Suggestions on Native Americans
In 11 days I will be graduating from Mid-America Christian University in OKC. With this comes finals and projects and all the things of life I hate! Stress, worry, exhaustion, anxiety, anticipation, brain lapses, and many more of the sort.
For a final project in my Ethnic American Literature class I am working on a multi-genre research project (this section of the blog is one of ten genres that I have to do). I have chosen Native Americans.
Here's what I need you to do. I have typed up a few statements of thought. I need you to respond to these... please. Give me your thoughts, your knowledge, your understanding, your bias, whatever you have.
1) Stereotypically, Native Americans have a higher probability of being drunkards. Is this JUST a sterotpye? Or is it True?
2) Unlike African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Americans do not have the support of most to assimilate into the American Culture. Furthermore, outside of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and parts of Arizona, the Indian Heritage seems to have been erased.
3) In the book House Made of Dawn, a NativeAmerican, Abel, among others were forced into the American Culture. According to the text, this created Native American Ghetto and a higher rate of drunkenness among the Native Americans. If you were to take a Native American from the 1950's and force him/her into today's American society what would be the outcome? Would he/she assimilate better or worse than forcing them into the 1950's American Culture?
Thank you all in advance for the responses and for helping me succeed in this final project.
posted by bmusic24 @ 4:11 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
My responses to the three statements:
1. Yes, that is a stereotype.
2. Isn't "American" culture supposed to be Native American culture? Modern America has a more European culture than "American." Even after living in Oklahoma for a combined 8 years, the Native American culture isn't as apparent as would be thought by those who have never visited the state.
3. Forcing anyone into a foreign culture is bound to create problems, no matter the year it takes place.
My responses:
1. Definitely a stereotype.
2. I completely disagree. There are more free clinics, free doctor offices, scholarships, grants, discounts housing, property discounts, free/discounted anything for someone who is Native American in our area than for all the others you listed combined. Don't quote me on that, but for real-it's a lot. But I do agree that people outside OK, TX, and AZ have a stereotype of how many Native Americans live in the area and whether or not they still live in teepees.
3. Most living creatures can adapt to change over a period of time.
1) The may have a high probability but what are we comparing them too? vs. Rednecks...not a chance! :)
2)Even though I do believe the Native Americans were treated unfair when the white people started taking over THEIR land, I do not believe they are lacking in support of most to assimilate into the American Culture. I do believe that aside from the places listed, the Indian Heritage does seem to have been erased, but my knowledge is limited since I only live in Oklahoma.
3)I agree with both Lori and Amy. It would cause problems but human beings are very adaptable.
4) I love you!
Statistically speaking, FASD (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder) occurs more frequently in Native American communities than in the American population at large. Just wanted to throw a wrench in the similarity of responses to question #1 so far. :-) (It's possible that the increase is not actually due to higher levels of alcohol consumption, but that Native Americans have less of an enzyme required to break down alcohol. Still no conclusive evidence on that.)
Here are my 'Pearl's' of Wisdom (otherwise known as my opinions)-
1) I don't know any statistics but I am inclined to believe that Native Americans are more likely to have drinking problems. I lived in New Mexico for 5 years and almost every single drunk driving fatality was caused by a Native American and almost always they lived on a reservation. That may be because the population of Native Americans is higher in New Mexico and that's why I heard about it so much more.
2) I agree with that statement. Growing up in Utah I don't remember ever seeing a Native American. All I knew was based on things I read in books or saw in movies. However, living in New Mexico the presence of their heritage and culture was much more present. As for what Amy said, all of those things are true but not necessarily good things. It's sad that the culture of Native Americans anymore is all about helping them out financially and medically and not about their true heritage and traditions.
3)I agree partially with what everyone else had to say. Forcing someone to conform to an environment that is totally foreign to them is only going to cause rebellion. However, after time, hopefully they would be able to infuse the two and create their own history.
Amen. Ha ha!
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