http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-09-importance-link-ability-language-skills.html
The study—the first to provide biological evidence linking the ability to keep a beat to the neural encoding of speech sounds—has significant implications for reading, according to Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. Previous investigations found a link between reading ability and beat-keeping, says Kraus in a study published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Previous research has established a link between reading ability and neural response consistency. "By directly linking auditory responses with beat-keeping ability, we have closed the triangle," Kraus says.
In a "brainwave test," the students were fitted with electrodes measuring the consistency of their brain response to a repeated syllable. Across the population, the more accurate the adolescents were at tapping along to the beat, the more consistent their brain response was to the speech syllable. "This is supported biologically," Kraus says. "The brainwaves we measured originate from a biological hub of auditory processing with reciprocal connections with the motor-movement centers. An activity that requires coordination of hearing and movement is likely to rely on solid and accurate communication across brain regions." Accurate beat-keeping's implications for reading and language skills simply make sense, according to the co-authors. "Rhythm is an integral part of both music and language," Kraus says. "And the rhythm of spoken language is a crucial cue to understanding."
Showing posts with label Curriculum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Curriculum. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
All "Indians" are Dead - The Worst Lesson That is Still Taught
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Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/17/all-indians-are-dead-least-thats-what-most-schools-teach-children-157822
A staggering 87 percent of references to American Indians in
all 50 states’ academic standards portray them in a pre-1900 context. That means students are graduating from high
school without even basic knowledge of contemporary Native challenges or
culture, said Sarah Shear, associate professor of social studies education at
Pennsylvania State University in Altoona.
Shear, who this year earned a PhD in learning, teaching and
curriculum from the University of Missouri, spent two years examining
state-mandated U.S. history standards, coding each state six times in an effort
to understand what students are learning about Natives. The project began when Shear was teaching an
undergraduate class in multi-cultural education. When she asked what students
knew about America’s indigenous people, hands shot into the air. “What they told me is that they learned about
Thanksgiving and Columbus Day,” she said. “Every once in a while a student
would mention something about the Trail of Tears. It was incredibly
frustrating. They were coming to college believing that all Indians are dead.”
Shear partnered with other researchers to analyze states’
academic standards, lengthy documents that dictate what topics teachers should
emphasize, including names of important people, dates, events and concepts.
Textbook authors often tailor materials to meet those standards. The study revealed a shameful lack of
meaningful Native content, Shear said. “All
of the states are teaching that there were civil ways to end problems and that
the Indian problem was dealt with nicely,” she said. “They’re teaching that
this is what needed to happen in order for the United States to become the
United States.”
The study also revealed that all 50 states lack any content
about current Native events or challenges. “Nothing about treaties, land
rights, water rights,” Shear said. “Nothing about the fact that tribes are
still fighting to be recognized and determine sovereignty.” In some states, politics plays a huge role in
determining academic standards, Shear said. Politicians, not educators, decide
the “grand story” that teachers will tell students. In other states, standards
may be simply—and shockingly—out of date. Either way, Shear said, the effect is
a white-washing of history, a focus on the Euro-American story that is so
narrow there’s no room for an indigenous narrative.
Shear’s research is being published in an upcoming issue of
Theory and Research in Social Education. Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of her
findings:
- Across all the states, 87 percent of references to Natives portray them prior to 1900, with no clear vision of what happened after that.
- In half of the states, no individual Natives or specific tribes are named.
- Of the Natives named in standards, the most common are Sacagawea, Squanto, Sequoyah and Sitting Bill.
- Only 62 Native nations are named in standards; most are mentioned by only one state.
- One nation, the Iroquois, is mentioned in six states.
- Only four states—Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma and Kansas—include content about Indian boarding schools.
- New Mexico is the only state to mention, by name, a member of the American Indian Movement.
- Washington is the only state to use the word “genocide” in relation to Natives. That word is used in the standards for fifth grade U.S. history.
- Nebraska textbooks portray Natives as lazy, drunk or criminal.
- Ninety-percent of all manuscripts written about Native people are authored by non-Native writers.
