To save endangered languages, Native American tribes turn to tech
This article is fascinating is that the Native American population must protect the little identity that they have. Given the fact that there is so little coverage on this segment of the population, many do not know how far they have been pushed to the fridges of society. It brings great pleasure and sadness that they must turn to tech becasue so they have are so dedicated to preserving their language and culture, but society still ends up causing Native Americans to not have much to hold on too that related to their history. Fortunately, the Native American Community is so dedicated they will adapt.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Video: Native Americans Living in Desperate Poverty
From RT News:
Published on Jun 15, 2012
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota is the poorest reservation in the United States. Nearly half of its nearly 30,000 residents live below the poverty level, and life expectancy is among the lowest in the Western world. Housing at Pine Ridge was the worst seen by UN Special Rapporteur for Housing Raquel Rolnik in her recent tour of the United States.
Oglala Sioux tribe president Theresa Two Bulls says about 80 percent of the people who live on the reservation are unemployed. Even those looking for work find that there are few jobs available to them. There are a few outreach organizations as well as a Subway sandwich shop.
Oglala Sioux tribe president Theresa Two Bulls says about 80 percent of the people who live on the reservation are unemployed. Even those looking for work find that there are few jobs available to them. There are a few outreach organizations as well as a Subway sandwich shop.
Video: Property Rights, American Indians and Reservation Socialism
From The CATO Institute:
Dr. Amy Sturgis gives a lecture on property rights and other citizenship and humanitarian issues facing Native Americans today.
Amy H. Sturgis earned her Ph.D. in Intellectual History from Vanderbilt University. Her primary fields includeScience Fiction/Fantasy Studies and Native American Studies. Sturgis is author of four books on Native American and U.S. history as well as dozens of scholarly and mainstream book chapters, articles, and presentations onhistorical and speculative fiction topics. She has edited five books on sciencefiction and fantasy subjects. In 2006, Sturgis was honored with the Imperishable Flame Award for Achievement in Tolkien/Inklings Scholarship. Sturgis spoke at Cato University on August 2, 2012.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Whaling and Native American Rights
A lot of time individuals chose to blog about how Native Americans are being marginalized because they're not being given equal rights that non-Native Americans enjoy. For this blog post, I would like to take a different approach and blog about rights that are solely reserved for Native Americans. It's not something we often think about, but as a sovereign people, there are some rights that exclusively Native Americans are entitled to. They are entitled to these rights that others are not given because these rights are long-established and fundamental to their way of life, many of which are tied to Native American spiritual customs.
The right at the center of this blog post is the fundamental spiritual Native American practice of whaling. This practice has recently garnered media attention across the nation because of efforts by a group called Sea Shepherds. Sea Shepherds is animal conservation group focused on protecting marine animal rights. The purpose of this blog post will be to offer insight into the Native American side of this issue, a side that you might not have considered or heard before. My hope is that it enlightens you to critically think about this issue with the knowledge of the other, and lesser known, side of the debate.
Whales are of course a beloved species to many people, moreover, some whales species are designated as endangered species. Organizations like the Sea Shepherds are celebrated because they give a voice to creatures that cannot defend themselves. At the same time, while respecting the rights of marine animals, which is certainly a worthy cause, we must also look to the rights of Native Americans. To some Native Americans, the whale is sacred; they use parts of whales for clothing, rituals, gifts, customs, money, food, etc. It is an extensive list. They pay tribute to and respect the beauty and strength of whales. Yes, they hunt whales, but they respect and honor the whales as an integral part of their cultural foundation.
There is a clear conflict here. Protecting marine life versus protecting long-standing customs. I'm not going to tell you what to value, that is for you to decide. Many people approach this issue and automatically want to side with the preservers against the killers. But there is so much more to the issue then that. That is what I'm trying to get at.
This opens up to a broader theme about civil liberties and rights for Native Americans. Oftentimes, with the cultural differences that many of us find ourselves in compared to Native Americans, it is hard for us to see this other side. It is hard sometimes to see things from the perspective of a group of people that we do not know as much about. The issue of whaling is a complicated issue to discuss, but we must keep in mind the factors driving different people's stances. The point of this post isn't just to talk about whaling rights though. It's to discuss how when reading about issues facing Native Americans, you need to keep in mind what important cultural influences might factor into the debate. Keeping an open mind to the cultural practices of Native Americans is important to ensuring their fair right to civil liberties and what citizenship means to them.
