The Letter Activity

I really enjoyed our activity today, because I felt like it gave everyone a chance to say what was really on their mind regarding Living Stories of the Cherokee. It wasn't about answering a prompted question, or feeling like we had to give the "right" answer, or an overly intelligent one. It was just about expressing our own thoughts and questions and I really appreciated that. Sometimes, free writing can be cut a little short, understandably, in a class with such a small allotted time. So I figured I would post my letter that I wrote during class, as well as a few things that I didn't have time to include.

Dear Freeman Owle,
I truly believe storytelling to be an art, one that can serve as a unifying force for those telling, and those listening. You, like many other Cherokee storytellers, have the gift of carrying your heritage with you wherever you go, and sharing it in the form of words. I was curious though, knowing that English is your first language, in the importance that you place on storytelling in the Cherokee language. Clearly, the meaning and importance of these stories come across in English as well, but has there ever been a time in your life, that you have wished you spoke a larger portion of the Cherokee language? Do you think that the change of telling the stories primarily in the Cherokee language to English, has changed the stories themselves, or perhaps, bits of the culture as a whole? What kind of things do you do to hold onto the authenticity of the Cherokee culture while storytelling in English?
Another aspect of Cherokee storytelling that really interests me is the fact that the Cherokee stories artful nature is emphasized by being intertwined with other forms of art. Dance, song, medicine, and crafts are only a few of these. What kind of other art forms do you like to include in your storytelling, if any? How important do you think it is to share these other representations of Cherokee culture alongside your storytelling? Thank you so much for your time and sharing your culture with the world!

Sincerely,
Katie Rossignol

Also, here is a video of (and about) Freeman Owle! So cool!

A Summary of Learning

My learning in this class has expanded in ways other than I expected. I knew coming in that I would be gaining valuable historical knowledge; information that I previously wasn't aware of. What I didn't know, was that by participating in this class I would be forced to turn the lens closer in on myself, and discover how these ideals fit into my life. I appreciate the fact that spirituality has been openly discussed, sparked by American Indian ideals. There is something so satisfyingly freeing about being able to speak your mind on commonly over looked topics in society. I've learned that American Indians with the voices to do so: Alexie, Silko, filmmakers, poets, and those simply living like the rest of us, are standing up and speaking out about who they are, who they've been, and who they're always going to be. Isn't that what we're all trying to do?

(I came across this map while searching for Indian inspired info, and I thought it was pretty interesting. I like the fact that any American upon glancing at this photo would probably associate it with some sort patriotic, inherently "American" image in their brain; yet the picture is titled "Tribes of the Indian Nation.")



Ultimately, we have control over what we learn, how we learn it, who teaches it to us, and how we apply that to our lives. The possibilities for us, an "advanced society", to apply abstract ideas such as love, humanity, forgiveness, humility, and modesty are not far from within our reach. But it takes one other idea: cooperation. That means each of us not only educating ourselves about culture and reality, but educating others, too. This class has served for a venue to continue the conversation, one that maybe we don't think about when we're by ourselves. But it is very clear: prejudice and racism are still relevant and real issues in today's society, despite how nice it is to think that we are all understanding and nonjudgmental individuals all of the time. We never stop learning and growing, and it is okay to question what we know and what we may not about our history, heritage and individual identity. But we must also recognize the histories that we all share, in this case, the sharing of land and life. Somewhere we (unfortunately it seems right from the beginning) got off track in our quest to live harmoniously with others, but it is never to late. It's like Leslie Marmon Silko's description of her own Pueblo beliefs, "In this universe, there is no absolute good or absolute bad; there are only balances and harmonies that ebb and flow (Silko p64)."

Leslie Marmon Silko

First I'd like to start off with this video of Leslie Marmon Silko giving a lecture at ASU. It is a bit lengthy but I found it really nice to see her and hear Silko's voice. She really embodies the words printed on the page.

Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit is a really interesting collection of essays by Silko, and I enjoy her almost whimsical tone throughout the book. I enjoy essay collections very much because they have the capacity to relate form and content, or in this case, voice/tone and content, which is exactly what I see Silko doing. Her opening essay, "Interior and Exterior Landscapes: The Pueblo Migration Stories" was a perfect choice to start off the collection. It sets the stage and gives the reader a clear view on what the rest of the book will be about (the introduction helps too), and also gives the reader some clear insight on not only what type of writer Silko is, but also what kind of person and woman she is. Her commentary on the span of an objects life, how it dries up, turns into dust and is eventually returned to the earth, is a concept that I feel most people can relate to. Spirituality can be a topic that people like to argue about, but what is there to argue about that? Coming from a physical standpoint, isn't that exactly how life works? However, Silko takes it one more step and includes every possible object that we as humans can think of. I appreciate her inclusion of all things into her spiritual world, not separating objects into animate and inanimate, but "animate and less animate;" even rocks have life. Her observations of the world that she lives in is extraordinarily astute, and example of this being her discussion of the word landscape. " 'A portion of territory the eye can comprehend in a single view' does not correctly describe the relationship between the human being and his or her surroundings. This assumes the viewer is somehow outside or separate from the territory she or he surveys (Silko p27)." This was a really thought provoking passage for me, and it's these sort of insights that remind the reader that a certain level of self-awareness is important to include in our day to day life. They can help us recognize things that we wouldn't have before, large or small, animate or less animate.

