Wilma Mankiller

           I greatly enjoyed watching Wilma Mankiller's speech at the CSU Sonoma college campus. I agreed with everything she said regarding the general U.S. population: "context is everything" and "even after hundreds of years of living in our former towns and villages, too few Americans know much about our history, culture, or contemporary lives and issues." It is difficult for the general people of the U.S. to understand, or take interest other cultures or people unless their situations are relatable. I feel that this is a result of the egocentric culture fostered among Americans. People seem to be self serving and insensitive to those around them. Chief Mankiller stated that non native people interested in native culture are only interested in one aspect of that culture which diminishes the meaning of the culture: you must have a base of knowledge of why that culture in order to help promote it. Though there may be good intentions, without the base knowledge the non native people end up hurting the native culture they are attempting to procreate. It is a sad fact that American Indian history has been washed away by the flood of European American self interests. This brings to mind the statement that those who control history, control the future.

            I loved her comments about American Indian women. I can appreciate the way American media and culture has undermined the value of women. Chief Mankiller stated that most Americans know very little about Native women and thus they depict them in the same demeaning light that was cast upon them in their own culture. This could not have been further from the truth. Women held very strong, prestigious roles in most Native Nations; roles that varied from warrior to landowner to voter or close to a matriarchal society, according to Chief Mankiller.

            Chief Wilma Mankiller had many great points in her speech and I will carry many of them with me on my own journey through this world, most of all, to keep your mind clear and let go of the negativity. This is one trait I strive for. She is a great orator and she left many great messages with this world.

References

Mankiller, Wilma. "Wilma Mankiller." YouTube. CSU Sonoma, 6 Feb. 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0>.

Wilma Mankiller at Sonoma State 2008

The first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller, spoke at Sonoma State University in 2008.  Wilma Mankiller has numerous honorary degrees, has worked tirelessly for the Native American rights movement in the United States, and at Sonoma State spoke of American Indian resilience, identity and the issues of Native Americans in modernity.  In her speech “Context is Everything”, she provides a brief history of American Indians to give her listeners a framework of understanding for tribal concerns.

Mankiller made a point of saying that it is very difficult without historical context for members of Congress or their constituents, to understand the importance of things like tribal land, water rights, and jurisdiction issues.  

Throughout the speech Mankiller chronicles the misunderstandings between tribal and non-tribal people, and that too few people know the history of the conflict between the two groups.  Part of the problem with successful communication concerning tribal issues is lack of understanding of Native history, culture and the contemporary lives they now live.   She points out that just because a tribal member may dress like, live like, and live in the contemporary world the same way as non-tribal members, it does not mean they think of things alike, and that their concerns about the world are the same.  She further explains that even the younger members of the tribes, which for all intents and purpose seem to live in the same world as their peers, process and filter the information they receive about the world through tribal values and the tribal way of thinking. 

I think the message Ms. Mankiller was trying to convey was that tribal knowledge, and an understanding of tribal values and culture are the best way to understand the Native rights that tribal members are fighting for. 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=wilma+mankiller+youtube&FORM=VIRE5#view=detail&mid=80B6464B90C976CCEE7380B6464B90C976CCEE73

The Wilma Mankiller video

M5 Academic Journal Blog

The Wilma Mankiller video

Hello again my fellow bloggers! Today I will take you to the Wilma Mankiller video in Sonoma State University.

Let me start from the beginning for those people who are not familiar with this great and dedicated woman; Wilma Mankiller was born in 1945 at the end of the Second World War, near of the Ozark Mountains in Oklahoma; she came as product from the union of her mother, a Dutch-Irish woman, and her full-blooded Cherokee father. While growing up Wilma experienced various misfortune of the Cherokee Tribe like the relocation to San Francisco when she was 10 years old by the North American government. Also, she was involved in 1969 with other Indigenous activists, in the reclaim of the land that belonged to them and occupied the Alcatraz Island as a form of protest.

She was elected in 1983 as head of state of a sovereign nation and served three terms in office which were unprecedented and very productive terms. She adduce that election to her positive attitude in all circumstances.