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/17/all-indians-are-dead-least-thats-what-most-schools-teach-children-157822
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
2013 Thanksgiving News Excerpts (go to LINK for full article)
6 THANKSGIVING MYTHS
1. Give Guidance on Classroom No-Nos
2. Highlight Indigenous Recipes
3. Ask an Indian
4. Don’t Use Past Tense
5. Don’t Lose Native American Heritage in the Thanksgiving/Black Friday Shuffle
6. Trumpet the Real Thanksgiving Story Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/11/27/najas-6-story-tips-journalists-thanksgiving-152462
RAMONA PETERS
Yeah, it was made up. It was Abraham Lincoln who used the theme of Pilgrims and Indians eating happily together. He was trying to calm things down during the Civil War when people were divided. It was like a nice unity story.
So for Americans, for the most part there’s a Christian element to Thanksgiving so formal prayer and some families will go around the table and ask what are you thankful for this year. In Mashpee families we make offerings of tobacco. For traditionalists, we give thanks to our first mother, our human mother, and to Mother Earth. Then, because there’s no real time to it you embrace your thanks in passing them into the tobacco without necessarily speaking out loud, but to actually give your mind and spirit together thankful for so many things…
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/11/23/what-really-happened-first-thanksgiving-wampanoag-side-tale-and-whats-done-today-145807
MOONANUM JAMES & MAHTOWIN MUNRO
Every year since 1970, United American Indians of New England have organized the National Day of Mourning observance in Plymouth at noon on Thanksgiving Day. Every year, hundreds of Native people and our supporters from all four directions join us. Every year, including this year, Native people from throughout the Americas will speak the truth about our history and about current issues and struggles we are involved in.
Why do hundreds of people stand out in the cold rather than sit home eating turkey and watching football? Do we have something against a harvest festival?
Of course not. But Thanksgiving in this country -- and in particular in Plymouth --is much more than a harvest home festival. It is a celebration of the pilgrim mythology.
According to this mythology, the pilgrims arrived, the Native people fed them and welcomed them, the Indians promptly faded into the background, and everyone lived happily ever after.
The truth is a sharp contrast to that mythology.
The pilgrims are glorified and mythologized because the circumstances of the first English-speaking colony in Jamestown were frankly too ugly (for example, they turned to cannibalism to survive) to hold up as an effective national myth. The pilgrims did not find an empty land any more than Columbus "discovered" anything. Every inch of this land is Indian land. The pilgrims (who did not even call themselves pilgrims) did not come here seeking religious freedom; they already had that in Holland. They came here as part of a commercial venture. They introduced sexism, racism, anti-lesbian and gay bigotry, jails, and the class system to these shores. One of the very first things they did when they arrived on Cape Cod -- before they even made it to Plymouth -- was to rob Wampanoag graves at Corn Hill and steal as much of the Indians' winter provisions of corn and beans as they were able to carry. They were no better than any other group of Europeans when it came to their treatment of the Indigenous peoples here. And no, they did not even land at that sacred shrine called Plymouth Rock, a monument to racism and oppression which we are proud to say we buried in 1995.
Read more at http://www.uaine.org/dom.htm
EAGLE BULL-OXENDINE
“They sent an email literally asking us to keep our children home for the week of the festivities,” said Jeanne Eagle Bull-Oxendine. “So they could continue the mockery of our culture.”
When the family learned about the school’s Thanksgiving curriculum, they were not pleased.
“(It’s) making mockery of Native America culture,” explained Eagle Bull-Oxendine, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe. “More so, of the Lakota culture of dressing ceremonially. It’s offensive to us by making the headband and erecting a tee-pee.”
The school says they have been teaching the same curriculum for years.
“We present Native American homes – not just one tribe, but all kinds of Native American homes,” said school director Dena Stoneman. “(We’re) teaching the preschoolers about Pilgrims and Native American tribes, but not at all mocking Native Americans, not at all.”
