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VictoriaRice

Dr.SuhrSytsma

ENG181001

April22,2016

Project3,FinalDraft

AllIEverHad:MusicAsACopingMechanismin
WabanakiBlues

BobMarleyfamouslyoncesaid,Onegoodthingaboutmusicwhenithitsyou,
youfeelnopain.In
WabanakiBlues
MelissaZobels

maincharacter,Mona,notonly
struggleswithprejudiceagainstNativeAmericansintheformofsnarkycommentsfrom
friendsandauthorityfiguresbutshealsofacestheobstacleofcomingofageasher
romanticrelationshipsbecomecomplexandshetriestofigureoutheridentity.She
findshersolaceinmusicasshewritessongsandplaysguitar.
In
WabanakiBlues
,
writingandplayingmusicactsasagatewaytotransformingandhealingindividualslike
Monathatsufferfrombothhistoricalandmorerecenttraumas,suchasthemurderof
MiaandcomingofagealongwithprejudicesagainstNativeAmericans/NativeAmerican
genocide.Musicprovideshopesandinspirationforastrongergeneration,asdisplayed
intheMTVdocumentaryRebelMusic:NativeAmerica.Thisphenomenacanbeseen
inthecontextofRedemptionSongbyBobMarleyassummarizedbyKwameDawes
inBobMarley:LyricalGeniusandascloselyanalyzedinAlanSmiths"Songsof


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freedom:ThemusicofBobMarleyastransformativeeducation."

InordertodoacompleteanalysisofRedemptionSong,itisimportantto
considerthehistoricalcontextofthesong/BobMarleysbackgroundinrelationtoMona.
Monasworldin
WabanakiBlues.
Althoughadifferentplaceandtimethantheonein
whichMarleycame,MonasworldissimilartothatofBobMarleysinthattheyboth
struggledwiththeiridentityandfacedgreathistoricaltrauma.Nottomentionthewriting
processofbothindividualsisstrikinglysimilar.Marleyfelttheneedtowriteatsucha
highrate,Dawesdeemeditanobsessive.(Dawes,35)Inasimilarmanner,Monawrote
ataconsistentconstant.

OneofthelargestsimilaritiesbetweenMarleyandMonaisthattheyboth
questiontheiridentityastheyarebothofmixeddescent:heritageoftheoppressedand
theoppressor.MonaquestionsheridentityassheishalfNativeAmericanandhalf
white.Marleyfoundhimselfstrugglingwithhisidentityasapersonofmixeddescent,
blackandwhite.Skincomplexionwassometimesasdefiningaboutonesplacein
societyasanythingelsemightbe.Marleywasred.Therewasnoonewaytosayitin
Jamaica.Itwasmeantthathewasofamixedracialbackgroundandwaslightenough
tobedistinguishedfrommostJamaicans.(Dawes,44)Monafeltasimilarpressure.
Onceinstanceofthisistheangershefeelsasherprincipalmakesaremarkabout
her
people,
regardingNativeAmericans.(Zobel,17)Theprejudicethatcamefromhavinga
mixedheritageleadtonotonlyanidentitycrisisbutalsoresultedintrauma.

Thisfreshtraumathatcomesfromtheprejudiceagainstmixedonlyaddstothe


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historicaltraumathatisalreadypresent.ThegenocideandforcedcolonizationofNative
AmericansfollowedbytheUnitedStatesdoingverylittletorectifytheirmistakes,the
historicalmistreatmentofNativeAmericanshasledtoservehistoricaltrauma.Slavery
andtheprejudicesagainstmulattopeoplesinJamaicahadthesameeffectoncolored
peoples.(Dawes,24)Itisthistraumathatprovidesthecontextandmotivationtowrite
music.

ThesecondverseofRedemptionSongbyBobMarleyreads:Emancipate
yourselffrommentalslavery,/Nonebutourselfcanfreeourminds.AlanSmith
analyzesthisverse,Itbecomestheresponsibilityofthosecontinuetosufferthis
emotionalcaptivitytobegintotakethestepsnecessarytoaccomplishtheirown
liberation.(Smith,18)Inotherwords,Smithisinterpretingtheselyricsasmeaningthat
itisinthesolehandsoftheindividualtobecomefreementallyandemotionally.I
believethestepstofreedomforthesetroubledindividuals(Marley,Mona,Del,e.g.)lie
inwritingandplayingmusic.Evidencetosupportthisclaimisthecontextinwhich
RedemptionSongismentionedin
WabanakiBlues
.Celinebeginstosingit,asking
MonaandDeltojoinin,asshesorrowfullycelebrateswhatshethoughtwasthe
resolutionofMias(hersisters)murdermystery.ThemysteryofMiasdeathisthemost
obviousformofmentalslaveryfoundinthisbook.

