December 9th 2014 A Fruitful Myth The image of North American Indians as inherently attuned to the natural world is one of the many images associated with this group of people and their culture. Many people have come to believe the myth that Indians are more attuned with the environment than any other race. However, this image is in fact just that; an image. It is a false picture that has been painted into the minds of others. This false picture has been associated with North American Indians for centuries. It is often said that Indigenous people have a spiritual connection with nature that no one else possesses. It is a “very fruitful myth” to believe that all Indians are in fact “nature lovers” and spiritually bound to the Earth (Harrison). …show more content…
Scott Momaday. In Momaday’s work, House Made of Dawn, he paints an elaborate picture of the Earth and its significance to the people. Momaday builds up the protagonist’s connection with nature in a variety ways. Throughout this novel a personal relationship with nature evolves and its historical significance to Indians is displayed. The significance of the natural world is displayed in the opening of the book when Momaday describes what a “house made of dawn” really is. The prologue begins with, “There was a house made of dawn. It was made of pollen and of rain. And the land was very old and everlasting. There were many colors on the hills, and the plain was bright with different colored clays and sands. Red and blue and spotted horses grazed in the plain, and there was a dark wilderness on the mountains beyond. The land was still and strong. It was beautiful all around.” (Momaday prologue). Momaday begins with a deep appreciation of the Earth to show the image of North American Indians as passionate and bounteous lovers of nature. As the novel progresses, the author continues to show the gratefulness to the environment displayed by Indigenous people. As Momaday describes the beginning of civilization and the towns people of Walatowa, the community where Abel grew up, he writes of their simple life and reliance on nature, “For man, too, has …show more content…
The validation in this statement exists in that fact that Indians have done many things contrary to that of a “nature lover”. It is documented history that North American Indians have killed hundreds of buffalos with no reason, early tribes have died out because they were not sufficient with agriculture and environmental practices, and that some Indians have even allowed nuclear waste dumps on their land for the purpose of money (Buscombe 176). With that said, it is clear that not all North American Indians since the beginning of time have loved the Earth and what it has to offer. While in fact there are Indians who are environmentalists and work to preserve the land, this is not to say that all Indians, because of their race and culture are naturally attuned to the environment. Like many other people of various races are able to appreciate nature, there are native Indians present and in history that have loved the land. On the other hand, there are many North American Indians both present and in history that have done harmful things to the earth and were not environmentally friendly. It is a false pretence to believe that all Indians respect the earth and preserve the land they live on. Novels, films, and media have contributed to this myth conceived by many people. However, these works often depict a small portion of Indians; they do not describe every Indian and all of their
Modern day Native American are widely known as stewards of the environment who fight for conservation and environmental issues. The position of the many Native American as environmentalists and conservationists is justified based on the perception that before European colonists arrived in the Americas, Native Americans had little to no effect on their environment as they lived in harmony with nature. This idea is challenged by Shepard Krech III in his work, The Ecological Indian. In The Ecological Indian, Krech argues that this image of the noble savage was an invented tradition that began in the early 1970’s, and that attempts to humanize Native Americans by attempting to portray them as they really were. Krech’s arguments are criticized by Darren J Ranco who in his response, claims that Krech fails to analyze the current state of Native American affairs, falls into the ‘trap’ of invented tradition, and accuses Krech of diminishing the power and influence of Native Americans in politics. This essay examines both arguments, but ultimately finds Krech to be more convincing as Krech’s
The Native American’s way of living was different from the Europeans. They believed that man is ruled by respect and reverence for nature and that nature is an ancestor or relative. The Native American’s strongly belie...
In the Light of Reverence is a film about the destruction and exploitation of the sacred lands of the people who have worshipped them for years: the Native Americans. Freedom of religion is something Americans take pride in. However, many religions are still looked down upon for their practices which is displayed clearly in this film. It upsets me greatly to hear how ignorant many people are about the Native American religion. They call the prayer bundles “dirty laundry” and say nature has no “similarities with the church at all” (In the Light of Reverence). Religion has never had a specific definition. All religions have different practices and themes. It just so happens that Native Americans practice their religion in regard to nature. Nature is sacred land to Native Americans and as one women said in the film, “you can’t have a religion without the land” (In the Light of Reverence). Native Americans have always believed that natural world is holy. Destroying the Earth will never lead to world peace (Lyons 11). I agree with the Native Americans that we need to have more respect for the Earth we live on. Chief Oren Lyons said in his essay, “we need to learn how to respect nature” (Lyons 6). If we keep treating the
Grinde, Donald, and Bruce Johansen. Ecocide of Native America: Environmental Destruction of Indian Lands and Peoples. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers, 1995. Print.