As soon as they realized the program offended the family they cancelled the lesson, Stoneman said. “After talking to her we realized that the feathers were sacred to her tribe.”
Read more: http://fox5sandiego.com/2013/11/21/native-american-family-upset-over-thanksgiving-curriculum-at-school/#ixzz2ltykBTl8
DENNIS ZOTIGH
The Thanksgiving myth has done so much damage and harm to the cultural self-esteem of generations of Indian people, including myself, by perpetuating negative and harmful images to both young Indian and non-Indian minds. There are so many things wrong with the happy celebration that takes place in elementary schools and its association to American Indian culture; compromised integrity, stereotyping and cultural misappropriation are three examples.
Let's begin with Squanto (aka Tisquantum), a Patuxet, one of more than 50 tribes who formed the Wampanoag Confederacy. Around 1614, when he was perhaps 30, Squanto was kidnapped along with others of his people and taken across the Atlantic Ocean to Malaga, Spain, where they were sold into slavery. Monks in Spain bought Squanto, shared their faith with him, and made it possible for him to find his way to England in 1615. In England he worked for shipbuilder John Slany and became proficient in English. In 1619 Squanto returned to his homeland by joining an exploring expedition along the New England coast. When he arrived at the village where he has been raised, all his family and the rest of his tribe had been exterminated by a devastating plague.
What about the Pilgrims? Separatists who fled from England to Holland seeking to escape religious persecution by English authorities, and who later booked passage to North America, are now called "Pilgrims," though Americans did not widely use the term until the 1870s. In November 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor in present-day Provincetown Harbor. After exploring the coast for a few weeks, the Pilgrims landed and began building a permanent settlement on the ruins of Squanto's Patuxet village, now renamed New Plymouth. Within the first year, half of the 102 Pilgrims who set out from Europe on the Mayflower had perished. In desperation the Pilgrims initially survived by eating corn from abandoned fields, raiding villages for stored food and seed, and robbing graves at Corn Hill.
In the fall of 1621, William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony, decided to have a Plymouth harvest feast of thanksgiving and invited Massasoit, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Federation, to join the Pilgrims. Massasoit came with approximately 90 warriors and brought food to add to the feast, including venison, lobster, fish, wild fowl, clams, oysters, eel, corn, squash and maple syrup. Massasoit and the 90 warriors stayed in Plymouth for three days. These original Thanksgiving foods are far different from the meals prepared in modern Thanksgiving celebrations.
Squanto died in 1622, but Massasoit outlived the era of relative peace in colonial New England. On May 26, 1637, near the present-day Mystic River in Connecticut, while their warriors were away, an estimated 400 to 700 Pequot women, children and old men were massacred and burned by combined forces of the Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay and Saybrook (Connecticut) colonies and Narragansett and Mohegan allies. Colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Pequot slaves were sent to Bermuda and the West Indies
Do I celebrate Thanksgiving? No, I don't celebrate. But I do take advantage of the holiday and get together with family and friends to share a large meal without once thinking of the Thanksgiving in 1621. I think it is the same in many Native households. It is ironic that Thanksgiving takes place during American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month. An even greater irony is that more Americans today identify the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday than as National American Indian Heritage Day.
Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-w-zotigh/do-american-indians-celebrate-thanksgiving_b_2160786.html
MIKE ELY
It is a deep thing that people still celebrate the survival of the early colonists at Plymouth -- by giving thanks to the Christian God who supposedly protected and championed the European invasion. The real meaning of all that, then and now, needs to be continually excavated. The myths and lies that surround the past are constantly draped over the horrors and tortures of our present.
Every schoolchild in the U.S. has been taught that the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony invited the local Indians to a major harvest feast after surviving their first bitter year in New England. But the real history of Thanksgiving is a story of the murder of indigenous people and the theft of their land by European colonialists--and of the ruthless ways of capitalism.
In mid-winter 1620 the English ship Mayflower landed on the North American coast, delivering 102 exiles. The original Native people of this stretch of shoreline had already been killed off. In 1614 a British expedition had landed there. When they left they took 24 Indians as slaves and left smallpox behind. Three years of plague wiped out between 90 and 96 percent of the inhabitants of the coast, destroying most villages completely.