Values

I really enjoyed our discussion about personal values and how they relate to those in The Sacred Tree, and further, how we can begin to integrate those values into our everyday life. First, it was interesting to hear everyone's different values, because even though it was quick, it gave a glimpse into the what people deem most important to them, and in life. While values such as respect, truthfulness, understanding, and acceptance were frequent among the class, I noticed that there wasn't really a large mention of any nature based values. Even from myself, while I love the outdoors, hike and climb frequently, and have a general appreciation for it, my values weren't directly related with nature. Seeing as The Sacred Tree is heavily based upon nature and living with it and not against it, it got me thinking, what can I do to be more mindful about my appreciation for nature. I suppose instead of merely going on a hike, the next time I do I should stop and smell the pine around me, be still to feel the wind, or simply offer my thanks to the earth for even allowing me to wander upon it. The idea of volition in The Sacred Tree is very important, and if I were to try to integrate anything into my day to day life, I believe it would be that. Volition is the starting point from which we can be led much further, whether it be into a balanced life, a reflective mindset or a state of spiritual growth. Recognizing that we all have the potential to live this way is similar to volition in the sense that it is the stepping stone for further personal growth.

Intricate Simplicity

Reading The Sacred Tree has really been a moving experience, and I am so glad that it is one of the texts for this class. The lessons to be learned from this specific book, to me, are so important, but ones that we often ignore in such a fast paced society. It encourages us to and proves that we can indeed live simply and with nature. What I find so interesting is that even though the principles of The Sacred Tree are based upon things that we experience everyday (i.e. nature, human interaction, emotions, etc.), and would usually pass them off as "standard" in our day to day lives, the intricacies within it are plentiful. Take the medicine wheel for example, it holds so many different meanings and representations, ones that go much deeper than its outwardly simple structure. Similarly intriguing is the idea of wholeness and/or oneness, that is that everything in our living world, physical or nonphysical, is in fact connected. How can this not be true, when we are all living on the same earth and using the same resources that it so generously provides? I know a handful of people who would read through The Sacred Tree and see it as nothing more than a book, a collection of "otherworldly ideas" that don't fit into the 21st century. But what I have realized through The Sacred Tree, that even the skeptics have the capacity to apply its knowledge to their lives and that these ideals do not discriminate. Like Dr. Jane Goodall states in the final words of her introduction, "We have so much, in our modern western world, to learn from the Indigenous wisdom that is embedded in this delightful book." I am so excited to learn as much as I can.

The Original Affluent Americans

Reading The World Turned Upside Down  takes us out of the modern world and allows us a view of the changing world, before the "discovery" of North America. A phrase that really stuck with me from the introduction was 'Indians as the original affluent Americans,' and as a result I have been thinking about our society's reliance on the value of what we own, and how often times an endeavor is only worth participating in if we somehow are making a profit from it. Taking a simplistic approach to life is a foreign concept to most Americans, many forgetting that being rich in resources, having knowledge of primitive skills, and understanding nature (human nature included!) can fulfill more for us than we could ever dream of. Native Americans had culturally rich communities that were only depleted when the white man staked claim on already owned land, but how were they to protect themselves. With the Europeans came new materials and a whirlwind of change, in all aspects of life. Overwhelming indigenous lifestyles, Europeans merely clumped Indians together and forced them to surrender to the new, 'expected' way of life.

Film&Fancydancing

I really do love Sherman Alexie. Never has he been a writer who I find myself actively seeking out, but one that steadily appears in and out of my life leaving me with another "this is why I believe in words" moment. The raw truthfulness in within his writing his what I thought shone through the brightest in The Business of Fancydancing; the conviction in his experiences translated into storytelling. I appreciate the authenticity of experience in the film, knowing that Sherman Alexie's words represent real life as a contemporary American Indian. He doesn't stop there. Not only does he speak upon the othering of his culture, but emphasizes the prejudices against homosexuality that are present in our contemporary society.

