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Model Midterm1 answers 2018 Web Highlights: review previous student answers re minorities and / or American Indians Index to Web Highlights Models 2018 |
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Bradley Cannon
Universal Human Traits
It
has also become evident to me, when reading through the various web materials
and assignments from others, that others feel as I do when it comes to Native
Americans and their works. The feelings garnered and lessons learned from these
have come to bring a great appreciation for their culture and their endurance
and will to survive. I am glad to have read these and that these feelings are
shared throughout the modern white “educated” world. I have great respect for
the Native Americans and found that others feel much as I do on this particular
subject. The awareness of being able to look back and see what mistakes people
before us have made helps shape us and makes us aware of the decisions we
currently have to make.
I
looked through many essays and one that stood out to me was Amber Boone’s essay
“A Look at Assimilation and Resistance.” She describes quite well the feelings
and emotions that come with the Native American and immigrant perspectives. The
differences between immigrant history and native minority have mainly become the
aspect of assimilation. Whereas my family, from Jewish ancestors, are the
classic immigrant that wants to assimilate and become part of the union. This is
quite different than the Native American philosophy. They have tried their
hardest to stay the same people that they had been for centuries or millennia.
Amber talks about the most important factor being the mode of immigration: the
want or desire to be over here. The Native Americans were here first and that
has installed in them a great sense of pride of nature and of their land. Their
forced movements and isolation has brought “resistance to the dominant culture.”
She continues to show the give and take relationship with the government that
willing participants to this country assimilate by choice. The natives were
never given this option and thus the resistance to assimilation and wariness of
outsiders still continues to this day.
I
also looked through Kyle Rahe’s 2007 essay “Where the Buffalo Once Roamed,”
which provides good knowledge on why Native Americans and Mexican American’s are
far more minority culture than immigrant. The title itself lends the idea that
they were here far before we came over. The buffalo once roamed because the land
was fertile and there was plenty enough to go around. When the white man came,
this caused a cascade effect on all the Natives till this day. Kyle proceeds in
showing that the land and nature are extremely important to them, if not the
most important of all. He also proves a point that Natives feel like “immigrants
in their own land,” which definitely plays a role in how they view the world and
dominant culture around them. Also, because of their sad past, humor and irony
are very prominent in their stories now. We see these same literary themes in
“The Round House” as well. He ends with showing how their reservations are “a
blessing and a curse.” By keeping land they can call their own they have a place
for them; however, this has just distanced themselves more from outsiders making
them more isolated.
Lastly, I used Tiffany Klein’s “Humor in Native American Literature” from 2007
to help with ideas on the subject. Her web highlight from a decade ago shows a
similar ideology to the way I think about Native American literature. Much like
Kyle Rahe’s essay, Tiffany showed how humor is a safe haven for Native
Americans: a release from the constant reminder of their past. Using Tiffany’s
words I found some great quotes: That “humor is a coping mechanism in the way
that it allows one to adapt to difficult material.” This couldn’t be more true
in my opinion. To really present horrifying histories and past ordeals you need
to have some relief for the reader. But, within the horrifying we find that
“humor creates social awareness.” This was definitely the case when reading
through “The Round House.” It contains quite adult material at times in it and
without the use of humor it would be a dredging through the sorrow. Humor makes
these works come to light while still holding the dark past near.
Before I started reading through other assignments from years ago, my idea was
to see if these students came to the same beliefs that I have when it comes to
Native Americans. I was not surprised to find that almost every essay or writing
that I came across felt the sympathies and the strength of the Native American
people. Their history has been one of endurance, and endured they have. It is
impressive to me that the Natives have been put down for so long, but out of the
ashes of a violent and oppressive reign from white people, they have continued
their culture and haven’t stopped the fight in their hearts. They bring hope to
all that are oppressed or will be in the future.
