ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses three discourses on ontology: that of contemporary “Western” or EuroAmerican anthropology and related fields, that of “Indigenous Research” scholars, and that of traditional Blackfoot people. “Indigenous Research” refers to research “done by or for Indigenous peoples” (Wilson, 2008, p. 6). The chapter argues that academics concerned with animism and Indigenous ontologies should direct their attention towards Indigenous Research literature and discussions, which are rooted in traditional Indigenous ontologies. Doing so will help academics find ways of discussing Indigenous ontological concepts without completely abstracting the concepts from their social contexts. For it is only in these contexts, which consist of unique webs of relationships, that these concepts make sense. This, in turn, will help ensure that academics represent Indigenous views as accurately as possible. At the same time, it will help ensure that the “ontological turn” does not leave behind living Indigenous peoples, whose worlds inspired the move in the first place.
