Second semester honors book club
Project reflection
For the second semester of honors, we decided as a class that we were going to mimic a book club. We set out to find three books that were challenging to the mind and where we were dedicated to read as well. The three books are: The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After reading these books, we were required to pick from a list that Ashley provided for us and choose a miniature assignment, we could only do this to two books out of the three. For The Great Gatsby, I chose to do an art piece of the valley of ashes and daisy. For Half the Sky I chose to do a short story (which you can read underneath the book pictures). The reason why I chose to do my assignments on these two books is because I felt that I understood the two books and absolutely loved them. For Fahrenheit 451 it was a harder for me to understand the language and then create something from it, don’t get me wrong it was an amazing book; it was just difficult reading for me.
Well after reading all the books, I think the one that impacted me the most was Half the Sky. Half the Sky tells a story from the perspective of women and girls who are under oppression in the developing world. Through writing this book, the authors help us as readers see that the key to economic progress lies in women’s potential because half of the world’s population is women. This was a powerful book because while reading it I became really emotional it made me want to reach out. I know that this may seem cliché but I am indigenous women who does have family members that been through some awful stuff. I know that this feeling in me will push me to see that I am powerful myself and willing to help other indigenous women to feel the same.
The thing that I most enjoyed about the book club experience was how flexible our teacher was. Throughout the semester there were times where I was stressed and I simply reached out to Ashley explaining my troubles and she understood. The most challenging aspect of taking on honors was that I knew there was going to be difficult readings both in Honors and regular humanities. So with knowing this, I had to practice balancing fun and school work throughout the year especially with the second semester. The one Habit of Heart and Mind that I used the most during our book club was evidence. We had to write numerous project reflections & seminar pre-writes where it had to contain evidence from the book.
Well after reading all the books, I think the one that impacted me the most was Half the Sky. Half the Sky tells a story from the perspective of women and girls who are under oppression in the developing world. Through writing this book, the authors help us as readers see that the key to economic progress lies in women’s potential because half of the world’s population is women. This was a powerful book because while reading it I became really emotional it made me want to reach out. I know that this may seem cliché but I am indigenous women who does have family members that been through some awful stuff. I know that this feeling in me will push me to see that I am powerful myself and willing to help other indigenous women to feel the same.
The thing that I most enjoyed about the book club experience was how flexible our teacher was. Throughout the semester there were times where I was stressed and I simply reached out to Ashley explaining my troubles and she understood. The most challenging aspect of taking on honors was that I knew there was going to be difficult readings both in Honors and regular humanities. So with knowing this, I had to practice balancing fun and school work throughout the year especially with the second semester. The one Habit of Heart and Mind that I used the most during our book club was evidence. We had to write numerous project reflections & seminar pre-writes where it had to contain evidence from the book.
Half the sky final project: short story
Survive. That was the last word that my father told me before they broke in. I don’t know who they were but I knew what they wanted. It was me; I wasn’t sure why they took me, or what they held against my family for me to be taken away, but I knew it was for power. It all happened early in the morning, where there was still dew on the windowsills, air still crisp giving you that well-known feeling that you’re home and safe. But I didn’t receive that sense; instead I woke up to five men beside my bed, each one holding a certain weapon to wound if not consenting to their attack. The leader, the one who brought this shame upon my family, the one who took power from me ordered the other four to drag me out of my bed. That command sent me into a motionless position, where I watched them come closer to me. Each step they took brought me closer to the hope that I will never have, my future that I have been dreaming about since five was dying in their presence.
This is my story, a story about my life that was taken only from a few men that required my contribution to their so-called business. My name is Ahsen; that’s what my friends and family called me in my town, but now I know they don’t even remember me leaving me behind with the other lost names. The encounter happened so fast along with the tears and the memories but the first day I arrived in that house was scarce.