The Europeans landed and built their colony called "the Plymouth Plantation" near the deserted ruins of the Indian village of Pawtuxet. They ate from abandoned cornfields grown wild. Only one Pawtuxet named Squanto had survived--he had spent the last years as a slave to the English and Spanish in Europe. Squanto spoke the colonists' language and taught them how to plant corn and how to catch fish until the first harvest. Squanto also helped the colonists negotiate a peace treaty with the nearby Wampanoag tribe, led by the chief Massasoit.
But the peace that produced the Thanksgiving Feast of 1621 meant that the Puritans would have 15 years to establish a firm foothold on the coast. Until 1629 there were no more than 300 settlers in New England, scattered in small and isolated settlements. But their survival inspired a wave of Puritan invasion that soon established growing Massachusetts towns north of Plymouth: Boston and Salem. For 10 years, boatloads of new settlers came.
On arrival, the Puritans and other religious sects discussed "who legally owns all this land." They had to decide this, not just because of Anglo-Saxon traditions, but because their particular way of farming was based on individual--not communal or tribal--ownership. This debate over land ownership reveals that bourgeois "rule of law" does not mean "protect the rights of the masses of people."
Some settlers argued that the land belonged to the Indians. These forces were excommunicated and expelled. Massachusetts Governor Winthrop declared the Indians had not "subdued" the land, and therefore all uncultivated lands should, according to English Common Law, be considered "public domain." This meant they belonged to the king. In short, the colonists decided they did not need to consult the Indians when they seized new lands, they only had to consult the representative of the crown (meaning the local governor).
The colonists embraced a line from Psalms 2:8. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Since then, European settler states have similarly declared god their real estate agent: from the Boers seizing South Africa to the Zionists seizing Palestine.
The Puritan preachers said, from Romans 13:2, "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." The colonial governments gathered an armed force of 240 under the command of John Mason. They were joined by a thousand Narragansett warriors. The historian Francis Jennings writes: "Mason proposed to avoid attacking Pequot warriors which would have overtaxed his unseasoned, unreliable troops. Battle, as such, was not his purpose. Battle is only one of the ways to destroy an enemy's will to fight. Massacre can accomplish the same end with less risk, and Mason had determined that massacre would be his objective."
William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, wrote: "Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire...horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them."
This so-called "Pequot war" was a one-sided murder and slaving expedition. Over 180 captives were taken. After consulting the bible again, in Leviticus 24:44, the colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Only 500 Pequot remained alive and free. In 1975 the official number of Pequot living in Connecticut was 21.
Looking at this history raises a question: Why should anyone celebrate the survival of the earliest Puritans with a Thanksgiving Day? Certainly the Native peoples of those times had no reason to celebrate.
The ruling powers of the United States organized people to celebrate Thanksgiving Day because it is in their interest. That's why they created it. The first national celebration of Thanksgiving was called for by George Washington. And the celebration was made a regular legal holiday later by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war (right as he sent troops to suppress the Sioux of Minnesota).
Washington and Lincoln were two presidents deeply involved in trying to forge a unified bourgeois nation-state out of the European settlers in the United States. And the Thanksgiving story was a useful myth in their efforts at U.S. nation-building. It celebrates the "bounty of the American way of life," while covering up the brutal nature of this society.
Available online at mikeely.wordpress.com. Send comments to: m1keely (at) yahoo.com
Published: December 2007. Feel free to reprint, distribute or quote this with attribution. This website’s contents are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 U.S. License.