Evan Adams first impressed me a few years ago the first time I saw Smoke Signals, and I loved watching it again in class. He really shines in The Business of Fancydancing, as he definitely keeps me engaged within the story. I am excited to see a little more of the interaction between Seymour and the Rez; a closer look on how he is perceived after so many years. I came across this review of the film which I really appreciate for its effort to seperate the film into two seperate entities: the film as a creative expression and the film as content. It's praise for Alexie's honesty is what resonates with me the most.

Native News Network

While searching the web recently I came across the Native News Network, which is a website completely dedicated to, as they put it, connecting Native American Voices. I thought it was great to be able to search archives full of articles relevant only to Native American culture; I was happy to be reading literature with an authentic Indian voice. There was one article that was particularly troubling. It is the case of Miranda Washinawatok, a seventh grader at the Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Shawano, Wisconsin who was suspended from participating in a regularly scheduled basketball game due to the fact that she was heard teaching another student how to say "hello" and "I love you" in Menominee, her Native language. The teacher who reported her defended her disciplinary act by saying, "how am I supposed to know that you aren't saying something bad?!" Below is a picture of Miranda.

The only thing that comes to mind when considering this situation is sheer ignorance. For the teacher to automatically reprimand her without any knowledge of what she was saying is ridiculous. One would think that in a community with a very present Native American culture (read the article here!) this sort of isolation wouldn't happen. Recognition of cultural differences is fundamental to the understanding of a culture as a whole. Unfortunately for Miranda's teacher, Miranda's grandmother is the director of the Language and Culture Commission of the Menominee Tribe. You can bet this isn't the end of it. Let me know what you guys think: how can these sort of misunderstandings be avoided?

Exploring Perceptions of Modern American Indian Culture

Being exposed to a constant discussion of the prejudice against American Indian culture in this country has really started to make it a more present topic of interest in my day to day life. You know those random times when someone points something out one day that you've never noticed before about your life but has always been there? It's kinda like that. I find myself noticing references to Native Americans and how they are apparently perceived in our society today. Some are offensive, some are intriguing, some are comical, and some are just confusing. They're everywhere; in contemporary literature and media representation,  advertisements. For example, what do you think about this clip here. It's from the show How I Met Your Mother, and the fella Ted (the guy doing the rain dance) seeks out a former fling of his friend Barney (the guy making fun of him), who studies Native American culture at a University nearby. He hopes, that if she can teach him how to do a "real" rain dance, then he will darken the clouds stopping the love of his life from going on a camping trip with another guy and profess to her his undying love. Well, it's a sitcom, so yes he does in fact make it rain. While this could be misconstrued by the overly analytical (does posting this fall in that category?) as a misrepresentation of Native American culture, I don't believe it was. I think it's just a T.V. show. Ted, desperate with his emotions and dry of ideas, resorts to a cultural tradition outside of his own, something he's oblivious to and probably doesn't understand. However, its over simplicity may BE the cultural misrepresentation in itself. A lack of understanding only comes from the unwillingness to learn, and it's curious to think about why and more importantly how, such an exclusion of a fellow man can literally transcend time. So what do you think? Where's the line between harmless television sitcom and the discrimination of a rich indigenous heritage?

Native American Sexuality

Reading through these Trickster Tales have sparked many different topics of interest for me whether it be creation&man, man's connection to nature, gender equality, power&deception, etc. But thus far, the role that sexuality plays in these cultural tales has been what has stuck with me the most. Not just sexuality as identification, but the act of sex, that is 'copulation', or tawiton. Sex is presented so openly and actively within these tales, we saw it with Coyote and now even more so with Iktomi. Sex often has a very "taboo" nature for a lot of reasons, but what I appreciate so much within this cultural representation is it's integral part of human nature, that is, it is something that not only men, but women enjoy as well. Iktomi introduces his penis to a village of women, and upon realizing what it can do, they cry out in pleasure. Presenting sex as exactly what it is, desirable, pleasurable and an act of nature is very important in breaking down the barriers that many people have regarding sex. Whether it's a man and a woman, or a man and a man, sex is represented in these tales as not something that is dirty or wrong, but a normal aspect of human desire. So I did some searching.
While looking up "sexuality in Native American culture" on Google I came across a few interesting resources, one of which I share here: http://www.channel501.com/tantra/dancing.html This website introduces the idea of "Free Dancing" or, Native American "Tantra". Yes, it is about sex, but to me, it is about a lot more than just that. If you scroll through the page, you will see words like trust, balance, fear, love, truth, partner, shame, etc. These words not only apply to sex and love, but life in general, which just seems to remind me that life is really interconnected with all ways of living, whether that means being celibate or sexual active. Why should we be ashamed of that elephant in the room? I mean, he's probably getting it on, too.