Abstract This paper will discuss the aspects of Navajo life on the reservation. The role of the mother and infant will be brought to the forefront of this study. The breastfeeding, bed sharing, baby call, and baby-wearing will be covered to give an idea of how these social practices are practiced in Indian life. By understanding the interrelationships that exist between mother and child, we can see how the life of the Navajo people is transmitted through the raising of their children.
Abstract In this book review of Nathan Aaseng's "Navajo Code Talkers", the author talks about what he learnt from the book. He discusses the important role of NavajoIndians in World War II as code talkers. The author highlights how, thanks to the Navajo code talkers many battles were won in World War II and cites many examples of where and how it was used. The paper talks about how, in Aaseng's book, the way that volunteer code talkers were recruited and how they were trained. He also discusses the dangers that these code talkers were subjected to during their work, but most importantly the good that they were able to do during the war. The author concludes that the book, helps one with a clear understanding of the situation, how the Navajo men got involved, and the importance of taking their very complex language and using it for the good of the nation.
From the Paper "The success of several battles in the Pacific and of other battles during the period of the Second World War depended to a great extent on the Navajo code talkers. It was Philip Johnston, one of the few non-Navajos to speak their language fluently, and son of a missionary to those Natives, who first had the idea to use Navajo Language for secure telephone and radio communications. Johnston met Major General Vogel of USMC (United States Marine Corps) and his staff in 1942 to convince them of the value of Navajo Language as a code. 29 Navajo men were recruited by the Marine Corps, and developed a code for field transmission of message based on their language. And the necessities of the military communications resulted in the Navajo Marine code-talker recruits developing themselves a set of extensions of their language, which form the code. They then brought down their ideas to lists that could be memorized."
Tags: information, troops, language, fluently, communications, war, scenes
Abstract This essay presents a comparison of Zu"i and Navajo religious rituals, burial practices, and beliefs in an afterlife as revealed in Tony Hillerman's novel, Dance Hall of the Dead. While investigating the murder of twelve year old Zu"i, Ernesto Cata, who was scheduled to perform an important role in the Zu"i Shalako festival, "the most holy period of the Zu"i year," Joe Leaphorn must analyze various facets of Zu?i religion including gods, Kachinas, rituals, beliefs and dances. He naturally compares these concepts with his own Navajo beliefs. Numerous scholarly sources are utilized to illuminate the comparisons.
From the Paper Tony Hillerman's long time protagonist Joe Leaphorn is himself a Navajo tribesman. In the novel, Dance Hall of the Dead, Leaphorn, a Navajo policeman, investigates the murder of a young Zu"i. In the process of his investigation, Leaphorn offers a comparison of his own Navajo religion with that of the Zu"i. In an Author's Note at the beginning of the novel, Hillerman states that the "setting is genuine." He confirms that the Village of Zu"i and Ramah Navajo reservation exist in reality side by side and states that his depiction of these two cultures is accurate to the best of his ability, though the characters are fictional. Hillerman further states: "The view the reader receives of the Shalako religion is as it might be seen by a Navajo with an interest in ethnology. It does not pretend to be more than that." What Hillerman is saying is that no one, outside an initiated practitioner in a Native American religion can really comprehend the true significance of it's beliefs and rituals. Modesty aside, however, Hillerman in this novel makes an excellent beginning in differentiating between spiritual beliefs of Zu"i and Navajo. Thus the thesis of this essay is that in Tony Hillerman's novel, Dance Hall of the Dead, Zu?i religion can be seen to be extensively different from the religion of the Navajo's in the two tribes' rituals, burial practices, and beliefs in an afterlife. Outside sources will be used to confirm and expand the understanding of these varied spiritual practices.
From the Paper "The Navajo Indians are perhaps one of the most fascinating of the American Indian groups to study. Their courage, stamina and perseverence as a people speak highly for the psychological and even physical unity which their religion supplies.
The Navajos did not appear in the southwest United States until 1000 - 200 A.D. They had probably come from across the Bering Strait and down along the west coast of the United States although there is some evidence from religious ideas from the Plains Indians woven into their ideas, that they might have first come south along the east side of the Rocky Mountains and then filtered into the southwest.
