Talking stick
Encyclopedia
The talking stick, also called a speaker's staff, is an instrument of aboriginal democracy used by many tribes, especially those of indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast. In a tribal council circle, a talking stick is passed around from member to member allowing only the person holding the stick to speak. This enables all those present at a council meeting to be heard, especially those who may be shy; consensus can force the stick to move along to assure that the "long winded" don't dominate the discussion; and the person holding the stick may allow others to interject. Talking sticks have high ceremonial and spiritual value, and have proved to be exceedingly useful during current implementations.
In the Northwest Coast, talking sticks are carved wooden staffs, which can either bear a single crest at the top or be fully carved with heraldic crests of the chief. They resemble small totem pole
s and are still used ceremonially today. At gatherings, especially potlatch
es, a a chief or his designated speaker holds the talking stick and publicly announces message. The speaker thumps the stick on the ground for emphasis. A feather has been used as a stand-in for the talking stick.
Talking sticks are a contemporary Northwest Coast art form with great symbolic importance. Tsimshian
woodcarver David A. Boxley
was commissioned to sculpt a crown of a talking stick for the 1990 Goodwill Games
, that incorporated symbolism of the United States and Russia. This staff was carried from Spokane, Washington
to Oregon
and on to Seattle, Washington
by participating athletes. Talking sticks are also incorporated into totem pole
s. In 1988 Kwakwaka'wakw Richard Hunt
carved the world's largest totem pole featuring a Cedar Man wielding a 4.3 meter (14 foot) tall talking stick. Representations of chiefs are carved in totem poles carrying talking sticks as well as coppers.
, is a means of decision and discussion-making for the popular Rainbow Gathering
movement where the talking stick's effectiveness has been proved in a current context. Groups of school children are said to also commonly use talking sticks in circles, as well as adult and corporate groups across many cultures.
Rainbow Gatherings
use talking circles to resolve disputes, where all are given the benefit of the talking stick (or feather, or other chosen object). An especially useful feature of the talking stick strategy for dispute resolution is that it can be used forestall dangerous decisions in the way a filibuster
can be used in in some modern law-making bodies; conversation can be continued until one party gives up or, in some cases, falls asleep. This was used at the 2010 Rainbow Gathering, when there was an attempt by a renegade "pro-alcohol" faction to burn a large cross.
Northwest Coast art
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s and are still used ceremonially today. At gatherings, especially potlatch
Potlatch
A potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures...
es, a a chief or his designated speaker holds the talking stick and publicly announces message. The speaker thumps the stick on the ground for emphasis. A feather has been used as a stand-in for the talking stick.
Talking sticks are a contemporary Northwest Coast art form with great symbolic importance. Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
woodcarver David A. Boxley
David A. Boxley
David Albert Boxley is an American artist from the Tsimshian nation, an American Indian group in southeast Alaska. He is best known for carving totem poles....
was commissioned to sculpt a crown of a talking stick for the 1990 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, that incorporated symbolism of the United States and Russia. This staff was carried from Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and on to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
by participating athletes. Talking sticks are also incorporated into totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s. In 1988 Kwakwaka'wakw Richard Hunt
Richard Hunt (artist)
Richard Hunt is a Canadian First Nations artist from the Kwakwaka'wakw nation of coastal British Columbia.He was born in 1951 at Alert Bay, B.C., but has lived most of his life in Victoria, B.C. On his father's side, he is a descendant of the renowned Native ethnologist George Hunt...
carved the world's largest totem pole featuring a Cedar Man wielding a 4.3 meter (14 foot) tall talking stick. Representations of chiefs are carved in totem poles carrying talking sticks as well as coppers.
Use in talking circles
Interest in native tribal culture has seen a revival of talking stick and its application spread widely. The use of the talking stick, organized as a talking circleTalking circle
A council circle is a distinctive archological and architectrual artifact that is found at the center of some tribal villages in North America. The historical function of the council circles is debated by experts...
, is a means of decision and discussion-making for the popular Rainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities, typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.Rainbow...
movement where the talking stick's effectiveness has been proved in a current context. Groups of school children are said to also commonly use talking sticks in circles, as well as adult and corporate groups across many cultures.
Rainbow Gatherings
Rainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities, typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.Rainbow...
use talking circles to resolve disputes, where all are given the benefit of the talking stick (or feather, or other chosen object). An especially useful feature of the talking stick strategy for dispute resolution is that it can be used forestall dangerous decisions in the way a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
can be used in in some modern law-making bodies; conversation can be continued until one party gives up or, in some cases, falls asleep. This was used at the 2010 Rainbow Gathering, when there was an attempt by a renegade "pro-alcohol" faction to burn a large cross.
Further reading
- Cultural anthropology: the human challenge, William A. Haviland, Harald E. L. Prins, and Dana Walrath, 2007, source
- Researching the culture in agri-culture, Michael M. Cernea, and Amir H. Kassam, 2005, source