Indigenous People Sociology

1). Tribal religion is practiced by people in the tribe that has occupied that region of the world for centuries, possibly thousands of years. The indigenous religion may be something of a hybrid of religious beliefs or ideas because of the exposure to missionaries and other forms of indoctrination. Indigenous religion often is viewed as using witchcraft, magic, belief is spirits, and medicinal altering of the mind.

Unique traditions, language, beliefs and values all comprise Indigenous culture. It is critical that a meaningful appreciation of their culture

“In what ways did Indigenous peoples resist the non-Indigenous settlement of Australia in the frontier period and how did non-Indigenous peoples retaliate? In your answer, discuss and analyse the initial and ongoing impact on Indigenous communities.”

An innate understanding that all beings on the planet are important for the subsistence of each other is a large part of Indigenous ideology, as well as the respect for the vast ways with which beings on the planet interact; whether they are “animate” or “inanimate”, they are all apart of the “web of relationships” (Battiste & Henderson, 2000, p. 44). Drawing from this view, most Indigenous Peoples believe that every member of a community has their own thoughts, gifts, and knowledge that they are able to contribute to the group. This means that there is also a large appreciation of Reciprocity because all knowledge is good knowledge, and that means all knowledge holds some validity and truth. Dreams, for example, are seen as premonitions and fact. As it happens, Indigenous Peoples place much of their societal values into facets of life that are intangible, such as emotions, spirituality, and mentality. It is for this reason that maintaining healthy and Respect-based Relationships amongst all beings on the planet is such an important part of Indigenous identity. The holistic understanding of the world can only occur if individuals are listening to each other as well as sharing whatever knowledge that they have to share.

The definition of Sociology is the study of human societies through the synthesis of theoretical analysis and controlled research, focusing on the social patterns and the different factors that influence humans. I was born in a small town with roughly five hundred people in it; Terrero Negro the most beautiful town in Honduras is where I grew up for the majority of my childhood. Sadly do a corrupt government the majority of the population lives in poverty, however that does not stop anyone from always offering you a cup of coffee or any type of beverage when you arrive at their house. This is one of the most important norms, thus from a young age everyone is taught to be courteous and make your guest feel at home by offering them a beverage.

As Beard recognizes, "Native peoples often serve as reminders of a place, an occasion, or, most often a mythic past, and they are expected to perform that identity in the present" (494), what this quote speaks to is a kind of conspicuous performance, a social construction of Aboriginal peoples that pivots around a variety of stereotypes and systemic racism. Writing from the position of a pre-service secondary English language arts (ELA) teacher, my motivations in this paper involve using Marilyn Dumont 's poetry as a way to address Beard 's concerns, "[building students '] capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect" (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 7), while simultaneously teaching them how to analyse poetry. More specifically, Dumont 's series of beading poems, in her collection The Pemmican Eaters, provides an opportunity to engage high school students in a discussion around the significance of cultural practices, while at the same time revisiting the interplay of Canadian histories, both Aboriginal and colonial. At the same time, I will also describe Dumont 's use of irony, which Andrews explains as a cultural ethos that is a unique element of Plains peoples’ Indigenous art (3). Introducing this uniquely First Nations brand of irony to students may work to give life to Aboriginal culture, bringing "Native peoples . . . [out] of the mythic past" (Beard, 494) and into the present. Finally, the act of beading itself ties directly to

Due to the wide range of habitats in North America, different native religions evolved to match the needs and lifestyles of the individual tribe. Religious traditions of aboriginal peoples around the world tend to be heavily influenced by their methods of acquiring food, whether by hunting wild animals or by agriculture. Native American spirituality is no exception. Traditional Lakota spirituality is a form of religious belief that each thing, plant and animal has a spirit. The Native American spirituality has an inseparable connection between the spirituality and the culture. One cannot exist without the other.

Tsai & Alanis (2004), states relation is symbolized by the Circle of life, represented through different tribal traditions and consist of the elements of life: fire, water, earth and air. Life is also represented through four circles, the first representing our spirit, the second representing your family or clan, the third represents our natural environment and relations, the fourth and last circle represents the spirit world. Harmony and balance for native Americans, shows an emphasis on Unity; Through community, sharing, and extended family. Harmony with nature and living in the present is important as well as a deep respect for their elders. Wellness shows an emphasis on harmony with yourself, environment, and others. Native American's use the term "Did you take your medicine?" Which is more than physical wellness. "Medicine" is everything. It is described as an inner strength. What i found most interesting about this article was how it pointed out that there is no clear word for "religion" in many of the Native American languages, but spirituality is an integral part of every day life because it is necessary for balance and harmony, wellness of the person and family, tribe or community. I think I closely relate to their value of family and unity. To me it is the most positive and most important value to have.

