Throughout this class I have learned more than I thought that I would. Not being from a ranch or farm, this class did not seem to pertain to me, but was the only one that I could fit. As the class began, I took a likening to the class atmosphere and the discussions that we had. In the discussions, everyone’s opinion was valued and the atmosphere allowed you to feel comfortable saying what you felt and while learning things, I also enjoyed the social aspect of the class. It was an important realization for me that just because I don’t come from a ranch or farm, learning about Home on the Range is important in becoming well rounded, no matter my major I am studying, also, it is my state’s history, which is important to know.
The first thing I would like to talk about is how we read Buffalo for the Brokenheart. I really enjoyed the book and, although I am not sure buffalo are necessarily better than cattle, I liked the idea of preserving wildlife rather than just using the land for profit until it was barren. The majority of people are always going to take what they want and not care for the land or the animals that inhabit it, and that does make me angry. This, of course, brought us into extended discussion about re-wilding, buffalo versus cattle, and prairie grasses. These each taught me many things I did not know.
The process of re-wilding had never occurred to me. Bringing back similar animals to the ones that were in North America many years ago just for the sake of having them back where they came from struck me as a bit of a crazy idea. It was definitely something to think about, however. Even though it would be amazing to see those animals living wild in North America, I have to disagree with it. I think that it would be dang...
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...tually benefited me a lot more than I ever thought it would. It taught me several things about my home that I never knew before and had never cared to know before. Now that I do know, I cannot understand why it was not a bigger priority to me before. I learned about the animals of the plains and how they have come and go and the species we see will forever change by being introduced or extinct. I also learned about the plants on the plains and how they are not near what they used to be and that invasive species have taken over. The thing I learned that I think interested me most was the life on the Great Plains and how people survived through all of the harshness the range brings. This class has made it a lot easier to see the beauty in the plains and not just a flat area full of corn. There is so much more to the range and I am happy that I can now appreciate that.
Weisiger’s narrative explains the relationship of “livestock grazing, environmental change, cultural identity, gender, and memory during the New Deal era of the 1930s and its aftermath” (p xv). Weisiger relies on oral histories, environmental science, and government documents. Weisiger begins by discussing the debate about the Stock Reduction Program from 1933-1934. She goes on then to detail the importance of livestock to Navajo cultural identity and way of life. Weisiger writes, “Dine knew nature not only through their connections with the physical environment but also
Bass makes some great views and made some great points in this essay. Many of these views I agree with and some I did not. Hunting makes us better human beings and contributes to the success that we have in life. Hunting forces us to use our imagination and give our brains a workout as well as allowing us to cope with the fact that we may not always get what we want. Hunting generates determination as well as confidence that can help us in life and help achieve our goals. I have made many memories with my family while hunting and those memories are some of my favorite. Hunting is something that overtime will change you, but it almost always for the
In this essay I will be doing a brief overview of the book Lame Deer Seeker of Visions, by Richard Erdoes. Within this book a monumental task has been achieved, which turns out to provide unparalleled information and a concrete depiction of the Native American Indian. This aspect has been portrayed through the eyes of a Sioux medicine man throughout the book and to many individual’s dismay, paints an accurate picture of both events that occurred and how Native American Indians were being treated at the time. Capturing the true essence of hours of in depth interviews, which have both been written out in detail and videotaped, years of friendship between Richard and Lame Deer, we are able to read upon a magnificent
...rupt native species and ecosystem hence making the restoration of both evolutional and ecological potential almost impossible. Whereas Donlan (2005) concluded that re-wilding North American is the best conservation strategy to the African and Asian threatened megafauna, meanwhile re-wilding will restores the evolutionary and ecological potentials in the process. In my point of view, Pleistocene re-wilding must not be implemented simply because the introduced species might fail to adapt to the new environment. High costs and disease outbreak are another challenge that can’t be ignored.
One species famously affected by these pioneers and settlers was the American Bison, a relic of the last ice age. It is estimated that over 40 million of these great beasts roamed the American Plains in 1800. By 1883 the population was down to less than 6001. What happened? Why did those pioneers, so appreciative of the bounty that the “new” territory had given them, slaughter the bison throughout the 19th century?