Read more at http://kasamaproject.org/history/1793-25native-blood-the-myth-of-thanksgiving-cmigrator-copy-1
IF IT HAPPENED THERE…
The current Wampanoag have not forgotten. Their population consists of several groups, sometimes called "tribes", who base their membership upon closely maintained kinship ties to the aboriginal communities. Supposedly there are approximately 4,000 Wampanoag, some living in the traditional homeland, some living where their jobs and lifestyles have taken them. The two best known groups are those of Mashpee on Cape Cod and those of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard, which is the only Wampanoag group recognized by the federal government. Other Wampanoag trace their ancestries from Herring Pond (Bourne), Fresh Pond (Plymouth), Watuppa or Troy (Fall River), Pokanoket (Bristol and Warren, R.I.), Chappaquiddick Island, Christiantown or Takemmy (West Tisbury) and other places.
Read more at http://americanindiansource.com/mourningday.html
1. Give Guidance on Classroom No-Nos
2. Highlight Indigenous Recipes
3. Ask an Indian
4. Don’t Use Past Tense
5. Don’t Lose Native American Heritage in the Thanksgiving/Black Friday Shuffle
6. Trumpet the Real Thanksgiving Story Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/11/27/najas-6-story-tips-journalists-thanksgiving-152462
RAMONA PETERS
Yeah, it was made up. It was Abraham Lincoln who used the theme of Pilgrims and Indians eating happily together. He was trying to calm things down during the Civil War when people were divided. It was like a nice unity story.
So for Americans, for the most part there’s a Christian element to Thanksgiving so formal prayer and some families will go around the table and ask what are you thankful for this year. In Mashpee families we make offerings of tobacco. For traditionalists, we give thanks to our first mother, our human mother, and to Mother Earth. Then, because there’s no real time to it you embrace your thanks in passing them into the tobacco without necessarily speaking out loud, but to actually give your mind and spirit together thankful for so many things…
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/11/23/what-really-happened-first-thanksgiving-wampanoag-side-tale-and-whats-done-today-145807
MOONANUM JAMES & MAHTOWIN MUNRO
Every year since 1970, United American Indians of New England have organized the National Day of Mourning observance in Plymouth at noon on Thanksgiving Day. Every year, hundreds of Native people and our supporters from all four directions join us. Every year, including this year, Native people from throughout the Americas will speak the truth about our history and about current issues and struggles we are involved in.
Why do hundreds of people stand out in the cold rather than sit home eating turkey and watching football? Do we have something against a harvest festival?
Of course not. But Thanksgiving in this country -- and in particular in Plymouth --is much more than a harvest home festival. It is a celebration of the pilgrim mythology.
According to this mythology, the pilgrims arrived, the Native people fed them and welcomed them, the Indians promptly faded into the background, and everyone lived happily ever after.
The truth is a sharp contrast to that mythology.
The pilgrims are glorified and mythologized because the circumstances of the first English-speaking colony in Jamestown were frankly too ugly (for example, they turned to cannibalism to survive) to hold up as an effective national myth. The pilgrims did not find an empty land any more than Columbus "discovered" anything. Every inch of this land is Indian land. The pilgrims (who did not even call themselves pilgrims) did not come here seeking religious freedom; they already had that in Holland. They came here as part of a commercial venture. They introduced sexism, racism, anti-lesbian and gay bigotry, jails, and the class system to these shores. One of the very first things they did when they arrived on Cape Cod -- before they even made it to Plymouth -- was to rob Wampanoag graves at Corn Hill and steal as much of the Indians' winter provisions of corn and beans as they were able to carry. They were no better than any other group of Europeans when it came to their treatment of the Indigenous peoples here. And no, they did not even land at that sacred shrine called Plymouth Rock, a monument to racism and oppression which we are proud to say we buried in 1995.
Read more at http://www.uaine.org/dom.htm
EAGLE BULL-OXENDINE
“They sent an email literally asking us to keep our children home for the week of the festivities,” said Jeanne Eagle Bull-Oxendine. “So they could continue the mockery of our culture.”
When the family learned about the school’s Thanksgiving curriculum, they were not pleased.
“(It’s) making mockery of Native America culture,” explained Eagle Bull-Oxendine, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe. “More so, of the Lakota culture of dressing ceremonially. It’s offensive to us by making the headband and erecting a tee-pee.”