I woke up in a bed with a sharp pain in my head that was covered with a sack to hide me from the outside world. The movement of limbs became harder and harder while trying not to make noise to those men saying that I was awake. I lifted my head off the pillow rousing myself in a sitting position, my trembling hands helped them self’s to the opportunity to take the sack off. Creeeeck! The noise from the bed vaulted my hands to finish what they started. My eyes fluttered from the embrace of dust in the room making them adjust themselves to the dry darkness that lurked everywhere in the room. My senses started coming back to me; the stench slapped me in the face with the aftermath of my heart racing. I gripped my skirt with my sweaty hands as I tried to breathe slowly. No, no, no. My impatience leads my eyes to finding an exit, a way to find myself in the arms of my papa and mama again. I clenched onto the side of the bed, there were blood stains everywhere, Are they going to kill me? I whispered to the dust. Yet no responses expect the embracement from the floating dust specks.
I pushed myself to look around the room; one curtain swung from me to the door, a little window that let out the littlest light trying to uncover the darkness. My trembling body carried me to the window, boosting me to find where I was. Every step of the way, every pebble I stepped on, brought shivers down my spine creating tears and a heartbreak of not being able to return.
There he was, he stood at the foot of the entrance to my cave, his glare shot at me knowing that I was trying to find an escape. Hysterically, the man laughed, he laughed with taunt, laughed with control, laughed for his long lost sanity.
“Merhaba, my name is Serdar.” He declared.
Dedication, fear, sorrow showed through his shoulders, where they drag behind serdar making him into a daunting figure. It brought terror, the way the dark circles spilled from his eyes, the way the darkness piled onto each around his soul. Yes, there was something that I couldn’t grasp but I knew that he held my existence. Yes, this is may be just a simple story but it’s a story that cannot be forgotten. In reality, this story may be a chance of another girl out there, another girl like me that was grabbed but instead she has to survive. Because survive was the last thing my father told me and now it’s the last thing I will say to you. Survive.
This is my story, a story about my life that was taken only from a few men that required my contribution to their so-called business. My name is Ahsen; that’s what my friends and family called me in my town, but now I know they don’t even remember me leaving me behind with the other lost names. The encounter happened so fast along with the tears and the memories but the first day I arrived in that house was scarce.
I woke up in a bed with a sharp pain in my head that was covered with a sack to hide me from the outside world. The movement of limbs became harder and harder while trying not to make noise to those men saying that I was awake. I lifted my head off the pillow rousing myself in a sitting position, my trembling hands helped them self’s to the opportunity to take the sack off. Creeeeck! The noise from the bed vaulted my hands to finish what they started. My eyes fluttered from the embrace of dust in the room making them adjust themselves to the dry darkness that lurked everywhere in the room. My senses started coming back to me; the stench slapped me in the face with the aftermath of my heart racing. I gripped my skirt with my sweaty hands as I tried to breathe slowly. No, no, no. My impatience leads my eyes to finding an exit, a way to find myself in the arms of my papa and mama again. I clenched onto the side of the bed, there were blood stains everywhere, Are they going to kill me? I whispered to the dust. Yet no responses expect the embracement from the floating dust specks.
I pushed myself to look around the room; one curtain swung from me to the door, a little window that let out the littlest light trying to uncover the darkness. My trembling body carried me to the window, boosting me to find where I was. Every step of the way, every pebble I stepped on, brought shivers down my spine creating tears and a heartbreak of not being able to return.
There he was, he stood at the foot of the entrance to my cave, his glare shot at me knowing that I was trying to find an escape. Hysterically, the man laughed, he laughed with taunt, laughed with control, laughed for his long lost sanity.
“Merhaba, my name is Serdar.” He declared.
Dedication, fear, sorrow showed through his shoulders, where they drag behind serdar making him into a daunting figure. It brought terror, the way the dark circles spilled from his eyes, the way the darkness piled onto each around his soul. Yes, there was something that I couldn’t grasp but I knew that he held my existence. Yes, this is may be just a simple story but it’s a story that cannot be forgotten. In reality, this story may be a chance of another girl out there, another girl like me that was grabbed but instead she has to survive. Because survive was the last thing my father told me and now it’s the last thing I will say to you. Survive.
Honors Independent Study
For the first semester of Honors Humanities, I was required find a topic to research on my own and create a documentation binder with a project and present it at the exhibition!
