Abstract This paper studies the Disney film "Pocahontas" from the standpoint of linguistics students. The dialect of each character is identified and classified, and put in perspective with the others. The native dialects and ethnicities of the actors providing the voices are taken into account as well. The paper illustrates Disney's ability to play into our preconceived ideas about how we should speak and how it relates to other aspects of our lives, including sexuality.
From the Paper " ?In sixteen hundred seven we sail the open sea, for glory, God, and gold and the Virginia Company.? So begin the opening lines of Disney's ?Pocahontas,? just to give a bit of background for the children in the audience who have not yet had American History. In the film ?Pocahontas,? Disney makes a very sincere effort to promote diversity and racial acceptance, and to dispel common stereotypes about Native Americans. At the same time, however, and perhaps unintentionally, they perpetuate other linguistic stereotypes, as I intend to show."
Tags:algonquian, animation, english, indian, john, muse, native, powhatan, ratcliffe, smith
Abstract This paper discusses how almost two centuries before the First World War, the major powers of the world were engaged in a war that spanned the globe. It looks at how from 1756 to 1763, the major European powers of France and Great Britain were pitted in a war that stretched from Europe to North America to the Far East. The series of hostilities eventually became known as the Seven Years' War and laid the foundation for the British Empire and helped fan the flames of the American Revolution. This paper examines the North American segment of the conflict, known as the French and Indian War which pitted Great Britain and its American colonies against the French and their Algonquian allies. It details the events and conditions that served as the precursors of the French and Indian War looks at the battles themselves, beginning with the 1753 mission to open talks with the French to the decisive British victory in Louisbourg and Quebec in 1759. It also examines the consequences of the Seven Years? War in general and in particular on the American colonies.
From the Paper "The explorations and trading centers paved the way for French control over Louisiana, Acadia (Nova Scotia) and Northeast Canada. Although the French claimed more territory than the English did, their land was sparsely populated. Oftentimes, the territories were not even marked by the existence of outposts or towns but were simple forts maintained by only a few people (Minks 19). In contrast, the English territories were rapidly being populated. The English areas were settled along the eastern seaboard, from Georgia, the Carolinas, and along what is now the Northeastern United States. By the 18th century, the British population was growing exponentially (Black 36). The British settlers were also becoming aware of the profitable fur trade along the Great Lakes region. These factors served as the main motives behind the British desire to move westward."
Tags: colonies, french, indian, war, louisbourg, quebec
Abstract This paper discusses the topic of acculturation among the Cree of the Subarctic. It demonstrates that the fur trade had less of an impact on the Cree than other groups who were exposed to more direct contact with the Europeans. In the area of James Bay, acculturative processes appear to have been gradual rather than sudden and dramatic.
From the Paper "The accounts of early missionaries and traders cannot be trusted, especially on the subject of subsistence, as they are often ambiguous and ethnocentric. Fur traders' journals overuse words such as "starve", creating misleading impressions (Black-Rogers, 1986). Analysis of these journals soon makes obvious that starving came in a number of different varieties. It is necessary to consider the context in which they were written as the intended meaning could be either literal, technical, or manipulative. In many cases, natives and their families were not starving at all. Meaning could be further confused if a trader was reporting what was actually said by a native as opposed to what he observed. It was sometimes customary in native culture to claim to be starving, in an effort to portray humbleness."
Abstract This paper describes the history, background and lifestyle of the Cheyenne Indians, their decimation by the American army, their relocation onto Indian reservations and their gradual revival after only 100 survivors remained.
From the Paper "Originally farmers, hunters, and gatherers in the land that is now central Minnesota, however, during the late 17th century, the Cheyenne were driven out of the area by the Sioux and Ojibwa tribes. Gradually they migrated westward and settled in the area that is now North Dakota, but were forced to move south when the Ojibwa destroyed their settlement in 1770. When the Cheyenne reached the Black Hills of South Dakota, they changed from farming and hunting and living in permanent villages to a nomadic life following the Buffalo herds. When the horse was introduced to this part of the country around 1750, the Cheyenne became one of the major tribes of the Western Plains and by 1830, they had divided into two main groups, the Northern Cheyenne and the Southern Cheyenne. The Northern band lived along the North Platte, Powder, and Yellowstone rivers in present-day South Dakota and Wyoming, and ranged into Montana and Nebraska, while the Southern band lived along the upper Arkansas River in what is now Colorado and Kansas, ranging into neighboring states."
Abstract The paper discusses how the Ojibwa tribe believed in a cannibalistic animal called the Windigo. The paper examines how Louise Erdrich's novel "Tracks" consistently draws upon this fearsome figure, both through explicit reference to the Windigo and also by projecting Windigo traits onto her characters. The paper focuses on the Windigo tradition as it appears in the characterizations of Fleur Pillager and Pauline Puyat.
From the Paper "The figure of the windigo is common throughout the oral histories of Algonquian tribes, including the Ojibwa, Cree, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Illinois, Fox, and Kickapoo. Traditionally, the windigo was a human who had been transformed by starvation, witchcraft, or contact with another windigo into a wolfish being that craved the taste of human flesh. The windigo, however, is far more complex than a cannibalistic bogeyman. According to Brightman, the original meaning of windigo for Ojibwas was "fool," or, more accurately, "an individual who had lost his or her wits." He further notes that "the sense of 'cannibal monster' is a semantic innovation developed in the boreal forest languages during a 150 years or more period of food crises" (340)."