Throughout ancient history, many indigenous tribes and cultures have shown a common trait of being hunter/gatherer societies, relying solely on what nature had to offer. The geographical location influenced all aspects of tribal life including, spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices. Despite vast differences in the geographical location, reports show various similarities relating to the spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices of indigenous tribal cultures.
Pages one to sixty- nine in Indian From The Inside: Native American Philosophy and Cultural Renewal by Dennis McPherson and J. Douglas Rabb, provides the beginning of an in-depth analysis of Native American cultural philosophy. It also states the ways in which western perspective has played a role in our understanding of Native American culture and similarities between Western culture and Native American culture. The section of reading can be divided into three lenses. The first section focus is on the theoretical understanding of self in respect to the space around us. The second section provides a historical background into the relationship between Native Americans and British colonial power. The last section focus is on the affiliation of otherworldliness that exist between
Goodness verses evil is how most novels portray light verses dark. Marilynne Robinson challenges this idea in her novel Housekeeping by changing the roles of light and dark. Light, in her novel, represents a normal life as Lucille, the protagonist’s sister, chooses to endorse. Darkness is portrayed as a source of enlightenment and a path to an abnormal life which Ruth, the protagonist, and Sylvie, the protagonist’s aunt, embrace. In the novel Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, the main characters, Ruth and Lucille, have to choose their lifestyle as a normal one in the light, or one that is unique in the dark.
In his essay, “The Indians’ Old World,” Neal Salisbury examined a recent shift in the telling of Native American history in North America. Until recently, much of American history, as it pertains to Native Americans; either focused on the decimation of their societies or excluded them completely from the discussion (Salisbury 25). Salisbury also contends that American history did not simply begin with the arrival of Europeans. This event was an episode of a long path towards America’s development (Salisbury 25). In pre-colonial America, Native Americans were not primitive savages, rather a developing people that possessed extraordinary skill in agriculture, hunting, and building and exhibited elaborate cultural and religious structures.
Holism is present and the importance of nature and the maintenance of a traditional life-style (stick four). Through McLeod’s (2007) work we see a bond between landscape and other beings. “Through ceremonies, prayers, and songs, the Nehiyawak were able to communicate with other beings and the powers of the land around them, the Atayohkanak, the spiritual grandfathers and grandmothers” (p. 26). McLeod goes on to state that the power of ceremonies in a relationship is not limited to a human-to-human relationship. For example, “[t]he pipe stem is significant for the Nehiiyawak, the Dene and other Indigenous nations as a way of concluding arrangements… [it] was more than… a way of sealing political arrangements… it was a way of making and affirming relationships with the land, of honouring the spiritual powers who dwelt where the people were living.” (McLeod, 2007, p. 27) As well, language is a reoccurring theme. McLeod (2007) attributes much of the continuity of the Cree people to maintaining language which is often through the elders (in his instance, his
To American Indians, “The Earth is considered to be a living organism- the body of a higher individual, with a will and desire to be well. The Earth is periodically healthy and less healthy,
Through Indian Eyes: The Untold Story of Native American Peoples. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 1995. Print.
Throughout House Made of Dawn Momaday forces the reader to see a clear distinction between how white people and Native Americans use language. Momaday calls it the written word, the white people’s word, and the spoken word, the Native American word. The white people’s spoken word is so rigidly focused on the fundamental meaning of each word that is lacks the imagery of the Native American word. It is like listening to a contract being read aloud.
People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
I felt it was a good idea to ask my next question when I did because of the interest I got in Native Americans in a previous question. “Do you know anything about the religious beliefs of Native Americans?” For this question, I felt everyone had the same general idea about Native American beliefs. Many of them believed the Native Americans worshiped nature and had a deep respect for it. Lynne had said “I know they believed things had a spirit, everything is alive and that everything worships God. What I loved about them when I was younger was that if for example, if they were to hunt and kill something they would thank it for feeding them.” Very similarly Frank said, “They would thank nature, like if they had to kill an animal for food they would thank it for its services.” Marie had said “I think they believe in the sun and the seasons, I