Documentation Binder
Topic: Identity
Notes from the Center of Turtle Island
Identity: Chapter 2
Who are we?
This small section is from the chapter of Identity, this talks about of who are we has people on this earth. Who will we be in the future etc. Here is an excellent quote that I pulled from this chapter. “We give meaning to being, to the universe, both physically and mentally.” Throughout life, we as Native Americans are not perfect because we can learn, appreciate and respect from mistakes that we made. Also in this chapter it introduces tricksters, this is where many Native Americans become or are influenced by them. The actions that these tricksters bring are death, disease, and pain but also bring creators of human, ceremonies, and social and cultural institutions. Eventually we become these tricksters when we mimic someone who we consecrate.
This affected me because I want to understand of what it means to be Native American, and this is why I did my project on this because so many Native Americans have lost who they are especially in the 1970’s. Because at one time, Indians didn’t have blood quantum, today they do. An example of this is where my sister Lorraine, is a descendent she is not federally recognized so the government literally says that she is not Native American. Is this morally right? Doesn’t that take away her identity of being Native American? Looking back at the western viewpoints was materialism and Nihilism. Is this the reason why Native Americans are faced with these challenges? Many people look at Native Americans population, and they see defeated people. Poverty, Alcoholism, unemployment, and disease operate through Native American communities, and they seem not to care. Is this the identity that Native Americans should draw from? The first step on this long journey is to change self-identity is to identify who you are.
Tying this identity lost to a Latin America, many indigenous people are not consensual participants in national and social people. This is where the cultural separation between indigenous people and the national culture creates a caste system called the mestizo culture which people will grasp the national culture.
Additional questions:
· What effect does this have on Native Americans?
· Is this morally right?
· Is this identity portrayed through media?
Reaction to People’s History
The chapters that I read in People’s History were Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress and As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs. Summarizing the first chapter, this is where the history of Columbus coming to the New Worlds where the Arawak Native Americans lived. He describes the Arawak people as “naked, tawny, and full of wonder.” After speculating, he’d contrasted the society of Europeans with the Arawak people life styles. Zinn then tells that Columbus kidnapped natives and interrogated them on the island but more intently on gold. His presence was only to obtain this object and return it to the Spanish rulers. The author then goes in depth of how the work force is contributed by powerful and monopolistic men that also discovered gold then used it to pay people for land. For Columbus second journey back to the New World, Zinn states that he had killed 25,000 Arawaks leaving them almost too extinction on the island. Through reading this chapter, it was really intense to read because when it came to understand of what the Europeans did to Native Americans for worthless gold, it was unbelievable. One the main connections that I came across while reading this specific chapter was the video that we watched at the beginning of the year. When those soldiers came and killed a lot of Native Americans for gold or just power. One of the things that were striking was the journal entries from Columbus, of when he first arrived, where they came up to him and was kind, helpful and gentle and the first thing that Columbus thought was to enslave them.
Recapping from the other chapter that I read, As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs it’s about the government of the U.S and the Native Americans. This is where the government threatens the natives into signing a treaty that would take away huge chunks of ancestral lands then promising to be nice afterwards. But as the chapter goes along, they fibbed around that promise by wanting more land. So they settlers “kindly” ask the Native Americans to give their land up, leave their houses forever, and move westward. Then after a while, they started realizing that the government was not keeping their promise so Andrew Jackson goes to the Choctaws saying “As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs. I am and will protect them and be their friend and father.” Creating the trail of tears. I connected this tragic event to the Longest Walk, where Navajos advocating to keep their sacred lands because of to the government not keeping their promise. One of my big questions towards this, was that Native Americans continue fighting for their land, why is not one being aware of this? What does a sacred land mean? When you go to a reservation, their front and back yards are trashed, what that line that separates sacred and not?
I associated these events in humanities class where we learned about the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, where the United States made the Exclusion order 9066 and Civilian number 34. They placed these American-Japanese citizens in internment camps with poor lifestyles, and for the Native Americans, they made these reservations and left. From my own experience, I lived on the Blackfeet Reservation, I witnessed what it like to walk down the road and see a family member on meth or alcohol.