The Wilma’s surname, "Mankiller," refers to a traditional Cherokee warrior rank; she was a role model for all Native Americans, especially women.

In this video she heighten the importance of women among Native Americans, their role as decisions-makers as members of a tribe and their relevance in their day to day lives. Also she talked about the concern of the disappearances and fading of the Indigenous traditions, ceremonies, languages; in other words, the complete Indigenous knowledge.

She spoke about other issues like the reciprocity in responsibility among the tribes members as an attribute of tribal culture, the caring and responsibility for the other one and vice versa. She mentioned the importance of her positive attitude for all situations as the reason for her being elected three times in a row as head of state of a sovereign nation.

Wilma Mankiller: First Woman Chief of an American Indian Nation

One thing for sure you will notice in this video; the amazing sense of humor, the experience and the knowledge Wilma Mankiller demonstrate, like the anecdote of the origin of her surname “Mankiller”.

Sadly she passed away in April 6, 2010 but her work and legacy will remain in the mind of the people, and with videos like this one, her message will get to the entire society; so I strongly encouraging you to watch this video, I completely assure you that you will enjoy it as I did!

Throughout this course learning about the culture of Native Indians  I want to remember the beauty of their culture and traditions . The main voice and speaker for my projects was a wonderful Native American Flolyd Red Crow Westerman who has a great web site  .floyd-red-crow_westerman.com.
He was a activist an besides his great works he starred in TV shows such as "The X Flies" the movie "Dances wit hWolves".
He was part of the Siox tribe of South Dakota, he passed on as they say to the spirit world in 2007.

Native America Bear mountain Festival

  There is a wonderful festival in the summer time in my loca l region  that displays culture and history of Native American culture and historsywww.redhawkcouncil.org. this web site contains all the information needed  for directions and information to this great festival go and enjoy with all of your family.

A Life in Beds: The Stories a Plain Dress Can Tell

Hello bloggers!!! Today we’ll review the web page “A Life in Beds: The Stories a Plain Dress Can Tell”, this site is design by The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, gathering various cultural items from different Indian nations and tribes and presenting them in their cultural context in order to be a teaching material for children in grades levels from 4 to 6.

In here the students will meet three generations of Assiniboine/Sioux women who make traditional dresses and with their art and stories they’ll teach the preservation of native culture and great importance of traditions. Also it will teach the students the meaning of symbols and designs.

All this will be accomplish by displaying a poster of an Assiniboine/Sioux dress with all the designs and symbols for examination, explaining the traditions, pronunciation, defining the word tradition and viewing a map with the location of the tribes among other things.  

 

“In this poster, students will be introduced to three generations of Assiniboine (pronounced Uh-SINNA-boyn)/Sioux (pronounced SUE) women who make traditional dresses. Through their stories and their art, students will learn about the importance of preserving Native culture and see how families share and pass down traditions. Students will gain an understanding of the ongoing Plains traditions of beadwork and quillwork—decorative arts done with beads and porcupine quills—and the “giveaway” (an honoring celebration). Students will explore the significance of designs and symbols found on dresses and better understand the Plains peoples’ long-standing, close connection to their surroundings and natural resources.” ¹

In conclusion I encourage everyone, not only the children, to visit http://nmai.si.edu and review this website to learn about this great culture, ways and history! 

APS, American Philosophical Society

Native American Images Project

Hi fellows bloggers! Today I am writing about a webpage of Native Americans Images, in order to clarify the erroneous illustrations that made a wrong idea and stereotypes, in the mind of the rest of the world, of the indigenous people.

This webpage is created and managed by the American Philosophical Society, (APS), whom work publishing pictures and images of Native Americans to demonstrate the incorrect stereotype that conquerors and Europeans made believe in past time, in form of an excuse to steal, to massacre, to deceive and to expel the indigenous people from their land, to take it and grab the natural resources.

