Abstract This paper compares the role of Native American women and European settlers in early American society. It uses several references to draw its conclusions, including "Women and Freedom in Early America" (Larry Eldridge) and Philip Barbour's "Pocahontas and Her World".
From the Paper "European Women experienced very limited freedom. They were raised to be silent, submissive, and subordinate. Under European law, a wife had no "independent legal status." (Eldridge 45). After moving to the New World, Abigail Adams' journal and letters to her husband John Adams, demonstrate the role of women in Europe and how she evaluated and argued her role during these times. In a "Letter to John Adams," Abigail asked him to remember and considered the ladies as he had great influence over many powerful leaders who can change the role of women in the New World. "Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your sex," she argued. (Mulford 1035)."
Abstract This paper analyzes the use of medicine in Leslie Marmon Silko's novel, "Ceremony". It discusses the disorders suffered by the protagonist Tayo, and how his ailments are treated by two different kinds of medicine namely, traditional western medicine and Native American medicine. It also explores the author's prospective on medicine.
From the Paper "To understand the use of medicine to cure illness in Leslie Marmon Silko's novel, "Ceremony" medicine must be regarded within a cultural context. Traditional Western medicine is based on the belief that illness is organically determined relying mainly on drugs ..."
Abstract This paper looks at the use of rhetoric in King's "Letters from a Birmingham Jail." The paper discusses the major elements of appeal to logic, emotion and ethics, with detailed examples to support each style. This paper other further mentions other rhetorical elements in the context of supporting these basic elements.
From the Paper "In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," he writes to his fellow religious leaders, ministers and clergymen who had written an open letter asking him and his fellow civil rights activists to stop demonstrating. He writes using incredibly powerful language and demonstrating elegant and precise rhetorical skills. King uses a wide variety of rhetorical techniques, primarily taking the form of an Aristotelian deliberative oratory. His focus is examining the question of whether or not civil rights activists should discontinue their direct actions of civil disobedience for the sake of maintaining order and the status quo, or whether they had an obligation to God and justice for all to continue. King, of course, argues that not only is he right for doing what he has been doing, but that there is a civil, moral, logical and ethical imperative to do so."
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of immigration, a subject of contention since European settlers stepped foot on the soil of North American shores. Currently, immigration is at the forefront of the American news, particularly in terms of the role of the illegal immigrant in society. However, many Americans are unclear as to where even legal immigrants "fit" in American society. The paper further discusses how even in today's society, the general public lacks clear understanding of what non-naturalized immigrants can or should do in terms of the military, whether at home or overseas. If immigration is not new to this country, neither are immigrants in the military.
Abstract This film study brings forth a brief history of Native American filmmaking in the last one hundred years. According to the paper, the early teens of the 20th century brought forth James Young Deer, but after World War I, white Americans in power soon sought to diminish the role of Native Americans in leadership positions, such as director. The slow and often racist agenda for native Americans took a secondary role to western that exploited Indians as obstacles for Manifest Destiny.
From the Paper "This film study will analyze the Native American film history and how it had influenced the major film industry of America. For the past one hundred years, Native Americans have played a part in helping to shape the creation of screenplays, directorial approaches, and other elements in the American filmmaking process. By learning of the various directors and actors in this genre, one can realize the major impact Native Americans had on Hollywood. In essence, this study will bring forth an analysis of the history of Native American filmmaking, and its influences on American filmmaking within the past one hundred years. The first half of the 20th century was a difficult tie for Native Americans, as they were mostly left out of filmmaking within the major industry markets."
Abstract This paper looks at how the Sundance ritual is an ancient and primitive pain ritual, designed to test men's bravery and ability to withstand piercing and dancing in the sun for four days without food, water, or rest in exchange for the protection of the Great Spirit and how it is an individual ordeal of sacrifice, discipline, and spiritual awareness. In particular, the paper examines how the dance has become more spiritual and even political due to the current circumstances of its practitioners, namely a very marginalized group of indigenous people living in conditions of poverty and suffering from a number of problems such as alcoholism and loss of group identity due to assimilation pressures and political oppression.
