The Curtain Within explores the management of social rolesand symbols to achieve various goals by people living in a modern Haidacommunity. Moiety and lineage, social rank, the rules of entitlement toinherited property, and the mode of thought encoded in mythology stillhave force in Haida society. Political action did not and does not takeplace within the context of formal political institutions; instead itexists through the management of the symbols of social relationshipsand of entitlement to tangible and intangible property.
Drawing on models of practice theory and discursive action, MarianneBoelscher presents sets of data to illustrate collective and individualstrategies for the management of symbols for social and political ends.She shows that the intentional ambiguity in the rhetoric surroundinggroup memberships and boundaries -- rank, kinship categories, maritalalliances, names, and crests -- permits these symbols to becontinuously renegotiated in discourse to meet these goals.
The book is based on data collected by the author during extensivefieldwork with the Masset Haida during the late 1970s and early 1980sand on the evaluation of earlier ethnographic and ethnohistoricsources. The study shows that Haida cultural values and theirexpression in discourse have survived decades of oppression throughwhite society. By providing the Haida perspective, the book enhancesour understanding of important social issues, such as Haida landclaims, that have vexed the Haida and Canadian nations forgenerations.