“Stereotypes of Native Americans have a problematic history. Images have played a large role in spreading incorrect or exaggerated ideas about Native peoples. Although these pictures are sometimes difficult to examine closely, it is important to understand such stereotypes as part of the historical record. A small selection of such images from the APS collections is reproduced here, to make the pictures available for study and critical analysis.”

Also this site shows the fact that by the 1800s the scientists tried to prove the inferiority of the indigenous race by comparing and measuring against the white race. Some others images tried, (and succeed), to make seem the Native American people as vicious savages in seek of blood and revenge; another way more to make excuses and keep abusing the Natives Americans.

 “Some illustrations of conquest from the 1600s and 1700s falsely portrayed indigenous people as superstitious and uncivilized. During the 1800s, a century of intense conflict between Natives and whites, many images presented a distorted view of Indian warriors, showing them not as men fighting to preserve their lands and rights, but rather as bloodthirsty savages.”

“Soon thereafter, the controversial American eugenics movement misused evolutionary theory. Eugenicists argued that some people—including ethnic minorities such as Native Americans—had “inferior” genes and thus should be discouraged from reproducing. Such ideas caused significant damage before they were finally discredited.”

The APS also shows various options to explore in their webpage like; Cultural Sensitivity, Families & Communities, Stereotypes, Then & Now and more; this makes the visit valuable and rewarding. I encourage you to visit this site and explore it, you will found it interesting, and for sure you will like it, guaranteed! So go on and visit the American Philosophical Society, (APS), Native Americans Image Project, in http://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimages/stereotypes

United South and Eastern Tribes

                Tonight I reviewed the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) website. This organization is a compilation of 26 federally recognized sovereign nations spanning from Texas to Maine. Their motto, "because there is strength in unity," echoes the Pan-Indian movement and is supported by their mission statement. It states they are "dedicated to enhancing the development of federally recognized Indian Tribes, to improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and assisting the USET Members and their governments in dealing effectively with public policy issues and in serving the broad needs of Indian people."

            I believe this site was included in the module three resources because it directly relates to the module three discussions. USET strives to combat all of the issues modern Native American nations face including poverty, disputes over natural resources, education, government-to-government relationships, and  strengthen tribal governments and autonomy. Overall the website is well organized, it is easy to navigate and it contains pertinent information to modern issues. The websites seems to be updated regularly and contains enough visuals to keep the user interested beyond the actual content and resources.

            It is refreshing to see that the Pan-Indian movement is alive and thriving. USET is proof of this. I feel that this type of collaboration between native nations is one of the best ways for their survival. This collaboration allows for tribes with more experience with a specific challenge to relay their knowledge to tribes with less experience in that matter. Though USET is only composed of 26 nations, my hope is they will continue to grow their members "because there is strength in unity."

References

United South and Eastern Tribes. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usetinc.org%2F>.

The Museum of Southeast American Indian

Tonight I reviewed the Museum of the Southeast American Indian website found at <http://www.uncp.edu/academics/opportunities-programs-resources/opportunities-programs/museum-southeast-american-indian>. "The mission of The Museum of the Southeast American Indian is to educate and serve the public about the prehistory, history, culture, art and contemporary issues of American Indians, with special emphasis on the Native American communities of Robeson County, of North Carolina and of the American Southeast; to conduct scholarly research; to collect and preserve the material culture of Native America; to encourage American Indian artists and crafts persons; and to cooperate on a wide range of research and service projects with other institutions and agencies concerned with American Indians." This website is a reflection of the museum's mission statement. The site is clean, professional and easy to navigate. I thought it was great that upcoming events are posted on the home page, for example:

 One of the first things I was drawn to was the art. Here are few of my favorite pieces:

Dance To Your Own Tune

Mixed Media by Alceon Jones, Lumbee

I love the vibrant colors and fluidity of the lines.

 

God's Creation Emerging

Walnut by Bernice Locklear, Lumbee

This sculpture is so intriguing! It is completely open to interpretation as to what is 'emerging.' I see lots of shapes that remind me of animals like the tail like line near the bottom and the shape at the top which could be a snout or eye. Turning the sculpture gives it a completely different feel and makes the sculpture take on a more terrain shape, reflecting maybe a mountainside with a river below.

