Lee Cronk Indian Gift Giving Analysis

Beginning in the sixteenth century, Europeans made the voyage to a “new world” in order to achieve dreams of opportunity and riches. In this other world the Europeans came upon another people, which naturally led to a cultural exchange between different groups of people. Although we commonly refer to European and Indian relations as being between just two very different groups of people, it is important to recognize this is not entirely true. Although the settlers of the new world are singularly referred to as Europeans, each group of people came from a different nation and with different motives and expectations of the new world. Similarly, the Indians were neither a united group nor necessarily friendly with each other. Due to the

Europeans tore through America in the 1700s and destroyed the lives of Native Americans, and yet their culture remained principled with a high level of respect and honor. This is shown in a meeting that was held by the six nations of the Iroquois, where Chief Red Jacket gave a speech on the Native Americans view on missionary stations that the Europeans wanted to set up. Red Jacket explained their past with the first settlers, “We gave them corn and meat; they gave us poison in return” (1). These first Europeans set the tone for how these new colonist treated the natives. They took what they wanted and left a trail of death and destruction in their path. However, the natives acted in return with upstanding respect and treated these missionaries

This paper tries to explain Jack Weatherford's Indian Givers by examining the history of the Native American connection to many agricultural products would not have been produced without the knowledge that Indians gave. Weatherford further stipulates that it is through these advances in agriculture that the United States has remained a strong contender in the global market, that without the influences of the Native Americans on the early settlers those early immigrants to America would not have survived. Through his work, "Indian Givers: How Indians of the Americas Transformed the World", Weatherford brings an insight to a people that most

The anthropology of gifts has been mostly studied in the context of non-Western cultures. The important roles of gift giving were highlighted by classical anthropologists such as Malinowski, Mauss and Levi-Strauss. They stressed the significance of reciprocity and obligation suggested in gift exchange and that gift giving is a one practice of material expression that integrates a society.

The French relationship with First Nations has been a dominate factor in Canadian history. Their successful means in establishing such relations led them to great achievements and downfalls. This relationship was successfully earned by the French for a variety of reasons. One, the First Nations, already in awe of European culture, were eager to trade due to their further fascination of European items (232). More specifically, they desired basic European goods such as “…knives, hatchets, kettles, beads, cloth and, eventually, the firearms of the French (5). Unlike the English, the French seized greater advantage of First Nations cooperation by demonstrating acts of tolerance and respect (8). The efforts of Samuel de Champlain, who formed “The Order of Good Cheer” to increase friendly relations, highlights this sentiment (1.3). To further impress them, the French utilized the practice of gift giving, a tradition they discovered in Brazil (1.3). One other essential factor in establishing relations was partly due to intermarriages between both

The receiver of the gift is better off in a utilitarian sense, if he chooses not to return the favor. Yet why does he have the desire to repay? Why does receiving a gift put him at a social disadvantage? The economy of gift of Bataille differs from Nietzsche’s creditor-debtor relationship with regard to the psychology behind these two dynamics. While Bataille delved into the mentality of the giver, who has the upper hand in this power relation, Nietzsche focused on the psychology of the debtor. Bataille construed the economy of gifting as an act out of man’s “animal factor” that goes beyond the want of acquisition – a human instinct to win and to overpower. It is in man’s nature to covet “prestige, glory and rank” (Bataille, 1997, p. 376), yet they do not come without comparison and competition. Thus, the giver of the gift has to deliberately create a rivalry, and thus, an inequality that favors himself in order to acquire prestige, glory and rank. It is this desire for superiority that gives man the ultimate incentive to give away his wealth. Gifting is to win by losing. It also explains the increment value in the return of the gift, for the receiver of the initial gift not only wants to recover his equality with the initial giver, but also to overpower him, to defeat him. The same desire that fuels the endless cycle of gifting rituals like moka and potlatch. One good potlatch deserves another, and