Reaction to The Canary Effect
This is a 2006 documentary about the effects from the United States and the politics on the Native Americans that are residents here. The director takes a different perspective for the audience by defining the term “genocide” in which the government’s effort to exterminate Native Americans. This documentary also goes in detail about the mismanagement and neglect on Indian Reservations, the brutality from the placement of the Native Americans with substandard conditions. Another thing they mention in this documentary is the refusal of the media to appraise the contemporary world of the suicides and the Columbine-style school shooting amongst the Native youths.
This movie manages to present harsh facts about the Native American past and present, which makes it stunning because of the preciseness of it. I feel this is a moral movie for my project because it describes what the life is like and how the Native American identity became today. This was really emotional for me to watch this because of what the United States did, and it understandable of why Indians do what they do. An example of this when they were defining “genocide” throughout the movie and the things that were under that definition the U.S government has done. One of those things was sterilization, to stop the Indian gene. Is this what Americans do?
Relating back to the one of the Essential questions that you gave us; How is history “we” tell revealing of “out” truths? To what extent is United States history subjective? How does knowing and understanding the complexities of US history create a better understanding of today’s society and what it means to be American? We are learning each day through the media and being aware of today’s people, The Native Americans. When history travels, we see what really happened and the effects from the European ideas when Columbus came. From this, there become here 500 nations with unique identity’s, and I becoming from one of them. This image of “Indian” has shifted throughout history with many different cultural traditions, and ceremonies. This country has established its own identity for the Native people, and reinforces it in everyday popular culture, despite the objections of the native people themselves.
Additional Questions:
· Why did they make this movie in 2006?
· Why did they start caring about these people all a sudden?
Reaction to Thunder Heart film
This film is related to the event of the Wounded Knee incident in 1973. An FBI agent is assigned to investigate a political murder on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. While looking for the suspect, the agent Levoi becomes sensitized in Indian issues because of his acquaintances with Maggie Eagle Bear, a political Native American activist and schoolteacher. Later on, Levoi and his partner Crow Horse find that the government has sponsored a plan to mine Uranium on the reservations which was the root for these killings. The mining is polluting the water supply and encouraging a conflict between the reservations anti-governmental ruling council and the pro-government.
While watching this movie, I sat there thinking that while these people are killing each other for Uranium for money, I came to the realization that these people Americans are only fighting for greed. On my reservation, many of my family members: Betty Copper, Theda Newbreast, Lori Newbreast are against fracking, this is where on my research questions fall in place. Why do Indians do what they do? I came in comparison with this while watching this movie and knowing the action on my reservation. This is identity. Today Many Native Americans have lost of who they are because of the euro-centric thought process that the invaders placed upon the Natives of genocidal practices. This led to the historical trauma which we as Native people experience today because of the collective experiences of us and our ancestors.
During this movie, I connected this through the event that I participated this last summer, where we protested to stop fracking on one of our sacred mountains. Even though away from Montana and I was an urban Indian I knew what I stood for and who I was. Another thing that I connected this was with one of the essential questions, How is the history “we” tell revealing of “our” truths? To what extent is United States history subjective? How does knowing and understanding the complexities of US history create a better understanding of today’s society and what it means to be “American?” This can be explained by how the government is taking away land from us, but today Native Americans are continuing to fight for that identity because that’s all that we have.
Additional questions while watching this film:
· Who has the power to mine on Native land?
· Why is it they can sell off 1/8 of Pine Ridge Reservation for Uranium mining without the people knowing?
· What does it take to stop them?
· What is sacred land?
· Why has it been like this for the last 500 years and today as well?
Research Questions:
Thesis: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like my-self, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
1.) What is urban Indian?
Source: The State of the Native Nations; The Harvard project on American Indian Economic Development.
“Today, the socioeconomic status of urban Indians is generally better than reservation averages, yet it is still substantially below nationwide and urban averages.” This is where Native Americans move to off-reservation environment to simply to stipulate urban settings. Today about 1.6 million (64) percent outside Indian areas, the Indian Vocational Training Act of 1956 provided training in urban areas and near reservations, and the trainees highly encouraged realities to move to cities to acquire skills. An example of this is my father and I, we both attend school in Colorado, 18 hours away from our reservation.
