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Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
Story: Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Canary:
In "Story: Part 1," Miig recounts the history of the water wars for the older children's benefit. In his narration, Miig utilizes a common idiom to characterize the war's beginnings:
"Then the wars for the water came. America reached up and started sipping on our lakes with a great metal straw. And where were the freshest lakes and the cleanest rivers? On our lands, of course. Anishnaabe were always the canary in the mine for the rest of them. Too bad the country was busy worrying about how we didn’t pay an extra tax on Levi’s jeans and Kit Kat bars to listen to what we were shouting."
Miig refers to the Anishnaabe people as "the canary in the mine"—a repurposing of the idiomatic phrase "a canary in a coal mine." This idiom refers to the common (albeit now outdated) mining practice of bringing songbirds down into mine shafts to serve as early warning signals for deadly gases. If the canary stopped singing, the miners would know they had to leave the mine immediately. According to Miig, the Anishnaabe people, with their plentiful access to the Great Lakes' fresh water, were the first to realize society's totalitarian, apocalyptic turn. Long before non-indigenous Americans and Canadians could recognize impending danger, Native peoples—already prime targets for exploitation—were experiencing the early effects of climate degradation and genocide.
Related Themes:
