Visions of the great mystery: Grounding the Algonquian manitow concept

This article provides an overview of the Algonquian manitow concept. Manitow is often translated as spirit, god or mythical being, but reflects more complex and culturally grounded ideas about power in animist ontologies. The article suggests that manitow should be translated with care, with attenti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSocial compass Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 360 - 375
Main Authors Westman, Clinton N, Joly, Tara L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.09.2017
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Concepts
Cosmology
Cree people
Definitions
God
Meaning
Mythical creatures
Native languages
Native North Americans
Native religions
Paganism & animism
Philology
Power
Religious pluralism
Toponymy
Alberta Canada
Canada
Amérique du Nord
manitow
Algonquian
langage religieux
indigène
indigenous
Algonquien
religious language
Cri
North America
Cree
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Summary:This article provides an overview of the Algonquian manitow concept. Manitow is often translated as spirit, god or mythical being, but reflects more complex and culturally grounded ideas about power in animist ontologies. The article suggests that manitow should be translated with care, with attention to a range of meanings. The authors refer primarily to Cree examples from Alberta, Canada, but also take a broader view to consider examples from other Algonquian contexts. Beginning with a discussion of definitions, the article then turns to the concept’s theoretical career. The article provides data on the contemporary dynamics of the manitow in the context of Cree religious pluralism, as well as on the emplacement of manitow relations through toponymy, particularly as seen around lakes named manitow sâkahikan.
ISSN:0037-7686
1461-7404
DOI:10.1177/0037768617713655