Two Spirits, formerly called a berdache in anthropological literature, refer to some indigenous North American societies with a particular social status. Female, male, or intersexed person who adopted gender roles that mixed the characteristics of the two other genders (Crapo, 2013 ch 5.3). Common among the men of Plains Indians tribes where warfare was an almost sacred preoccupation and where the male role placed the high emphasis on demonstration of pride, bravery, and daring (Crapo, 2013 ch 5.3). According to the Two Spirit People video, individuals that possess two spirits, both male and female tendencies were seldom shunned by immediate family members. Potentially sustaining the courage to seek others with the same or similar characteristics,
We have learned that Columbus and his team discovered Indians hundred years ago; we know that the Pilgrims started Thanksgiving tradition because Indians helped them survived their first brutal winter; we know most of Americans worship Jesus, but how many people know what god does native Americans worship? A lot of people can speak English but how many people can speak in Indian language? In the lecture, “Museum Indians” by Susan Power, talks about the blue experience of her mother as a traditional Dakota woman moved into urban city, Chicago. We have less and less Indian people, at the same time, we are losing a significant culture that we should remember, called Indian.
The American territory was sprawling across the Mississippi River and into new Native American territory. The Great Plains and far West were occupied by both Indians and Hispanics whose custom and way of live were distinct in language religion and kinship and governance. The white settlers and hunters were a threat to the resources in which they used for survival.
In Mary Ho Tippeconnic Fox’s, article American Indian Female Leadership she starts talking about the impact that boarding schools and colonization had on Native American female leadership. She goes on to state the three questions that her and other authors used to conduct a study. The three question were Does ethnicity affect the way American Indian women lead?, Does culture affect American Indian female leadership?, Does culture encourage or discourage female leadership? After getting the results from the 17 women who finished the study, she goes into detail about what their answer means. In addition, about what the women thought were the most important when it comes to leadership them based on their experiences. Fox and the other authors tried to get Native women from all different types of leadership positions giving the study
The Choctaw Indians were an important tribe, and the largest of the Muskogean tribes. The Choctaws have two stories about their origins in their traditional homeland in central Mississippi. One is that their ancestors came from west of the Mississippi River and settled in what is now the homeland. The other is that the tribe is descended from ancestors who were formed by a spirit from the damp earth of Nanih Waiyah, a large mound in northeastern Mississippi. Either way, the Choctaws resided in places, holding most of Southern Alabama and Mississippi with adjoining parts of Louisiana.
Women in colonial America played revolutionary roles. They played roles that were always changing. “All men are created equal.” It’s the basis in which America was built, but what about the women? Without women, men wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. But what exactly did women do? Well, different races had different roles to play within their population(WiseGEEK).
Pocahontas. Americans know her as the beautiful, Indian woman who fell in love with the white settler John Smith and then threw her body upon the poor white captive to protect him from being brutally executed by her own savage tribe. The magical world of Walt Disney came out with their own movie version several years ago portraying Pocahontas as a tan, sexy Barbie doll figure and John Smith as a blond-haired, blue-eyed muscular Ken doll. Although Disney attempts to instill racial tolerance, inter-racial friendship, and nonviolent resolutions in Pocahontas, they contribute to the inaccurate Indian woman stereotype that has evolved from such stories. While it can be argued that Disney has
“Five arrows shall be bound together very strong, and each arrow shall represent one nation” (Dekanawida 51). This concept of unity was found throughout the Iroquois constitution. Written around 1570, it laid out the foundation of government for the Iroquois nation. The culture, beliefs, and history of the Iroquois tribe can be seen throughout the “Iroquois Constitution.”
In the Native American culture, there was a noticeable change in the status of women in the Cherokee nation. Women rarely labored in the fields because duties were “assigned them by nature as Mothers and Wives are well attended to… and cheerfully do they prepare our meals, & for the family they sew, they spin and weave and are in fact a valuable portion of our citizens.” These descriptions of a more civilized culture were hailed in the American press as indicative of the remarkable achievement of an exceptional Indian people. In order to understand the cultural and social changes by Cherokee women, their traditional culture must be analyzed.
I am extremely frustrated that hardly any Canadians care about the fact that Indigenous women are three and a half times more likely to experience violence than non-Indigenous women, and seven times more likely to be killed. I am furious that this is still happening in the twenty first century and that our society shows little to no remorse. We are supposed to help our neighbours in their time of need, not ignore them. Sadly, I am not much better as I was not aware of these statistics until I saw this on the news today. I feel guilty that I have done nothing to stop this social problem. Therefore, I cannot blame others when I am not contributing to the greater good of society. According to Audre Lorde’s article, “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism” I should use these feelings of anger and guilt to stop this alarming issue from continuing to happen (Lorde 126). By recognizing that this is indeed a crisis then questioning why society continues to allow this to happen, I can use my little
“We place you upon those seats, spread soft with the feathery down of the globe thistle, there beneath the shade of the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace” (Dekanawida 49). The Iroquois use a tree to symbolize their binding law and peaceful constitution.
Since the beginning of the colonial process, Indigenous bodies have been seen as disposable. The dehumanization of the Indigenous body and the creation of the other, has allowed for the destruction of Indigenous Femininity. A system rooted in epistemic violence created by the colonial era. Continues to affect how Indigenous women are treated in modern societies. The demotion from “Indian Queen”, an exotic and powerful presence in colonial societies, to the “Dirty Squaw”, a figure depicted as lazy, and troublesome. Indigenous women have struggled to be seen as human people, rather than sexual object in the minds of the white settlers. A systematic dehumanization though through the process of epistemic violence. Which continues to affect how Indigenous women are treated today.
Your discussion is very informative and you brought up a lot of valuable information about the challenges in rural areas and American Indians. I agree, lack of transportation prevents the people from seeking medical help. The residents in rural areas lack the resources (transportation, healthcare services and workers) to comply in taking care of their health. Poverty and low education level are also widespread, which can make a huge impact on their health. Instead of eating nutritious foods, they might end up buying cheaper foods that are not as healthy. The government should focus in helping the American Indians and minimize the healthcare gaps. According to Harkness and DeMarcus (2016, p. 360), “federal, state, and local public officials
The book “Lakota Woman,” is an autobiography that depicts Mary Crow Dog and Indians’ Lives. Because I only had a limited knowledge on Indians, the book was full of surprising incidents. Moreover, she starts out her story by describing how her Indian friends died in miserable and unjustifiable ways. After reading first few pages, I was able to tell that Indians were mistreated in the same manners as African-Americans by whites. The only facts that make it look worse are, Indians got their land stolen and prejudice and inequality for them still exists.
The effect of being Plains Indians located on a reservation in Oklahoma during the 1900. Between 1865 and 1900 there have numerous events that have occurred for the plains Indians that changed their way of thinking, and their way of life here in the United States of America. It all started with as a simple introduction of the horses, buffalo, boarding schools, loss of land and major attacks on the Indians.
For many tribes of Plains Indians whose bison-hunting culture flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, the sun dance was the major communal religious ceremony . . . the rite celebrates renewal - the spiritual rebirth of participants and their relatives as well as the regeneration of the living earth with all its components . . . The ritual, involving sacrifice and supplication to insure harmony between all living beings, continues to be practiced by many contemporary native Americans. -Elizabeth Atwood LawrenceAs the most important ritual of the nomadic Plains Indians, the Sun Dance in itself presents many ideas, beliefs, and values of these cultures. Through its rich symbolism and complicated rituals we are able to catch a glimpse