Turtle Tales

Mixed Media by Alceon Jones, Lumbee

These little turtles are simply adorable! I had to include them.

I enjoyed the various pictures found throughout the site but I found that there is not much actual information. The site does a great job providing additional links but only contains some information regarding the museum and the Native American Student Organization. Despite this, I think it worthy of spending a few minutes to browse through. Enjoy! 

Native American Biographies

I found the website for Native American Biographies to be extremely useful in giving an overview of notable Native Americans throughout history.  The website is indexed alphabetically and provides links to separate pages.  The individual pages are supported by various websites and typically include several paragraphs, which include basic information of each person, both male and female, indicated.

Although I feel that this source is an excellent starting point for one who wishes to retrieve basic information, the pages themselves are brief.  However, as I said, these pages are excellent starting points, giving one the foundation upon which to further research each subject.

I feel it should be mentioned that the pages included in the link, while covering the Native Americans indexed, also focus on different subjects.  For example, the link included for Big Foot, who led the Miniconjou, who lost their lives at Wounded Knee, encompasses important events in the Old West.

In some cases, several links are provided for the more well-known Native Americans.  For example, there are several links for Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota chief and integral part of history.  It should be noted that the links provided direct the reader to reputable sites, such as PBS.

Overall, Native American Biographies on the 42explore2.com site is a moderately comprehensive online resource for the beginner seeking various Native Americans biographies as a starting point for further research.  As the links provided do lead to further subjects, this site is useful for general topics in which Native Americans play an important role or for those interested in learning more about Native American cultures.

42explore2.com.  American Indian Biographies: A to Z.  http://www.42explore2.com/native3.htm

Cultural Preservation

I found the most interesting website on the list of resources to be the Native American Images Project of the American Philosophical Society Library page (http://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimages). The website is a compilation of various Native American images collected since its establishment by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. The society was founded "for the promotion of useful knowledge," and it was actually Thomas Jefferson who promoted the Native American collection.  This is an interesting fact because while he was president, the government was involved with attempting to relocate many tribes. There was a general belief that Native Americans were a dying culture and would eventual disappear.

This raises an interesting question of 'why?' If Jefferson had such a large passion for cultural preservation, why would he allow the government to commit the heinous act of relocation? For me, the answer lies within what the people wanted, which was more land. To stay in popular view of the people, he would have to concede his personal beliefs and support his constituents desires. Though what the government did is inexcusable, maybe Jefferson was able to do more 'good' in his position than someone else. For example, if he were to lose reelection to someone with complete hatred toward North American indigenous peoples, perhaps the fear of their extinction would be closer to reality.

Ultimately, the Native American Images Project  is a testament to the ability of the various tribes to keep their culture alive through their own contributions and without the 'help' of others.

References

Powel, Timothy A. et al. "Native American Images Project." American Philosophical Society. N.p., 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. <http://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimages>.

Start Blogging

Hello Class,

Some of you may be blogging pros, while I know others are blogging novices.

If you are here, clearly you already read and followed the instructions from Module 1 on blogging. The first assignment states:

Remember, the point of journaling is to convey your ideas about what you are learning, but since you are in an academic format, it should be substantiated by the information that you are exposed to in this course. It does not matter if you like or dislike something; what matters is why you feel the way you do and what lead you in the sources you reviewed to feel that way.

1. Write a 250 word minimum piece of writing that can be used in a blog post. Your writing must document and describe one of the web resources in Module 01 and tell us, the reader what you have learned from it. Do not assume that all of your readers are familiar with the resource. Here is a good link for composing a quality academic journal post: http://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/academic_journal.htm

So have fun, be creative, load pictures, link important websites. Although this is an academic exercise, I prefer that you explore your creative side, express yourself freely.

Enjoy.

Soo Tribe Pow Wow 2013 my peeps

Soo Tribe Annual 4th of July Pow Wow 2013