2.) How are Native Americans affected when not on the reservations?
Just like explained above, Native Americans who live off the reservations are implied to recovered opportunities to gain new perspectives like culture base. On the other hand, Native Americans have to suffer of being away from original culture and family which makes the feeling of “home-sick”. Living off the reservation, I have come across the challenge of facing the question of who I am. Participating in traditional ceremonies along with the urban culture, I have confused my identity. This paper by knowing and understanding that I have has helped me with that question.
3.) Why do Indians do what they do?
Source: The Canary Effect
From gaining and enhancing my knowledge, I have learned that the promise that was place upon Native Americans has left them dependable on the federal Government to supply money that steered to high rates of unemployment. Is that the identity? People of all nations depend on something that can wreck their lifestyles? These questions are still being asked today, and yet are being to be answered.
Topic: Identity
Notes from the Center of Turtle Island
Identity: Chapter 2
Who are we?
This small section is from the chapter of Identity, this talks about of who are we has people on this earth. Who will we be in the future etc. Here is an excellent quote that I pulled from this chapter. “We give meaning to being, to the universe, both physically and mentally.” Throughout life, we as Native Americans are not perfect because we can learn, appreciate and respect from mistakes that we made. Also in this chapter it introduces tricksters, this is where many Native Americans become or are influenced by them. The actions that these tricksters bring are death, disease, and pain but also bring creators of human, ceremonies, and social and cultural institutions. Eventually we become these tricksters when we mimic someone who we consecrate.
This affected me because I want to understand of what it means to be Native American, and this is why I did my project on this because so many Native Americans have lost who they are especially in the 1970’s. Because at one time, Indians didn’t have blood quantum, today they do. An example of this is where my sister Lorraine, is a descendent she is not federally recognized so the government literally says that she is not Native American. Is this morally right? Doesn’t that take away her identity of being Native American? Looking back at the western viewpoints was materialism and Nihilism. Is this the reason why Native Americans are faced with these challenges? Many people look at Native Americans population, and they see defeated people. Poverty, Alcoholism, unemployment, and disease operate through Native American communities, and they seem not to care. Is this the identity that Native Americans should draw from? The first step on this long journey is to change self-identity is to identify who you are.
Tying this identity lost to a Latin America, many indigenous people are not consensual participants in national and social people. This is where the cultural separation between indigenous people and the national culture creates a caste system called the mestizo culture which people will grasp the national culture.
Additional questions:
· What effect does this have on Native Americans?
· Is this morally right?
· Is this identity portrayed through media?
Reaction to People’s History
The chapters that I read in People’s History were Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress and As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs. Summarizing the first chapter, this is where the history of Columbus coming to the New Worlds where the Arawak Native Americans lived. He describes the Arawak people as “naked, tawny, and full of wonder.” After speculating, he’d contrasted the society of Europeans with the Arawak people life styles. Zinn then tells that Columbus kidnapped natives and interrogated them on the island but more intently on gold. His presence was only to obtain this object and return it to the Spanish rulers. The author then goes in depth of how the work force is contributed by powerful and monopolistic men that also discovered gold then used it to pay people for land. For Columbus second journey back to the New World, Zinn states that he had killed 25,000 Arawaks leaving them almost too extinction on the island. Through reading this chapter, it was really intense to read because when it came to understand of what the Europeans did to Native Americans for worthless gold, it was unbelievable. One the main connections that I came across while reading this specific chapter was the video that we watched at the beginning of the year. When those soldiers came and killed a lot of Native Americans for gold or just power. One of the things that were striking was the journal entries from Columbus, of when he first arrived, where they came up to him and was kind, helpful and gentle and the first thing that Columbus thought was to enslave them.
