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Essays on cultural diversity
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Though I am Native, I have minimal knowledge about my own culture and have not ever participated in events that are often associated with Native American life. Powwow’s, stickball demonstrations and Native pageants are something rather foreign to me, so when I attended the Choctaw fair on April 19th I was quite surprised to find I had never been involved in any of these events before. It was a lively and enriching environment, one that I found to be rather enjoyable. My experience here was unlike any other that I have had before, for my only previous knowledge of my Native heritage was found only through talks with my grandfather. Though my grandfather and I were Cherokee, I found many similarities within the Choctaw regalia and weapons that …show more content…
This lady had weaved most of the baskets that were displayed and explained that each basket varied in time to make, depending on the pattern. It seemed like a dangerous job because you have to be careful not to get cut from the sharp side of the rivercane, she said her hands were cut many times the first time she made her own basket. I then noticed a similarity between all of the baskets: the pattern in which they were dyed as seemed to resemble a diamond from the diamondback snake. I discovered that the diamondback snake is actually sacred in Choctaw culture because thought they are very dangerous, they killed and kept the varmints away from the crops. I found this to be particularly interesting because the venomous diamondback snake is typically seen as a very dangerous animal to most people, and understandably why. But, they didn’t see it in that way because they understood and appreciated its purpose. The baskets and the meaning behind them was quite beautiful and I was happy to see such harmony found between the Natives and the …show more content…
I mentioned that my grandfather often worked with a lot of leather and asked how much more difficult it was to add on the beads. After talking to him, it proved to be a very tedious task. For you have to count each bead and make sure that everything is identical if you are making a pattern or shape, or else the whole thing would be off. It was obvious that it took a great amount of patience, so I asked how long it took him to make this picture of a woman he had on one of his bigger necklaces. That woman actually turned out to be his mother and was meant to be a sort of remembrance and something to honor her. It was beautiful and of course, took many months. I was happy to find that with some of the simpler beaded necklaces that you could wear them whenever you please, it wasn’t just for ceremonial purposes. The larger ones on the other hand, were obviously made for ceremonies, as they were very big and very beautiful. Each piece was special and could stand or be used for different occasions and I found that to be a wonderful aspect about the beadwork. In addition to jewelry, the beads are often found on the regalia which makes me wonder how much time that takes. Also displayed was regalia worn to a wedding, which had immense and colorful beadwork for both the groom and bride. It was amazing and if I get another chance, I plan on asking why the colorful beads are so often incorporated. Obviously it’s for
For my ethnography project, I decided to observe Native American culture. More specifically, I decided to observe Native American powwows, and how they unite the different tribes participating from across the country and how they unite people within a tribe. Powwows are an event where Native American people gather to sing, dance, participate in contests, have food, and ultimately bond with one another throughout the occasion. The powwow that I attended was Utah State University’s 44th annual powwow, which occurred on Saturday March 4, 2017 at noon. In order to learn more about the powwow from an insider’s perspective, I talked to a girl who looked to be a young adult, and participated in the dancing throughout the event. Although
In the introduction, Hämäläinen introduces how Plains Indians horse culture is so often romanticized in the image of the “mounted warrior,” and how this romanticized image is frequently juxtaposed with the hardships of disease, death, and destruction brought on by the Europeans. It is also mentioned that many historians depict Plains Indians equestrianism as a typical success story, usually because such a depiction is an appealing story to use in textbooks. However, Plains Indians equestrianism is far from a basic story of success. Plains equestrianism was a double-edged sword: it both helped tribes complete their quotidian tasks more efficiently, but also gave rise to social issues, weakened the customary political system, created problems between other tribes, and was detrimental to the environment.
This past week SUU’s native American student association (NASA), hosted their 38th annual powwow. Our club, the SUU Polynesian club was invited to dance for thirty minutes between their activities and we happily accepted. After we danced we were invited to come back so that we could watch and experience the native American culture. I was surprised to see how similar their culture was to ours!
Storytelling is the means by which Native American tribes pass down history, traditions, and spirituality from generation to generation. This rich cultural tradition was all but eradicated after Europeans flooded into North America to claim tribal lands by right of conquest. But in recent years, Native American storytelling has begun to emerge once again to strengthen the culture that was all but lost. As this valuable tradition carries on, it continues to enrich the lives of Native Americans in the twenty-first century.
Description: The women of the tribe spend a lot of time working on art pieces. One of the things they work on is pottery. They can also be useful items around the tribe; such as pots, platters, etc. this was a daily hobby that they women would work on, and it is something that can be used for years.