Once in the southwest the Navajos took advantage of the Hopi ... "
Abstract This paper studies the research of Kelly and Francis in "Navajo Sacred Places" and suggests that through understanding the non-natives can come to understand the importance of land and consider it as 'sacred' as the Natives do.
Abstract The paper explores how many programs and government agencies have attempted to address this dilemma of juvenile delinquency. The paper relates that on United States Indian reservations, the current approach to juvenile delinquency includes prevention, intervention and graduated sanctions. The paper offers reasons for the prevalence of this juvenile delinquency and reveals that although the crimes involving delinquent acts by juveniles on American Indian reservations are increasing, the causes are similar to the causes of delinquency of the general population.
Outline:
Brief Background of Juvenile Delinquency
Reasons for the Prevalence of Juvenile Delinquency on Reservations
Conclusion
From the Paper "In the past few decades, juvenile delinquency has emerged as a significant criminal and sociological issue, raising concern among parents, educators, policy-makers and government officials alike. Juvenile delinquency has become a major crime issue on United States American Indian reservations; the public has been overwhelmed with stories from the media, providing graphic evidence of a crime wave generated by American Indian youth living on reservations. According to the Bureau of Prisons, the number of Indian youth in custody has increased by nearly 300% since 1994 (Johnson, 2004). Additionally, statistical data indicates that the arrest rate for Native American youth is about twice that of the overall youth population statewide in North Dakota (Martin, 2002)."
Abstract The paper discusses that the term 'Indian giver' has come to be a synonym for someone who gives something, only to take it back. The paper further explains that it was the Indians who were forced to give to the Europeans--their knowledge about farming and fishing in the Americas and ultimately their land. The paper discusses that in Jack Weatherford's book, "Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World," the exchange between Europeans and Native Americans was an unequal one, with Europeans taking of the positive benefits of the New World, while the Indians were doing all of the giving. The paper concludes that unwittingly, the Indians found themselves the recipient of the evils of European civilization, like slavery, and a disrespectful attitude to the land.
From the Paper "According to Weatherford, the early post-Columbian contact of the Europeans with the native populace actually enabled the Industrial Revolution to change Europe, and ultimately the world. "Had Europe and America not come together through Columbus or some other connection, the industrial revolution would never have happened in the way we know it," because Europeans would never have gained access to the metals of the New World, or to Indian mines (Weatherford 57). This contact also generated the money economy of Europe and fueled a shift to a European economy based upon real, hard, convertible currency. Metal-based currency also was critical in fueling industrialism and world trade. By beginning the book with tales of South American encounters with Europe, which were particularly brutal and unequal from the beginning of the Indian-European relationship, Weatherford initiates a tragic tone, explaining how enslaved South American Indians mining gold and silver in Potosi supplied the precious metals for most of the European coins that generated wealth for the Old World at the expense of the liberty of the New World."
This paper reviews and examines Donald Hughes' book "North American Indian Ecology" which focuses on a wide range of ecological and environmental issues faced by Native American Indians in the 20th century.
Abstract This paper explores and details North American Indian life and culture as portrayed in Donald Hughes' book "North American Indian Ecology." This paper discusses the land issues facing the North American Indian tribes including overgrazing, erosion and assessments of appropriate land usage. The writer of this paper finds Hughes' book to be straightforward and concise in clarifying the characteristics of Indian life such as hunting, food growing and rituals.
From the Paper "Tribes are having to mediate the disparate demands of their members and the industrial mindset of the BIA to balance forest use for economic need and preservation for cultural need. Tribes face many of the same problems as non-Native communities held hostage by the timber industry. Replanting has not always kept pace with harvesting on public or trust lands. The push to harvest old-growth timber is constrained by federal mandates to protect endangered species habitats, putting people out of work. Few local communities gain the "value-added" benefits of processing their own timber especially jobs and new businesses and when they do the environmental impact of mill sites has to be factored into any cost-benefit analysis."
