible (Zeller). Having immigrated from Europe and gained new experience in Canada, it can be argued that Isabella might have been attracted to the culture of the Canadian natives. However, the time it would need for one to be fully acquainted with a foreign culture could be long.

It is important to emphasize that this position is only based on a few assumptions. The most important assumption is that a European immigrant would be more interested in converting the natives to these cultural and religious beliefs of the Europeans as opposed to accepting the spirituality of the natives. Such a position can be based on the practices of the colonialists and their belief that they were superior to the natives. Therefore, it is difficult to accept that Crawford subscribed to any of the beliefs and practices of the natives. The argument is that her understanding and knowledge are as basic as that of any immigrant but adequate to allow her to produce an interesting literary work.

Another aspect of the poem that makes it a piece for entertainment and sales is the fact that her understanding of the native spirituality differs slightly from that of the natives. Her reference to the Great Manitou attracts criticism because she depicts the spirit as evil by using such phrases as ‘hunting ground.’ According to Lepionka, the children of the colonial era were taught to associate the native’s great spirit with the avatar of Satan. Manitou is depicted in the poem as being dangerous as he speaks in fierce thunder sound. Therefore, her perception is that the great spirit evokes fear among the people. Coming from the camp of souls can be interpreted to mean that the great spirit is responsible for such life events a death. It could also be interpreted that Manitou is associated with darkness as the spirit moves at night. The river and the canoe have also been used, which could depict that the spirit lives in rivers or under the water. Such descriptions are capable of evoking negative sentiments towards the spirit, which could go contrary to what the natives feel about this great spirit.

The argument presented above is based on the understanding of the Canadian natives’ association with the great spirit. Lepionka explains that the great spirit and other religious rituals of the natives attested to a positive afterlife of a vast world under the stewardship of such higher powers as the Gitchi Manitou. Therefore, Manitous should be depicted as a god and a creator, as well as a defeator of evil spirits. Additionally, Manitou is described as residing on the hilltops, which should insinuate sacred places where the natives could worship. Therefore, the sharp contrast between Crawford’s understanding of Canadian native culture and the actual cultural beliefs and practices supports the notion that her knowledge on the subject is shallow. If this position holds, then the argument that her poem is simply for sales and entertainment also stands.

Another way to approach the poem is by considering the concept of orientalism as it applies to Crawford. According to Said, the westerners have created a dichotomy between the Eastern reality and the romantic idea of the orient. In other words, the culture and history of the natives have been created for them by European immigrants. Said argues that the main explanation for this is that the natives are thought to be unaware of their own culture and history. In the context of the poem, Crawford coins her own understanding of the Great Spirit and its relationship with the people. The contrast between her descriptions and the real understanding of the native spirituality support this thesis. In his seminal work, Said argues that Orientalism is a cultural and political fact that can be shown in what people think, say, or do about the orient (20). Such a behavior can be seen in Crawford attempting to use her own understanding of the great spirit to depict what she thinks is the reality among the natives. An exploration of culture would focus more on the facts as opposed to misguided beliefs.

Although Said’s arguments on orientalism were focused on the relationship between the east and west, two geographical regions, the author’s idea has key applications in examining Crawford’s poem. Potter supports Said’s idea that the Western scholars and their narratives tend to essentialize the East. In this case, the term essentializing can be used to imply that if the Westerners believe something about the Easterners then that belief will be assumed to be the truth. Crawford may have been part of that generation taught to associate the Indian spirits with Satan. Her understanding spills over to her narrative where her writing essentializes the Great Manitou as a spirit of the dark real who hunts for souls of the living. She does not stop to consider the real truth behind the spirit and how it relates to people. Her perception of the Canadian natives remains the same and she does not make any visible effort to seek any clarifications. Therefore, there is hardly any evidence to suggest that her poem is a serious exploration of the Canadian native culture.

Besides the reference to the Great Manitou, it can be argued that there are images created in the poem that can hardly be associated with the Canadian natives. Some of the terms and phrases may appear to resemble some aspects of the natives’ references to people and objects. For example, the “camp of souls”, the “singing leaves”, and the “paint of death” would appear to be names of people, places, objects, or even spiritual figures associated with the natives’ religion (Crawford). However, none of these expressions are known or seem to describe anything associated with the natives in their real life. Using such phrases gives the poem a native tone but fails to reflect any authenticity in its depiction of the Canadian native culture.

In conclusion, Crawford’s poem has been shown to be intended for sales and entertainment as opposed to a serious expression of the Canadian native culture. Several arguments have been made to support this position, including the poet’s background, which illustrates that her main concern could have been to produce another literary piece to boost her meager income. However, the main arguments focus on a deeper examination of her poem, including her shallow and misguided conception of such aspects as the great spirit. The fact that she does not care to dwell on verifiable facts insinuates that she is not keen on reflecting the cultural reality of the natives. Therefore, her poem lacks all the necessary characteristics of a serious exploration of the Canadian native culture.

Works Cited

Crawford, Isabella. “The Camp of Souls.” Representative Poetry Online, 1905, Web.

Lepionka, Mary. “Manitou in Context.” Historic Ipswich, 2018, Web.

Potter, Naomi. “Orientalism: In Review.” LSE Undergraduate Political Review, 2019, Web.

Said, Edward. Orientalism. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978.

Zeller, Christa. “Isabella Valancy Crawford (1850-1887).” Poets Pathway, Web.

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Isabella Crawford’s The Camp of Souls Poem

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