From 1778 the Unites States government attempted to resolve an already tense relationship with numerous native tribes. These treaties were between two sovereign nations and negotiated as such since almost no Indian nations held anything resembling a dictatorships, the United States took it upon themselves to appoint the chiefs with whom they deemed worthy of negotiating. The appointed leaders tended to be more agreeable to American interests rather than their specific tribe as the now found themselves on the U.S payroll. These treaties would then divide their lands and limit their necessarily resources in exchange for trade good and forgotten promises of annual payments and no further demands or regulations would be placed upon them. These formal

Franklin showed us in this essay the hospitality and politeness of the Indians. The word of an Indian, who said “if a man enters one of our cabin we dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is cold, we allay his hunger and thirst; we demand nothing in return. And if I enter any home in Albany and ask for food or drink, they won’t give me anything without money in return” It just shows how different two cultures work, while existing one near each other and not have the chance to avoid the influence of the other society.

The main point in both texts is that everything that is offered needs to be returned with something of equal or greater value. In Mauss’s text, he focuses on how humans have typically been obligated to give, receive and reciprocate gifts. He uses examples of the competitive gift-giving of the Northwest Native-Americans, the obligatory gift-giving of Polynesian cultures, and the religious gift-giving of the Eskimos to emphasize how this is one of the foundations of human culture. Lee’s text follows a similar strand. He argues that giving something means you will get something in return whether you want it or not. He showed this in his story, he gave ox got a lesson on humbleness. Together these texts show an interesting perspective on the concept

The article “Less stuff, More Heart: 5 Gifts On a New Dad’s Christmas List” by Christopher Zumski Finke states that “A sizeable portion of our calendar and Budgets are devoted to gift-giving”. Many people in the world are wasting their time getting things for others, things that may be forgotten in a matter of time, while the greatest contribution is showing up. Giving them your time is just as valuable a present as anything you could buy at a store. Each individual person has a limited amount of time on earth, something we tend to ignore, and when they give you their attention, they lose some of that time. The only time we actually cherish everything a person does, is when you know their time is running

Regifting is rude, bad-mannered, impolite, disrespectful, boorish, and intrusive. If friends or family members, would like to give a present, they put a little part of their soul and warm relation in the gifts. They show care deeply. At times, the gift isn’t liked. Statistically, 40 percent of Americans agree about regifting. It is injurious and sad. Some people preferred the right present when it cost a lot of money. May be it is more prudent, if you take the time and buy a thoughtful and low-cost gift. Better, when we can return or exchange at the store our unlike gift. If you cannot return the unlike item, the gift has strong road to Goodwill where it can be bought by person who likes it.

People have many good times and they need to remember those times. They take a photo or give some gifts. Gifts make people remember their good times with their friends. In my opinion, people remember their gifts for remembering their good times, remembering their close friends and for personal reasons.

Religious beliefs soon formed new values as the importance of gift giving became a ‘tradition’ among religions. In most religions helping others who could not help themselves was already a steadfast belief. As people’s values of wanting to help and give to others started to intertwine with the calendar holidays many people started to look for newer and better gift ideas for their loved ones and soon strangers as well. Christian’s predominantly could be found buying minuscule little gift items, such as notebook paper, pencils, and ribbons, for the homeless children, their families and the poorer community that could not provide for themselves during the holiday seasons.

Robert Frost describes his love for the New England. The Gift Outright is a patriotic poem. This poem was composed in 1936 and published in 1941, a few months later the United States entered World War 2. In the poem The Gift Outright reveals his patriotic fervor and presents the history of his country since the days of colonialism. Frost uses metaphors, similes, naturalistic diction to address his love for his country and what the soldiers feel. The poem is written in iambic pentameter and free verse. There is sixteen lines in this poem. This sonnet follows the ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG. The sophisticated speaker manages the poetic elements to evoke the passion for his country and his and the soldiers’ feelings as a whole.

First, distributing gifts is a moment Madison thoroughly enjoys. At Christmas time she likes to hand out presents exceedingly more than actually receiving them. Whether she is getting a present for one of her four sisters or for a friend, she takes time deciding what she wants to buy them. This is because she cares. It is not merely an action that she does under obligation, but a choice that she finds joy in.