Abstract This paper addresses the changes in American Indian warfare during the period of western settlement in the 19th century. It gives a summary of Plains Indian culture and reasons for conflict, and details conflicts between settlers and American Indian tribes. The paper's thesis, borne out in historical research, is that the introduction of horses and firearms made conflicts between US relocation forces and unwilling Indian tribesmen bloodier than necessary on both sides. The author does not take sides on the Native American sovereignty issue.
Abstract The paper explains that Jack Weatherford began to examine the history of the Native American as he discovered that many agricultural products would not have been produced in farming without the knowledge that Indians gave those in the new world. The paper describes how Weatherford further stipulates that it is through these advances in agriculture that the United States has remained a strong contender in the global market ,and that without the influences of the Native Americans on the early settlers those new to America would not have survived. The paper analyzes how, through his work, "Indian Givers: How Indians of the Americas Transformed the World", Volume I, Weatherford brings an insight to a people that most individuals have been negligent in understanding. The paper concludes that it is Weatherford's purpose to demonstrate that Native Americans have been a misrepresented and forgotten people when the history of North America is discussed.
Abstract This paper presents a brief history of the Native Americans of California, focusing on their struggles with colonizing Europeans and their eventual loss of land and civil rights. The paper traces the history of Native Americans in the US back to their arrival in North America from Asia. Next the author describes their settlement and cultures in North America, and California specifically. The paper highlights the arrival of Europeans to Californian, describing the Native American's subsequent loss of loss of land, culture and autonomy. Special attention is paid to the effects of reservations on the Native American population.
Outline:
California Indians Population Decline of California Indian Figure-1: Native California [Census 2000]
Figure-2: Native California Population [Census 2000]
Indian Plight since Columbian Period
Paper includes maps and charts.
From the Paper "This exploitation continued well into the twentieth century and displacement of Native Indian from reserves continued with little or no compensation until the early twentieth century. The enlightened society of the twentieth century began to apply the laws which have been on the statutes for centuries to all Americans. Discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion and sex can not be legally justified anymore. This important factor now provides legal rights and new protection to Native Indians. "
Abstract This paper discusses the public apology made by Kevin Gover, the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, to Native Americans for the harsh mistreatment they received at the hands of the U.S. Government. The paper looks at the many aspects of this mistreatment addressed by the apology, and suggests that, although late in coming, a public apology may open the door to reparations for American Indians.
From the Paper "In his speech, Gover made note of the Dawes Severalty Act, passed in 1887. This act was just one in a long line of examples of the early settlers? inability to understand the ways of the Native Americans. The act was created by whites who believed they were helping weak Native Americans by turning them into farmers and land owners. While this act uprooted the Native Americans from their homes and placed them in reservations, the American government alleged that they were helping, rather than hurting the Native Americans simply because of their belief in the superiority of America and of its culture."
Abstract The military history of British involvement in India began, fully, in 1857 when Indian forces staged a revolt against the British East India Company. The Indian army began as an indigenous force run by British officers. The British role in India, far surpassed the history of British Imperialism anywhere else in the world.
Abstract This paper is an anthropology paper that debates the true reason for resistance to Indian Casinos. The paper wholeheartedly supports the anthropologist Darrian-Smith in asserting that the one of the ultimate reasons for resistance to Indian Casinos lies in the centuries old traditions of non-Native discrimination towards natives, and both traditional and new age stereotyping.
From the Paper "Indian Casinos For much of hundreds of years the American people have variously exterminated, stolen from or assimilated their indigenous peoples. In more recent decades this has turned into milder forms of discrimination and stereotypical conceptualizations. The one enduring theme has been the patrimonial dominance over Native peoples, being the most regulated of all people within the boundaries of the United States. Relegated by land appropriations to remote, often worthless plots of reservation lands, the remnants of traditional Native societies have barely been able to eke out a subsistence living. However, taking advantage of laws previously designed against them, a limited number of Native American tribes have turned to Casinos as a source of revenue to alleviate them from their hardship."