From the Paper "The Sun Dance itself is four days long and takes place in early summer, but is prepared for throughout the year. The sacred tree that forms the central pole is selected as soon as the prior Sun Dance ends, and is continually prepared until the ritual. The entire community takes part in various aspects of the ritual, including women and children, although only men are pierced. On each of the four days, chants to the four directions are performed, healings are performed, and those who have pledged are pierced and tied to the central pole until their flesh gives way. Although they do retain the practice of flesh offerings, they no longer fast the entire time, but only from midnight to noon. "
Abstract This paper focuses on the Native Americans who fought in Vietnam. The author stresses the Native American participation in nearly all America's wars and the important role that they have played in American history arguing that their appreciation and recognition has been ignored.
From the Paper "Native American participation in the Vietnam War has been greatly ignored. Not much is mentioned about Native American participation in the Vietnam War. Why is this? It is not as if Native American participation in America's wars is something new. Ever since the days of the Revolutionary War, the United States has sought the help of Native American allies. Later, in the Civil War Native Americans were highly sought by both sides, the north and the south. Basically in every war the United States has participated in, so have Native Americans. Even after the conflicts that have come between the U.S. and Native Americans, the U.S. armed services received contributions in its war efforts from Native Americans. Native Americans have always seemed to have been ready and willing to go to war."
This paper is an historical study of the Mohicans based on the film "The Last of the Mohicans" and a book called "Betrayals: Fort William Henry and the Massacre".
Abstract This paper details the story of "The Massacre" that was held during a battle between the Britain and France's Indian allies at Fort William. The book "Betrayals: Fort William Henry and the Massacre" by Ian Steele, took a close look at the old stereotypes, balancing out and combining contradictory accounts to forge one coherent and accurate tale. The film "The Last of the Mohicans", directed by Michael Mann, paid intricate attention to such historical details as style, language, and muzzle-loader mechanics. The paper details the event in respect to these two works and analyzes this terrible tragedy.
From the Paper "In 1757, the British outpost of Fort William surrendered to the French forces that had besieged it. Terms of surrender were granted that promised safe passage to the warriors and civilians living within the fort, and the British moved out. On the trek back to noncombatant territory, the surviving garrison was attacked by France's Indian allies. The "massacre" that followed was to go down in infamy, as wildly speculative and differing reports made their way back to the press. The episode was seen as an ultimate symbol for the perfidy of savage Indians and their treasonous European counterparts, and was perpetuated through endless literary retellings. Well over 300 years later, the story of this massacre is still being told. In 1990, a historical book Betrayals: Fort William Henry and the ?Massacre,? by Ian Steele, took a close look at the old stereotypes, balancing out and combining contradictory accounts to forge one coherent and accurate tale. Shortly thereafter, the legend was told once again, this time in full Technicolor. . The Last of the Mohicans, directed by Michael Mann, paid intricate attention to such historical details as style, language, and muzzle-loader mechanics. However, the film also took distinct liberties with the actual situations and reasons surrounding the Fort Williams massacre."
Abstract The paper examines the novel, "Halfbreed" by Maria Campbell, an autobiography where Campbell describes the struggles of her life centered around her being a halfbreed, a half-Indian and half-white person, rejected by both the Indian and the white people. The paper shows that cruelty and kindness are important themes of Campbell's story. Firstly, there is the human cruelty of discrimination, represented by the acts of the people. Secondly, it describes the cruelty of society, where society oppresses people. Finally, the paper discusses a belief in human kindness that allows Campbell to overcome the struggles, with the writing of the autobiography an act of reaching out to the people who have discriminated against her and offering them the opportunity to understand the cruelty of their ways and choose to change these ways.