One strength of his article is that it can easily elicit an emotional response from the more sympathetic readers and outdoor enthusiasts. Duane appeals to pathos when first setting the scene of a day in the wilderness. He describes what it would be like if one had the “good fortune” to spot a Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep in the wild. He writes, “You unwrap a chocolate bar amid breathtaking views . . . the sight fills you with awe and also with gratitude for the national parks, forests, and yes, environmental regulations that keep the American dream of wilderness alive” (Duane 1). For the audience that connects to this emotional appeal, this instantly draws them in to the article and can arouse feelings of amazement and wonder toward the sight described. It can likewise leave readers wondering whether or not this scene is truly so perfect. This statement can also appear too dramatic for those less passionate. When Duane writes, “The sight fills you with . . . gratitude for the . . . yes, environmental regulations that keep the American dream of wilderness alive,” it seems almost untrue, as most people do not think twice about the environmental regulations that keep animals in their
One of the biggest reasons for the reintroduction of wolves back into Yellowstone was that they had originally roamed from Yellowstone all the way down to Mexico. While a lot of people were in favor of the reintroduction of the wolves, there were many who were against it. The main people who were against the reintroduction of the wolves back into the park were the ranchers who made a living in the areas surrounding the park.
As I planed to take this class, I thought this course would be like all other general education courses. I believed that it would be of little use to me. However, after attending the first class, my view has changed completely. I applied each and every theory to my life.
My sixteen week class in English 111. I was really nervous about this class. Because English has never been my strong point. This class has hard, but fun all at the same time. I learn a lot from this class. Meanwhile,the first day of class you handed a paper with a question on it. “The first thing I want to say to you who are students is that you must not think of being here to receive an education; instead, you will do much better to think of being here to claim one.” Even though putting my all in what I have learned, claiming my education with hard work because using the skills of the meal plan, as we write to different audiences and learning to be a Critically thinker as I start becoming a critically-Literate Citizenship.
Indian men, women, and children. This kind of neglect is what led to the Battle of Little Bighorn Creek, a battle that is talked about in The Great Plains, the book I chose my topic from. The reason this subject touched me personally is because almost everyone who presently lives on the Great Plains has a certain percentage Indian blood running through their veins, including myself. The neglect of the Native American Indian in America has been a problem for generations, but it is a part of our history as Americans and therefore worth studying.
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s there numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection.
During my first semester of college, I felt like this course overshadowed all the others. I faced many challenges, gained better habits, and even increased the value of myself as a scholar. Not only did my professor provide her students with the course material she built a confidence inside of us that will allow us to be able to tackle any task, especially pertaining to any written compositions. The things that I have learned from this course could and will be applied to any and everything I do from here on out, whether that writing an essay or even taking a test. Again, the journey was long, but I will be forever grateful for the things that I, and all of my peers have gained from this
I have learned many valuable things in contemporary American culture, and this class has enabled me to view our world in a different light. I now know that advertisements try to make me believe they can sell me love and happiness. I now understand that a simpler life can bring me far greater joy than any item I buy in a store. Americans should not be ignorant to factors that affect their daily lives. Over the Thanksgiving holiday break I thought about what was really important in my life surrounded by friends and family, and I truly believe that nothing else in this world could compare with my relationship with my family.
When I first came into this class, introduction to indigenous studies, I was uncertain of what to expect but really interested. Part taking in my major towards history and noticed this class I immediately pounced on it as I was quite interested and very pleased. I have been paying attention to many circumstances going on with the indigenous people, their land and culture over the past few years. As even into the first day of class it opened my eyes to a whole new way of life, situations and much much more that indigenous people have went through and are still going through taking my perception much more in-depth, and I cant belief how astonished I am already only six weeks into the course.
Finally, Bird accepts the fact that the Huron and Iroquois tribes are not “so different from [each other].” (Boyden 105) Although they are enemy tribes currently in war with each other, Bird acknowledges that they do have their similarities, and he respects this. By showing readers that these groups have their similarities, Boyden lets the reader empathize with the characters and what they