The times have changed, but the spirit lives on. The Navajo are a Native American tribe that resides as their own nation in the southwestern part of the United States. The land consists of desert and mountains, so the Navajo had to learn many skills to live and adapt with the land. They gathered plants and nuts to eat, hunted animals for meat, and used the skins to keep warm at night as the temperature in the desert drops to below freezing. As times changed the Navajo adapted their skills to benefit them. They got herds of goats and sheep and used wool from the sheep to weave amazing blankets. Today, the Navajo tribe teaches their cultural traditions and beliefs to their children and followers. They believe nature is sacred and they give thanks to the animals and plants they use for food. The Navajo passed on their beliefs that the people emerged into the world to escape a flood in the lower world. The Navajo also tell many stories to show respect for nature and the spirits and neglect the ones of being treated unlawfully. The Navajo Nation allows these people to try and maintain the lifestyle that their ancestors lived, with some modern exceptions. Most Navajo people live on the reservations, but sadly, they are poverty stricken. However, it is a place where they are sheltered from a growing society. Due to all of this, the Navajo’s unique traditions and beliefs, along with its prior mistreatment, justify the formation of their own nation.

In chapter five of her book, Anderson starts it by stating that “I’m not a feminist”. She shares her experience that this is the remark she very often hears from Indigenous women. She further narrates that when she shared the idea of writing an essay on Indigenous feminism with friends and colleagues, many of them were skeptical: some seemed bored; others considered it a waste of time; remaining labeled it a negative activity. Interestingly, one of the author’s friends remarked that “feminists are always arguing against something”. These sentiments are main reasons of discouragement among Indigenous women to be identified as feminist. In my opinion, this issue is very complex; therefore, should be looked at holistically. Before I further reflect

As an Indigenous Education Advisor, I’ve witnessed a shift in the commitment to educate non-Indigenous students about First Nation, Métis and Inuit people in post-secondary institutions. My experience in developing an Indigenous Awareness Week and conducting assessments to measure the learning outcomes of non-Indigenous students has led me to want to do research in this area. I would like to further look at long-term effects of Indigenous programming for non-Indigenous students to determine how to develop effective and valuable Indigenous programming in higher education. What attracts me to the Department of Integrated Studies in Education are the positive experiences and interactions I’ve had with students and professors from the department. Both Dr. Claudia Mitchell’s and Dr. Naomi Nichols’s research appeals to me and I believe can give a unique perspective to my work.

Most indigenous cultures had a profound respect for their environment. They believed that their relationship with nature was very sacred, they believed the earth needed to be treated with dignity and reverence, they believed in harmony with their surroundings. Speaking of indigenous religions, Lewis (1995) wrote,

What is an ‘indigenous’ religion or belief system? When we hear the term ‘indigenous religion’, what comes to our minds? How do we react internally when those words are mentioned? How do adherents of indigenous religions feel about those outside of their social and cultural circles, who know very little of their beliefs and who understand them even less. And how did the term ‘indigenous’ become associated with various belief systems that, in many cases, preceded most modern religions being practiced today?

In addition to the loss of culture and language for indigenous people, they are also experiencing the loss of their traditional lands and native environment. For indigenous people, much personal and group meaning comes from the natural environment and as a result, their religious practices are deeply rooted in the environment in which they live. When the environment that they rely on is taken away for development, both their cultural and religious identity suffers.

Native Americans hold a type of esoteric concept that comes from their philosophy of preserving their environment as well as their kinship that ties them together (Access Genealogy, 2009). They not only have social ties, they are politically and religiously organized through their rituals, government, and other institutions (Access Genealogy, 2009). They work together to reside in a territorial area, and speak a common language (Access Genealogy, 2009). They are not characterized by any one certain structure (Access Genealogy, 2009). However, the society agrees on fundamental principles that bond together a certain social fabric (Access Genealogy, 2009). Different Native American tribes throughout the years have had different ideas, opinions, philosophies, which are not always predetermined by their past ancestors.