From the Paper "Campbell shows that it is the basis of society that is responsible for the treatment of the halfbreeds. The halfbreeds are homeless because the government took their land from them, forcing them to live in poverty. Their culture was never accepted, instead they were expected to fit into the Canadian culture. This separated the halfbreeds from the rest of society, forcing them to be seen as outcasts. Campbell expresses this process when she says recalls her grandmother's words, ?My Cheechum used to tell me that when the government gives you something, they take all that you have in return - your pride, your dignity, all the things that make you a living soul.?"
Tags: poverty, social, outcast, prostitution, Canadian
From the Paper "Synopsis
Louise Erdrich, like many of the characters in her novels and short stories, is part Native American, part something else ? in her case, her family is a mixture of a German-American father and a Chippewa mother. Erdrich's parents worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as teachers on a nearby North Dakota reservation and she recalls that her father regularly recited memorized poetry ? Frost and Byron ? to her and her six siblings. Erdrich started her literary career as a poet, supporting herself by working at a Kentucky Fried Chicken and on road construction crews.
At 28, Erdrich published her first novel Love Medicine ? which had been rejected by numerous publishing houses ? when her husband, the author Michael Dorris, resubmitted it, posing as her literary agent."
From the Paper "n excellent description of the current health care status of Native Americans has been provided by Ray Began who, in 1998, was the President of the Association of American Indian Physicians. In this regard, it is noted by Began that in general this is a community where there are profound health care needs that are not being adequately addressed by the current health care system. As Began reports:
Native Americans receive the lowest health care dollars allocated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Indian Health Service. The per capita amount spent on health care for Native Americans is only $1,132 compared to the $3,261 spent ..."
From the Paper "Sherman Alexie's short story "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" takes a pessimistic perspective on the life of one American Indian character. From this story, it is likely that the author's overall outlook on the future of American Indians in the same situation is certainly far from optimistic, though there are some signs of hope, such as the narrator's year of sobriety. The straightforward, plain, prosaic style is expressive of the negative outlook on life which permeates the protagonist's character and his environment, as if the protagonist has no extra energy to try to express himself beyond his surface thoughts and feelings. There is little hope for any significant change for the better in this story, but only the sense that things will stay about the same, or sometimes a little better or a little worse, and all one can do is accept.."
From the Paper "Traditional Sioux of the last century ? or the centuries before ? would have found the entire idea of putting on their best clothes and going to a concert hall to listen ? as relatively passive observers ? to a musical performance extremely odd. For them, as for other native peoples of the Americas (and arguably other native peoples throughout the world before the onset of industrialization) music was something that was integrated into the fabric of ritual and everyday life. It was not something apart. Music and dancing were nearly always integrated into either ceremonial or celebrative activities of personal and communal life (Hassrick, 1964, p. 140). Such a degree of integration is hard for citizens of the almost-21st century to imagine."
From the Paper "Raven, the spirited trickster, became bored with flying above the endless sea in the darkness of perpetual night. He looked skyward and saw glimmering specks of light amid the blackness. Curious, he flew higher to explore. And when he returned, he was carrying a large ball of fire which he had stolen from the sky. According to Haida Indian mythology, Raven had stolen the sun. Its light brought forth creatures from the sea.
Raven continued to fly, fascinated by the sights and sounds below. One day he saw a giant clamshell which made strange noises. After much coaxing, Raven convinced the shy creatures inside to leave the shell. These proved to be the first Haida human beings. They would not be the last.
This research examines the changes in culture experienced by..."
From the Paper " California Indians and Public Education
During the past two centuries, American Indians have endured enormous changes in their history and cultures. The United States government has attempted alternatively to assimilate and terminate their nations. Despite these efforts, they have managed to maintain a tenacious, often perilous hold on their way of life (Campbell vii). Unfortunately, the education system in the United States has often been the means of disseminating policies and attitudes detrimental to American Indians (Campbell vii). Throughout the United States, Indian students have experienced disproportionate levels of school failure in educational systems organized, administered, and controlled by members of the dominant Anglo group (Cummins 3).
The historic pattern of failure of Indian students in the.."
Tags: AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES, EDUCATION: GENERAL, SOCIOLOGY: SOCIAL PROBLEMS
