Anthropology as a discipline has been plagued by privileged armchair anthropologists, universalizing statements of whole cultures and societies, and a lack of interest in the everyday lives of all people until the late 20th century: which is credited for the postmodernist, radical ideology, that demolished traditional ideals of culture and society. Postmodernism influenced anthropologists to think more critically about their role in producing knowledge and how there is no ethnographic “truth,” rather subjective knowledge. At this time ethnography began to take a more literary approach, ethnographer included their reflective stance on how their understanding shaped the writing, and a more diverse range of subjects were accounted for in the ethnographic discourse. Keith Basso’s, Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and …show more content…
The chapters lend nicely to setting up Basso’s postmodernist and symbolic theoretical orientations. Highly influenced by Clifford Geertz’s symbolic approach, rooted in the ideology that culture is an organized collection of symbolic systems that transmit a deep cultural meaning for a collective group of people, Basso explains the hidden symbology of places for the Western Apache. Basso explains that place-names (1) provide context for mental images of a particular place, (2) evoke historical tales of ancestors, (3) affirm the validity of traditional moral values and ancestral knowledge, (4) and offers advice while healing wounded spirits (xiv, 100). Basso comments on the symbolic nature of Western Apache places, “named places have long been symbols of rich significance for the Apache people,” which are defined through each story attached to each of the 296 places that Basso maps
What Jonathan Hook’s purpose for writing this book “was to illustrate the dynamic and contextual based nature of personal and communal ethnic identity. ”1 The case study is done to show how the Alabama-Coushatta Indians of East Texas have responded to external forces to stay true to their people. Jonathan Hook is of Cherokee heritage and tribal membership, which would provide some of the insight he has into Indian identity. Hook lives in Houston, Texas which is ninety miles southwest of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation.
The book “The Road on Which We Came, by Steven J. Crum is a chronological report of the Shoshone peoples, and their history during the times from the Frontier to present-day. The main objective of Crum’s writings is the disposition of the Western Shoshone people. Unlike the majority of other Tribes, forgotten in history books as they assimilated into white society, the Western Shoshone have preserved their existence by cautiously dealing with settlers, defending their territory, and maintaining a large portion of their lands. From the initial mid-nineteenth century white contact, Crum describes the disruption of a way of life for the Newe, to the accepted need to adapt in the large modern society around them. The depiction of the Newe people as resilient and resourceful in the fight to preserve their culture and tradition, all while adapting to the forcefully changing environment around them (Crum, pp.
Roger Williams used different keys in order to communicate with the native Indians. This key respects the native language of it, and happily may unlock some rarities concerning the natives themselves, not yet discovered (Williams 103). When he approached to the Native Indians, he had an agenda, which contained four main points that he wanted to cover during his visit (Williams 104). First, he wanted to understand the Native Indian’s names. He realized that the English gave those names like natives, salvages, Indians, wild men, pagans, barbarians, among others.
In the second and third chapters in Basso’s book, Wisdom Sits In Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache, he discusses and explores the fundamental Western Apache tradition of place-names and story telling. He focuses primarily on storytelling in the second chapter and place-names in the third. Basso tells of his experience working with Nick Thompson, an informer of Apache culture and friend of Basso for more than 25 years Thompson informs Basso that learning the place-name of the area is an extremely important first step in learning about Apache culture. As Basso really identifies in his third chapter, place-names are extremely important in Western Apache storytelling. Western Apache storytelling can be divided into four narrative categories: myth, historical tale, saga, and gossip.
Sadly, Eileen Kane discovers the man who once drew thousands was now becoming more of a historic versus religious leader, a myth as opposed to a prophet. While at one time the role of his reformative religion united the Native Americans and provided hope for those used to prejudice and being treated as inferior by the whites (Kane, p. 210), his practices had mostly died out. However, the memoir still highlights the importance of his religious movement in shaping the current religious and cultural path of the Paiute
Hilary Weaver argues in her piece of writing; that identifying indigenous identity is complex, complicated, and hard to grasp when internalized oppression and colonization has turned Native Americans to criticize one another. Throughout the text, Weaver focuses on three main points which she calls, the three facets. Self-identification, community identification, and external identification are all important factors that make up Native American identity. The author uses a story she calls, “The Big game” to support her ideologies and arguments about the issue of identity. After reading the article, it’s important to realize that Native American’s must decide their own history and not leave that open for non-natives to write about.
