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?