Recapping from the other chapter that I read, As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs it’s about the government of the U.S and the Native Americans. This is where the government threatens the natives into signing a treaty that would take away huge chunks of ancestral lands then promising to be nice afterwards. But as the chapter goes along, they fibbed around that promise by wanting more land. So they settlers “kindly” ask the Native Americans to give their land up, leave their houses forever, and move westward. Then after a while, they started realizing that the government was not keeping their promise so Andrew Jackson goes to the Choctaws saying “As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs. I am and will protect them and be their friend and father.” Creating the trail of tears. I connected this tragic event to the Longest Walk, where Navajos advocating to keep their sacred lands because of to the government not keeping their promise. One of my big questions towards this, was that Native Americans continue fighting for their land, why is not one being aware of this? What does a sacred land mean? When you go to a reservation, their front and back yards are trashed, what that line that separates sacred and not?
I associated these events in humanities class where we learned about the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, where the United States made the Exclusion order 9066 and Civilian number 34. They placed these American-Japanese citizens in internment camps with poor lifestyles, and for the Native Americans, they made these reservations and left. From my own experience, I lived on the Blackfeet Reservation, I witnessed what it like to walk down the road and see a family member on meth or alcohol.
Reaction to The Canary Effect
This is a 2006 documentary about the effects from the United States and the politics on the Native Americans that are residents here. The director takes a different perspective for the audience by defining the term “genocide” in which the government’s effort to exterminate Native Americans. This documentary also goes in detail about the mismanagement and neglect on Indian Reservations, the brutality from the placement of the Native Americans with substandard conditions. Another thing they mention in this documentary is the refusal of the media to appraise the contemporary world of the suicides and the Columbine-style school shooting amongst the Native youths.
This movie manages to present harsh facts about the Native American past and present, which makes it stunning because of the preciseness of it. I feel this is a moral movie for my project because it describes what the life is like and how the Native American identity became today. This was really emotional for me to watch this because of what the United States did, and it understandable of why Indians do what they do. An example of this when they were defining “genocide” throughout the movie and the things that were under that definition the U.S government has done. One of those things was sterilization, to stop the Indian gene. Is this what Americans do?
Relating back to the one of the Essential questions that you gave us; How is history “we” tell revealing of “out” truths? To what extent is United States history subjective? How does knowing and understanding the complexities of US history create a better understanding of today’s society and what it means to be American? We are learning each day through the media and being aware of today’s people, The Native Americans. When history travels, we see what really happened and the effects from the European ideas when Columbus came. From this, there become here 500 nations with unique identity’s, and I becoming from one of them. This image of “Indian” has shifted throughout history with many different cultural traditions, and ceremonies. This country has established its own identity for the Native people, and reinforces it in everyday popular culture, despite the objections of the native people themselves.
Additional Questions:
· Why did they make this movie in 2006?
· Why did they start caring about these people all a sudden?
Reaction to Thunder Heart film
This film is related to the event of the Wounded Knee incident in 1973. An FBI agent is assigned to investigate a political murder on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. While looking for the suspect, the agent Levoi becomes sensitized in Indian issues because of his acquaintances with Maggie Eagle Bear, a political Native American activist and schoolteacher. Later on, Levoi and his partner Crow Horse find that the government has sponsored a plan to mine Uranium on the reservations which was the root for these killings. The mining is polluting the water supply and encouraging a conflict between the reservations anti-governmental ruling council and the pro-government.
While watching this movie, I sat there thinking that while these people are killing each other for Uranium for money, I came to the realization that these people Americans are only fighting for greed. On my reservation, many of my family members: Betty Copper, Theda Newbreast, Lori Newbreast are against fracking, this is where on my research questions fall in place. Why do Indians do what they do? I came in comparison with this while watching this movie and knowing the action on my reservation. This is identity. Today Many Native Americans have lost of who they are because of the euro-centric thought process that the invaders placed upon the Natives of genocidal practices. This led to the historical trauma which we as Native people experience today because of the collective experiences of us and our ancestors.
