Looking Back at They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever

Excerpt from a Review by Brian Thom, University of British Columbia [this was first published in Anthropos (1995) 90(4-6):656-657]


They Write their Dreams on the Rock Forever, is a reasonably priced, lavishly illustrated book which departs from the usual archaeological literature on prehistoric rock art. The Stein River Valley, located in the interior of British Columbia, is part of the traditional territory of the ‘Nlaka’pamux people, and is an area with many sites containing prehistoric rock art. The narratives of Annie York, a thoughtful and experienced ‘Nlaka’pamux Elder, give indigenous interpretations or “readings” of these rock writings. Anthropologist Richard Daly and art historian Chris Arnett, attempt to address broad anthropological questions of the meanings of rock writings, the origins of writing and the cross-cultural basis of experience in producing vision/dream-based art. This book’s ethnographic narrative is exceedingly interesting, as Annie York‘s discussions of the rock are given as transcripts of her conversations with Daly and Arnett. The subsequent attempt to understand the ethnographic narrative which is presented is an interesting but disappointing foray into an epistemological conundrum.

The book begins with a self-reflexive preface discussing the history of how this work came to be, emphasizing the conscious effort to let York’s explanations appear in an indigenous form – a oral dialogue – so that her interpretations would not be obscured by some kind of re-writing by the non-native scholars. This section is followed by Arnett’s thorough discussion of the history of archaeological and anthropological research in the Stein River Valley area. In Arnett’s discussion, the history of Native interpretations are constantly sought out, drawing heavily from the writings of James Tait, a non-native man who married into the ‘Nlaka’pamux community of this area at the turn of the century. York’s voice is never far from anywhere in this text. She explains how these rock writings were the records of people who recorded the results of their spirit quests, dreams and visions on the rock walls of the Stein Valley, and how they could be read and interpreted by any one who was properly trained to “read” them.

A detailed biography of Annie York‘s life follows, providing the reader with some of the context of her life. This kind of rich biographical study enables the reader to have a more contextual understanding of the texts which follow, as the narratives are clearly mediated by her own life experiences. York had lived in many different areas of British Columbia, although always rooted as a ‘Nlaka’pamux woman from Spuzzum. The chapter, constructed from many interviews with York, documents her “betwixt and between life” (p.29), which was in many ways on the margins of several societies. This marginality came from her participation with several different cultures at different parts of her life, continually placing her outside the mainstream of both ‘Nlaka’pamux and Euro-Canadian society. It is this marginality that gives York a unique perspective to talk about the rock art, as her knowledge comes from her unique experiences in both societies.

The main chapter of this book is the discussion of the rock art from 16 sites in the Stein Valley. Each site is prefaced by a description and introduction by Arnett. Transcripts of the discussions held between York, Daly and Arnett then go through the rock art found at these sites. In some instances these discussions take place at the rock art site, while in most instances drawings, paintings and photographs were brought to York’s home for discussion. York then “reads” the rock writings by discussing each element contained in the picture and giving its significance and often a story connected with it. In a discussion of the rock art from one part of a site where a series of dots are seen at the bottom of the painting, York describes what the artist had recorded:

All those little dots down at the bottom. He was told [by the creator], “You’re going to see this once in a while over the heads of the earth.” That the stars. That’s the stars when it’s first formed on earth. Stars on the right show their formation. The ones on the left are the dense ones, like steam. They are called kusten, steam-like. They were shoved up there as stars. That’s a legend too. (p.178)

Annie then goes on to discuss the other seven elements which make up the rock art, which often integrate into a larger story. The themes of these narratives provide a broad interpretive framework for understanding ‘Nlaka’pamux culture from an indigenous view. York uses these narratives to provide explanations for the history and culture of her people.

The narratives which York gives as readings of the rock art are clearly embedded in the experiences and interests which she has had throughout her life. Many of the explanations are in Christian terms, but all fit within an indigenous framework of explanation. Although these stories may not be told in the same terms that the artisans who created them would have used, they do represent an intimate understanding of the culture and history of the ‘Nlaka’pamux people. This makes York’s narratives essential for anyone wishing to gain a uniquely detailed insider’s understanding of this culture.