So next time you come across an issue involving Native Americans, be sure to do your research and keep in mind any complicated cultural factors that might be at play.
The right at the center of this blog post is the fundamental spiritual Native American practice of whaling. This practice has recently garnered media attention across the nation because of efforts by a group called Sea Shepherds. Sea Shepherds is animal conservation group focused on protecting marine animal rights. The purpose of this blog post will be to offer insight into the Native American side of this issue, a side that you might not have considered or heard before. My hope is that it enlightens you to critically think about this issue with the knowledge of the other, and lesser known, side of the debate.
Whales are of course a beloved species to many people, moreover, some whales species are designated as endangered species. Organizations like the Sea Shepherds are celebrated because they give a voice to creatures that cannot defend themselves. At the same time, while respecting the rights of marine animals, which is certainly a worthy cause, we must also look to the rights of Native Americans. To some Native Americans, the whale is sacred; they use parts of whales for clothing, rituals, gifts, customs, money, food, etc. It is an extensive list. They pay tribute to and respect the beauty and strength of whales. Yes, they hunt whales, but they respect and honor the whales as an integral part of their cultural foundation.
There is a clear conflict here. Protecting marine life versus protecting long-standing customs. I'm not going to tell you what to value, that is for you to decide. Many people approach this issue and automatically want to side with the preservers against the killers. But there is so much more to the issue then that. That is what I'm trying to get at.
This opens up to a broader theme about civil liberties and rights for Native Americans. Oftentimes, with the cultural differences that many of us find ourselves in compared to Native Americans, it is hard for us to see this other side. It is hard sometimes to see things from the perspective of a group of people that we do not know as much about. The issue of whaling is a complicated issue to discuss, but we must keep in mind the factors driving different people's stances. The point of this post isn't just to talk about whaling rights though. It's to discuss how when reading about issues facing Native Americans, you need to keep in mind what important cultural influences might factor into the debate. Keeping an open mind to the cultural practices of Native Americans is important to ensuring their fair right to civil liberties and what citizenship means to them.
So next time you come across an issue involving Native Americans, be sure to do your research and keep in mind any complicated cultural factors that might be at play.
Respecting Non-Western Sacred Objects: An A:shiwi Ahayu:da (Zuni war god), the Museum of the American Indian–Heye Foundation, and the Museum of Modern Art
From the Smithsonian's NMAI blog:
Respecting Non-Western Sacred Objects: An A:shiwi Ahayu:da (Zuni war god), the Museum of the American Indian–Heye Foundation, and the Museum of Modern Art
http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2013/04/respecting-non-western-sacred-objects.html
This piece discusses Native American artifacts and how they should be respected as belonging to their rightful owner. However, these works of art and crafts have become highly valued in the world of fine art, and currently there are Native American artifacts for sale or auction around the world. Many of these were taken without permission and which hold special significance to the people whom they were taken from. Furthermore, this piece addresses some of the misconceptions Westerners hold about Native American art, and how portraying these artifacts incorrectly is disrespectful and can harm the traditions of these cultures.
Respecting Non-Western Sacred Objects: An A:shiwi Ahayu:da (Zuni war god), the Museum of the American Indian–Heye Foundation, and the Museum of Modern Art
http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2013/04/respecting-non-western-sacred-objects.html
This piece discusses Native American artifacts and how they should be respected as belonging to their rightful owner. However, these works of art and crafts have become highly valued in the world of fine art, and currently there are Native American artifacts for sale or auction around the world. Many of these were taken without permission and which hold special significance to the people whom they were taken from. Furthermore, this piece addresses some of the misconceptions Westerners hold about Native American art, and how portraying these artifacts incorrectly is disrespectful and can harm the traditions of these cultures.
'Trail of Hope' aims to bring message
Reservations struggling to build new homes as a result of federal budget cute:
'Trail of Hope' aims to bring message
To Learn More about the "Trail of Hope for Indian Housing", visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/
'Trail of Hope' aims to bring message
To Learn More about the "Trail of Hope for Indian Housing", visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/
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