Thelinefollowingtheoneformerlydiscussedis:Howlongshalldeykillour
prophets,/Whilewestandasideandlook?Contextually,itissensiblethatMarley
couldhavebeenspeakingabouthimselfashewrotethislineasthisisthelasttrackon


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thelastalbumreleasedbyBobMarleybeforehisdeathfromcancer.(Smith,18)
WabanakiBlues
hasthreemaindeaths/accidents.AlthoughMiasdeathoccurredmany
yearspriortothesettingwherethisnoveltakesplace,herghostremainedandspoketo
Mona,urginghertosolvethemysteryofhermurderstartingfromtheirveryfirst
encountersinthecustodialcloset.(Zobel,13)AnotherprophetkilledisMonas
grandmother.MonaseeksBilkiforguidancethroughoutthebook.Shefrequently
wishesforhergrandmothertobealive.(Zobel,19)

TheverynextlineofRedemptionSongreads:Somesayit'sjustapartofit,/
We'vegottofulfilldebook.Thislinespeakstothepoweroffatethatissostrongin
WabanakiBlues.
Monaisinthefootstepsofhermotherasshepartakesinaritualthat
restorestheseasons,killingabear.Thissacrificewasnotbychoicebutbecausefate
forcesthemtokillTheGreatBearwithacaraccident.Afterthisevent,Monas
spiritualityincreasesimmensely,Iamforever,likethestarsandtheseasons,likeThe
GreatBearandthebluessongthatcirclesandrepeatsbackagain.(Zobel,325)In
termsofmotivationforMarleyswritingDawesarguesthat,Hisworkreflectsa
completebeliefintheworkingsofspiritualwickednessinhighandloveplaces.Inother
words,Marleystreatmentofspiritualmattersaselementaltoeverydaylifeaspartof
realityemergedoutofacultureinwhichhelived,(Dawes,28)

SomeofthemostimportantlinesofRedemptionSongareplacedinthemiddle:
Butmy'andwasmadestrong/Bythe'andoftheAlmighty./Weforwardinthis


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generation/Triumphantly./Won'tyouhelptosing/Thesesongsoffreedom?The
importanceofcommunityandforwardingwithinone'sgenerationissuchabigthemein
thebook,thereisnoonequotefrom
WabanakiBlues
Icanpulltosupportthis.The
entirenovelstandstorepresentthiscauseofhealingandreconciliation,copingwiththe
historicalandfreshtraumasthatresultfrombeingNativeAmerican.Thisupcoming
generationisfindingmusictobeaneffectivecopingmechanism.AsFrankWalnsaysin
theMTVdocumentaryRebelMusic:NativeAmerica,Mypeoplehavebeen
storytellersforthousandsofyearsandthisisjustanewwaytotellourstory,

Theprinciplesofthe7thgenerationmovementrelatetotherevolutionMarley
callsforasheusedhismusicasadevicetoempowerpersonstowardpersonaland
corporatetransformations.(Smith,21)Ihavealwaysbelievedthatmusiccanworkasa
devicethatbringspeopletogetherasadeviceofempowerment.Communityis
extremelyimportantforsocialmovementsandhealingtotakeplace.Thebuildingof
communityandworkingoftheseisshowninRebelMusic:NativeAmericaasNative
Americanpopsinger/activistInezJasperrunsasongwritingworkshopwithindigenous
students.Itisevidentinthefilmhowthemusicworksasaformoftherapyandhow
writingasongtogetherbringsaboutanewsenseofcommunitytotheclass.Thisisnot
unlikethetherapeuticmusicwritingthathelpsMonainthenovel.

ThecatharticdeviceusedbyMonain
WabanakiBlues
isnotastatementabout
theindividualbutamessageregardinganentiregenerationthathasfound/isfinding
musictobeaneffectivecopingsolution.Ibelievethisnovelhighlightstheimportanceof


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movingforwardtofocusoncommunityandthesucceedinggenerationsofthat
community.BycloselyreadingandanalyzingtheusageofRedemptionSongin
WabanakiBlues
,thisarchingthemeofthenovelhasclearlycomeintofocus.
Withthisknowledgeonthetherapeuticpowerofmusic,implementingitintothe
livesofmoreNativeyouthwouldbebeneficialatworst.Theimportanceofa
constructivecopingmechanismisamutedundertonein
WabanakiBlues
asother
charactersinthenovelattempttosilencetheirpaininadestructivemanner.Bytaking
pillsthroughoutthenovel,Monasmothertriestomakeherselffeelbetter.Sheisnot
alone.Brickpopsanothercolorfulpill,afterhisgirlfrienddesertshim.(Zobel,203)
DelsfatherisanalcoholicashedrinksoutofsadnessoverMiasdeath.Substance
abuseisnotuncommoninNativeAmericancommunities.Theintroductionofpositive
methodofhealingandreconciliationwouldbringaboutthekindofgenerationBob
Marleywouldhavebeenpleasedwith.Marleygaveadvisedthisnotionofreconciliation
ina1975KarlDallasinterview,
Younotsupposedtofeeldownoverwhateverhappen
toyou.Imean,youresupposedtousewhateverhappentoyouassometypeofupper,
notadowner.


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WorksConsulted
Dawes,KwameSenuNeville.BobMarley:LyricalGenius.London:Sanctuary,2002.
Smith,W.Alan,andF.L.Lakeland."Songsoffreedom:ThemusicofBobMarleyas
transformativeeducation."(2007).
"Watchthe7thGenerationRiseon'RebelMusic:NativeAmerica'"News.Web.06Apr.
2016.