Prompt 1: Of all of the texts we've read (or watched, counting Smoke Signals) which is the text that will stick with you the most? Why? What will you take away from this text?
In response to this first prompt, the text that resonates with me most would have to be Zitkala Sa's autobiography. Apart from the myriad of topics she touches in her biography (imperialism, cultural imperialism, assimilation, identity, maternal bonds, freedom, nature, rebellion, education, frontier expansion towards the West, etc), she also showed how although one can seem to be making bad decisions in their life, they still may not be a bad person at their core. No matter what type of event that occurred, she still responded and reacted honestly, even though it may have been a reaction that she as an adult was ashamed of upon reflection.
The most uplifting, motivating, and inspiring thing that I take away from the story of her childhood to young adult is that no one is perfect and everyone is still learning every minute of every day to be better. That is why it is so important not to judge or criticize someone so harshly. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone learns from them. I wish that I could have lived honestly or freely (in terms of being honest with myself) but I was always concerned with what other people thought. Reading this autobiography has given me the hope that sometimes bad experiences are necessary to really learn and ignite one's passion for their life. It has made me feel less guilty and ashamed of the bad decisions I've made while at the same time inspired me to take what I've learned from those decisions and change my life and the community around me so that maybe I could help prevent others from not making the same mistakes.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Week 10
Prompt 1: Of all of the texts we've read (or watched, counting Smoke Signals) which is the text that will stick with you the most? Why? What will you take away from this text?
One text that stayed with me over this course was the "Address to the Choctaws and Chickasaws" by Tecumseh. One of the benefits of the text is there are references to culture and Native American history. It shows the power of oral traditions as a device used by Tecumseh to rally people to war. Even though his call to arms was ultimately unsuccessful, this speech was preserved because it still served an important purpose of being an oral tradition. Tecumseh urged the people before him to fight for their land and to preserve their ancestors. At one point he says, "Then listen to the voice of duty, of honor, of nature, and of your endangered country" (Tecumseh 150). This quote encapsulates many things. It talks about the importance of land and nature which deserve a certain amount of respect according to their people. It shows duty and honor as important core values that motivate lives. He later adds the importance of justice to the list of values. These together show some important values and traits of Native American culture but they are not way Tecumseh's speech affected me the most.
The most important thing that stayed with me about the text was how it foreshadowed something that has already happened in present time. Many different works can give a view into Native American culture. However, this speech can give an interesting sense of foreboding to something that already happened. Tecumseh was a warrior who pleaded with his people to rise up against the white people. He used fear to make his arguments about how the graves of their people will be affected. Most importantly he said if they did not fight for their rights at that moment, soon the white people will outnumber them and the Native American people will lose the ability to ever beat them. His pleas fell on deaf ears and many Native Americans were forced into assimilation with their culture lost. It is hard to think about that now as I do not know how our own society would be affected had the Native American conflict been resolved in a different way. I do know that racial and religious intolerance is still an issue. It was one that could not be fixed then and now. Asking people to go to war may not be ethical but Tecumseh might have changed how his people ended up had he succeeded. The power of this and the lost potential is something that stayed with me all along.
One text that stayed with me over this course was the "Address to the Choctaws and Chickasaws" by Tecumseh. One of the benefits of the text is there are references to culture and Native American history. It shows the power of oral traditions as a device used by Tecumseh to rally people to war. Even though his call to arms was ultimately unsuccessful, this speech was preserved because it still served an important purpose of being an oral tradition. Tecumseh urged the people before him to fight for their land and to preserve their ancestors. At one point he says, "Then listen to the voice of duty, of honor, of nature, and of your endangered country" (Tecumseh 150). This quote encapsulates many things. It talks about the importance of land and nature which deserve a certain amount of respect according to their people. It shows duty and honor as important core values that motivate lives. He later adds the importance of justice to the list of values. These together show some important values and traits of Native American culture but they are not way Tecumseh's speech affected me the most.
The most important thing that stayed with me about the text was how it foreshadowed something that has already happened in present time. Many different works can give a view into Native American culture. However, this speech can give an interesting sense of foreboding to something that already happened. Tecumseh was a warrior who pleaded with his people to rise up against the white people. He used fear to make his arguments about how the graves of their people will be affected. Most importantly he said if they did not fight for their rights at that moment, soon the white people will outnumber them and the Native American people will lose the ability to ever beat them. His pleas fell on deaf ears and many Native Americans were forced into assimilation with their culture lost. It is hard to think about that now as I do not know how our own society would be affected had the Native American conflict been resolved in a different way. I do know that racial and religious intolerance is still an issue. It was one that could not be fixed then and now. Asking people to go to war may not be ethical but Tecumseh might have changed how his people ended up had he succeeded. The power of this and the lost potential is something that stayed with me all along.
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