Nehirowisiw Kiskeritamowina
Knowledge refers to a set of elements that a person uses to interpret the world and act within it (Barth 1995, 2002). Each system of knowledge is based on values and rules of conduct that underlie a particular cultural complex. In this paper, based on research among the Nehirowisiwok of Manawan, the author is interested in certain values and rules of conduct that are part of a “common knowledge” – a cultural knowledge which is cohesive and structuring. By focusing on reciprocal relationships, on socially recognized forms of authority, and on the processes of knowledge acquisition, its utilization and transmission, the aim of the author is to explain some of the foundational issues that concern Nehirowisiw contemporary sociality. The author demonstrates the practical, ethical and political aspects of these processes.