The Ibibio worldview is not only determined by an array of their language, belief, and communication that lengthens “beyond the members of the society at a given point in time but to those who are dead and the unborn generation” (Okon & Ansa, 2012, pt. 3). This concept aligns with Thoreau’s views that, “All the past is here,” (pt. 3) which characterizes the Ibibio people as a close-knit society that is defined by three key factors which bind them together – symbolism, proverbs, and religion to explicate their way of life. For instance, the Ibibio people assigned specific meanings to the Iroko tree, an imagery which is hinged upon the strength of the people as discussed in one of their many proverbs; “Ubok mm, ubok mm etuud ukpa” meaning “In togetherness, any obstacle can be removed” (Okon & Ansa, 2012, pt. 5.1). Working together in love and appreciation of others rather than as individuals they can collectively meet challenges they are faced with. In spite of the weight of the tree, which is synonymous to the enormity of a problem, working together brings resolution that satisfies and promotes the interest of the entire community rather than a few.
This part of the book deeply investigates the agriculture, culture, customs, and religion of the area. This helps the reader grasp the importance of culture and how it affects the reaction of a culture during a disastrous time. “ To speak of culture is to speak of elements that help shape human behavior- the inhibitions that govern it from inside, the rules that control it from the outside, the languages and philosophies that serve to edit a people’s experience of life, the customs and rituals that help define how one person should relate to another. To speak of culture is to speak of those forces that promote uniformity of thought and action” (Erikson, 1976, p81). Understanding the culture of the settlers of the area helps to bring about better understanding of the survivors reaction to the
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a full-size replica of an eighteenth century Cherokee community located in Cherokee, North Carolina. The village brochure serves as an example of the intersection between Native American religions and American tourism in modernity. Tourism funds the attraction, which is owned and operated by the Cherokee Historical Association, and promotes an “authentic” experience that takes visitors back in time with “real Indians” as their subjects. By framing the natives as noble savages, the brochure reveals a history of Native American self-commodification. The Oconaluftee Indian Village both challenges and perpetuates historical trends in the relationship between religion and tourism by creating and defining authenticity
Before colonization, Native Americans roamed the land in numbers estimated as 60 million. (Koch, 2019) When European colonizers arrived, 90% of Native Americans were murdered. (Koch, 2019) For those who remained, the land they once cultivated was stripped away.
In the essay, “A Literature of Place”, by Barry Lopez focuses on the topic of human relationships with nature. He believes human imagination is shaped by the architectures it encounters within life. Lopez first starts his essay with the statement that geography is a shaping force for humans. This shaping force is what creates our imagination; the shaping force is found within nature. Everything humans see within nature is remembered, thus creating new ideas and thoughts for our imagination.
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
Science journalist, Charles C. Mann, had successfully achieved his argumentative purpose about the “Coming of Age in the Dawnland.” Mann’s overall purpose of writing this argumentative was to show readers that there’s more to than just being called or being stereotyped as a savage- a cynical being. These beings are stereotyped into being called Indians, or Native Americans (as they are shorthand names), but they would rather be identified by their own tribe name. Charles Mann had talked about only one person in general but others as well without naming them. Mann had talked about an Indian named Tisquantum, but he, himself, does not want to be recognized as one; to be more recognized as the “first and foremost as a citizen of Patuxet,”(Mann 24).
In his oration to Governor Isaac I. Stevens Chief Seattle, a Native American leader addresses the governor's request to buy Indian lands and create reservations. Through his oration Seattle boldly presents his stance on the issue of Indian lands, representing his people as a whole. On account for his native people Chief Seattle's stands up for their land through the use of imagery, parallels, and rhetorical questions. Chief Seattle communicates his purpose by using bold imagery that directs the audience to the cause that Seattle is speaking of. He uses metaphors and similes comparing aspects of nature to the issue at hand.
The book wisdom sits in places is a very inspirational book about how names, places, and culture are all intertwined to create a story about the past. Keith H. Basso entails us about a strong culture that hits home about the strong human connection associated with names and place. Four different groups of Apache are introduced in Wisdom sits in places, and each one has a unique take on their culture associated with place. The Apaches own history is intertwined with that of the land, and by allowing us to read about the four different Apache groups. Basso expands the conciseness of his readers by showing the wisdom, manners, and morals of the rich culture of the Apache.