During this movie, I connected this through the event that I participated this last summer, where we protested to stop fracking on one of our sacred mountains. Even though away from Montana and I was an urban Indian I knew what I stood for and who I was. Another thing that I connected this was with one of the essential questions, How is the history “we” tell revealing of “our” truths? To what extent is United States history subjective? How does knowing and understanding the complexities of US history create a better understanding of today’s society and what it means to be “American?” This can be explained by how the government is taking away land from us, but today Native Americans are continuing to fight for that identity because that’s all that we have.
Additional questions while watching this film:
· Who has the power to mine on Native land?
· Why is it they can sell off 1/8 of Pine Ridge Reservation for Uranium mining without the people knowing?
· What does it take to stop them?
· What is sacred land?
· Why has it been like this for the last 500 years and today as well?
Research Questions:
Thesis: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like my-self, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
1.) What is urban Indian?
Source: The State of the Native Nations; The Harvard project on American Indian Economic Development.
“Today, the socioeconomic status of urban Indians is generally better than reservation averages, yet it is still substantially below nationwide and urban averages.” This is where Native Americans move to off-reservation environment to simply to stipulate urban settings. Today about 1.6 million (64) percent outside Indian areas, the Indian Vocational Training Act of 1956 provided training in urban areas and near reservations, and the trainees highly encouraged realities to move to cities to acquire skills. An example of this is my father and I, we both attend school in Colorado, 18 hours away from our reservation.
2.) How are Native Americans affected when not on the reservations?
Just like explained above, Native Americans who live off the reservations are implied to recovered opportunities to gain new perspectives like culture base. On the other hand, Native Americans have to suffer of being away from original culture and family which makes the feeling of “home-sick”. Living off the reservation, I have come across the challenge of facing the question of who I am. Participating in traditional ceremonies along with the urban culture, I have confused my identity. This paper by knowing and understanding that I have has helped me with that question.
3.) Why do Indians do what they do?
Source: The Canary Effect
From gaining and enhancing my knowledge, I have learned that the promise that was place upon Native Americans has left them dependable on the federal Government to supply money that steered to high rates of unemployment. Is that the identity? People of all nations depend on something that can wreck their lifestyles? These questions are still being asked today, and yet are being to be answered.
Artist Statement
By: Brittney Smith
Thesis: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like myself, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
My project expresses my thesis statement by simply me wearing my Jingle dress, and having items that represent of who I am. In my thesis statement, I mention of this split identity between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews. Throughout my documentation binder, many of my resources have influenced me to produce my project. An example of a source that influenced me was from Notes from the Center of Turtle Island where it mentions by what Native Americans want to be influenced by, whether it’s by poverty, alcoholism, unemployment and disease. Also, while collecting these sources, I have come to learn about the history for the Native Americans, and how the past really influences them today in their daily lives.
I know this was important, especially for me because when dissecting into my ancestor’s history, and discussing with my dad and teachers, I have come to the idea of where I am in this world. When I was at the exhibition in my Jingle dress, a few Native American women chatted with me about how they have lost part of their identity like me and how hard it was to balance these unique beliefs.
Citation Page
Champagne, Duane `. Notes From the Center of Turtle Island. N.p.: AltaMira Press, 2010. Print
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. N.p.: Harper & Row; HarperCollins, 1980. Print
Apted, Micheal, dir. Thunder Heart . 1992. TriStar Pictures . DVD-ROM
Davey, Robin, and Yellow T. Women, dir. The Canary Effect . Narr. Robin Davey. 2008. CD-ROM
By: Brittney Smith
Thesis: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like myself, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
My project expresses my thesis statement by simply me wearing my Jingle dress, and having items that represent of who I am. In my thesis statement, I mention of this split identity between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews. Throughout my documentation binder, many of my resources have influenced me to produce my project. An example of a source that influenced me was from Notes from the Center of Turtle Island where it mentions by what Native Americans want to be influenced by, whether it’s by poverty, alcoholism, unemployment and disease. Also, while collecting these sources, I have come to learn about the history for the Native Americans, and how the past really influences them today in their daily lives.
I know this was important, especially for me because when dissecting into my ancestor’s history, and discussing with my dad and teachers, I have come to the idea of where I am in this world. When I was at the exhibition in my Jingle dress, a few Native American women chatted with me about how they have lost part of their identity like me and how hard it was to balance these unique beliefs.