Pages one to sixty- nine in Indian From The Inside: Native American Philosophy and Cultural Renewal by Dennis McPherson and J. Douglas Rabb, provides the beginning of an in-depth analysis of Native American cultural philosophy. It also states the ways in which western perspective has played a role in our understanding of Native American culture and similarities between Western culture and Native American culture. The section of reading can be divided into three lenses. The first section focus is on the theoretical understanding of self in respect to the space around us. The second section provides a historical background into the relationship between Native Americans and British colonial power. The last section focus is on the affiliation of otherworldliness that exist between
After researching on the Cherokee tribe and Susannah Cordery’s family, I found out many interesting facts about the land my house was built on. I learned that the Cherokee tribe had a road that traveled right through where my back yard was that took them to the Chattahoochee River. This is where they would perform rituals, have meals, and sleep. I found it so intriguing that before I even existed there were Native Americans I had learned about in school, living where I lived now. People that had such a large impact in history are now just a page in a textbook and had a small portion of school’s
One of the things I realized, at this time in society other cultures do not feel as joyous about their current cultural status like it, was when I was growing up. People were happy to be from another culture. I remember times when I went to events like Kwanzaa and Cinco de Mayo, with open conscious to learn and enjoy myself. My interview is with Carlos my neighbor, we talked about how the United States used to be described as a "melting pot" in which different cultures/events have contributed their own certain "flavors" to American culture. I instantly understood he knew he was from a very unaccepted minority group in his responses. Carlos, who is 58 years of age told me in the mid-80s he felt like he belongs to America. This indicated “speaking in
The typical American Dream would probably include employment, housing, automobile and kids. My American Dream is similar except toned-down because I do not have many expectations for my future. The picture of a graduation cap and diploma represents my wish to pursue a higher education in college and come out with the degree. Of course, with college comes the student debt, I hope that once I finish college my debt would either be nonexistence or paid off quickly. I have to get a job in order to survive in society, I am hoping with my degree, I can find a secure job that I enjoy working in, it does not have to have high pay but money is always nice. I also hope I have sufficient health benefits, so if I ever suffer a major injury, I can go to
I was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, at the age of six i lost my father. and my mother had to become both of my parents. eventually we end up coming to the united states in 2005, where it was very difficult to adjust to but me and my family came along way to be better of the community and to integrate with the American culture while staying true to our culture. During my undergraduate years in college i had to work 40 plus hours a week to help out my mother pay the bills and keep roof on top of my siblings. I came close to dropping out of school several times during those difficult times, but eventually i ended up finishing school. in my last semester of college my mother , the only person who i had as role model was shot 7 times while
Growing up in a low-income Mexican lifestyle proved to be difficult in my journey to become a successful student. Since I was a kid going into kindergarten, I understood the pain that my parents went through each day to set a better future for me. I knew that going to school was my only opportunity to give my parents and I a happier life. I started school late because of my late birthday and my mom’s excessive worry that I was not ready for school yet. Even though neither me nor my parents knew how to speak English, I felt the sudden urge to fulfill my dream of obtaining an education. I knew that I had to start somewhere to fulfill that dream no matter the ‘impossible’ obstacles I had to overcome.
My parents migrated to America in the 1990’s to personify the quintessential American Dream. When I was young I’ve always thought I was somehow unique comparing to others whose same age as me in school. I always carry a very strong positive self confidence entering every classroom thinking that I’m the best. I imagine myself holding the best position in the future, proud and successful. I’ve always wanted a lot and wanting more, like achieving more goals and bigger one. People around me says I’m an ambitious young lady. Due to the impact of my childhood environment in the city I grown up being independent and hard working. I find myself making every problem with a perfect solution and sometimes it does come out that way. I was born and raised in Lower Manhattan, New York City near Chinatown. A place I call home for 10 years. I used to live in a small apartment fulfill with the most memories down the street of East Broadway. Not until 8th grade my Family moved from New
My goal on being retired at the age of fifty living in an elegant multi story, multi wing house with four beautiful children, my gorgeous wife, and a few family pets. This is my American dream, this the goal I set for myself and wish to accomplish. Through the steps I am currently and will soon take I’ll be on my way achieving that goal. Every U.S citizen is entitled to have an American dream, it may be the lavish life or just forty acres and mule. Dictionary.com definition of American dream is “the ideals of freedom, equality, and the opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.” My definition is similar in that all Americans have the opportunity to better themselves and their life if they’re willing to put in the work.
My father recently died of brain cancer. This man was a renowned linguistic anthropologist who rarely frequented home except to either grab a new change of clothes, or to purposely get on my nerves. After his death, I was forced to clean out his office so that his colleagues could make use of his space. Using up my time and willpower to arrive at my father’s workplace, I was welcomed by one of his colleagues, and was then escorted to his office. Upon reaching his office, my father’s colleague proceeded to open the office door, welcoming me to my father’s work space. As I took a step forward into the office, a gust of musk slapped the side of my face, almost leaving a bruise to my sense of smell. Accompanying the ambush was the sight of a very
“hErITAGE” IS ThE FIrST word IN my family dictionary, a noun and adverb, for who we are and how we live. My parents taught me that my heritage defines my identity. Through honorific speech towards my elders and adherence to traditional values, I accepted Korean customs as part of the duality that defines my life in America. Yet, a turbulent disunity stormed under that surface of peaceful coexistence. Though I outwardly represented the model Korean-American son, I loathed fitting this stereotypical mold. My shell was so well-constructed, however, that others mistook me for a successful immigrant. I felt as if I were ripped from the very fabric of my American birthplace, and plunged into a vacuum between my ancestral home and the world I lived