Citation Page
Champagne, Duane `. Notes From the Center of Turtle Island. N.p.: AltaMira Press, 2010. Print
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. N.p.: Harper & Row; HarperCollins, 1980. Print
Apted, Micheal, dir. Thunder Heart . 1992. TriStar Pictures . DVD-ROM
Davey, Robin, and Yellow T. Women, dir. The Canary Effect . Narr. Robin Davey. 2008. CD-ROM
Reflection
For my honors project, I chose to focus on Native American history. I went in depth by connecting with my project personally. Through this research I have learned what some of the impacts on Native Americans today and me as well. My tools that help me, was reading chapters from Howard Zinn, watched many documentaries about drug, alcohol abuse and poverty on reservations. I also read a few passages from Notes from the Center of Turtle Island where the author goes in depth about what’s identity for Native Americans. The reason why I did this topic was because not only did I want to find who I am as a Native American, but to inform my audience about the tragic lifestyle for my people. This leads into my essential questions which talked a lot about what is an urban Indian, how Native Americans are affected on reservations, and finally what do they do.
Through this amazing journey, I have come to many useful tools for next semester of honors. A few of them is about my time consumption with my projects, I feel that I could of put more work into this project instead of waiting till the last minute. This is a lesson that can be learned throughout my academic years here at Animas. Another thing that I learned is to have an open mind with my projects, that I can take a new perspective with many things to make it unique. Another thing that I learned about myself is that I love independent research, I love having that freedom to take my own path learn valuable lessons for when I attend collage!
One substantial revision that I have made was towards my documentation binder, where I modified my thesis statement with Ashley, here is the new thesis statement: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like my-self, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
The reason why I made this revision is because; I needed my ideas to structure more instead of jumping all over the place. Another revision that I made was to my project, where I had to go through multiple ideas to fit and enhance the idea that I was portraying. One of the ideas, which I was planning on doing, was making a power point of Native American rates that were compared with non-native rates.
One piece of advice that I can provide for you future honors students is to take your time, think carefully about your project by planning everything and making sure that there are no loop holes that can mess up your progress towards your beautiful project. Ashley, to improve this project, maybe think of some ideas that aren’t so big it was hard thinking about some ideas until the last minute. I know for sure there were some students that haven’t even create an idea until the last minute and it became a hassle. I really like the path that were heading on right now with the choices of books and seminars!
Through this amazing journey, I have come to many useful tools for next semester of honors. A few of them is about my time consumption with my projects, I feel that I could of put more work into this project instead of waiting till the last minute. This is a lesson that can be learned throughout my academic years here at Animas. Another thing that I learned is to have an open mind with my projects, that I can take a new perspective with many things to make it unique. Another thing that I learned about myself is that I love independent research, I love having that freedom to take my own path learn valuable lessons for when I attend collage!
One substantial revision that I have made was towards my documentation binder, where I modified my thesis statement with Ashley, here is the new thesis statement: In today’s society, there is tension between eurocentricism and traditional Native American worldviews, which has caused many Native American youth like my-self, to lose their sense of identity. This tension and lack of clear identity is one cause of poverty and drug abuse all too often seen on reservations. In order for me to seize that missing piece of my Native identity and avoid perpetuating this cycle of poverty, I need to embed myself into more cultural rituals.
The reason why I made this revision is because; I needed my ideas to structure more instead of jumping all over the place. Another revision that I made was to my project, where I had to go through multiple ideas to fit and enhance the idea that I was portraying. One of the ideas, which I was planning on doing, was making a power point of Native American rates that were compared with non-native rates.
One piece of advice that I can provide for you future honors students is to take your time, think carefully about your project by planning everything and making sure that there are no loop holes that can mess up your progress towards your beautiful project. Ashley, to improve this project, maybe think of some ideas that aren’t so big it was hard thinking about some ideas until the last minute. I know for sure there were some students that haven’t even create an idea until the last minute and it became a hassle. I really like the path that were heading on right now with the choices of books and seminars!