The school says they have been teaching the same curriculum for years.
“We present Native American homes – not just one tribe, but all kinds of Native American homes,” said school director Dena Stoneman. “(We’re) teaching the preschoolers about Pilgrims and Native American tribes, but not at all mocking Native Americans, not at all.”
As soon as they realized the program offended the family they cancelled the lesson, Stoneman said. “After talking to her we realized that the feathers were sacred to her tribe.”
Read more: http://fox5sandiego.com/2013/11/21/native-american-family-upset-over-thanksgiving-curriculum-at-school/#ixzz2ltykBTl8
DENNIS ZOTIGH
The Thanksgiving myth has done so much damage and harm to the cultural self-esteem of generations of Indian people, including myself, by perpetuating negative and harmful images to both young Indian and non-Indian minds. There are so many things wrong with the happy celebration that takes place in elementary schools and its association to American Indian culture; compromised integrity, stereotyping and cultural misappropriation are three examples.
Let's begin with Squanto (aka Tisquantum), a Patuxet, one of more than 50 tribes who formed the Wampanoag Confederacy. Around 1614, when he was perhaps 30, Squanto was kidnapped along with others of his people and taken across the Atlantic Ocean to Malaga, Spain, where they were sold into slavery. Monks in Spain bought Squanto, shared their faith with him, and made it possible for him to find his way to England in 1615. In England he worked for shipbuilder John Slany and became proficient in English. In 1619 Squanto returned to his homeland by joining an exploring expedition along the New England coast. When he arrived at the village where he has been raised, all his family and the rest of his tribe had been exterminated by a devastating plague.
What about the Pilgrims? Separatists who fled from England to Holland seeking to escape religious persecution by English authorities, and who later booked passage to North America, are now called "Pilgrims," though Americans did not widely use the term until the 1870s. In November 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor in present-day Provincetown Harbor. After exploring the coast for a few weeks, the Pilgrims landed and began building a permanent settlement on the ruins of Squanto's Patuxet village, now renamed New Plymouth. Within the first year, half of the 102 Pilgrims who set out from Europe on the Mayflower had perished. In desperation the Pilgrims initially survived by eating corn from abandoned fields, raiding villages for stored food and seed, and robbing graves at Corn Hill.
In the fall of 1621, William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony, decided to have a Plymouth harvest feast of thanksgiving and invited Massasoit, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Federation, to join the Pilgrims. Massasoit came with approximately 90 warriors and brought food to add to the feast, including venison, lobster, fish, wild fowl, clams, oysters, eel, corn, squash and maple syrup. Massasoit and the 90 warriors stayed in Plymouth for three days. These original Thanksgiving foods are far different from the meals prepared in modern Thanksgiving celebrations.
Squanto died in 1622, but Massasoit outlived the era of relative peace in colonial New England. On May 26, 1637, near the present-day Mystic River in Connecticut, while their warriors were away, an estimated 400 to 700 Pequot women, children and old men were massacred and burned by combined forces of the Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay and Saybrook (Connecticut) colonies and Narragansett and Mohegan allies. Colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Pequot slaves were sent to Bermuda and the West Indies
Do I celebrate Thanksgiving? No, I don't celebrate. But I do take advantage of the holiday and get together with family and friends to share a large meal without once thinking of the Thanksgiving in 1621. I think it is the same in many Native households. It is ironic that Thanksgiving takes place during American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month. An even greater irony is that more Americans today identify the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday than as National American Indian Heritage Day.
Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-w-zotigh/do-american-indians-celebrate-thanksgiving_b_2160786.html
MIKE ELY
It is a deep thing that people still celebrate the survival of the early colonists at Plymouth -- by giving thanks to the Christian God who supposedly protected and championed the European invasion. The real meaning of all that, then and now, needs to be continually excavated. The myths and lies that surround the past are constantly draped over the horrors and tortures of our present.
Every schoolchild in the U.S. has been taught that the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony invited the local Indians to a major harvest feast after surviving their first bitter year in New England. But the real history of Thanksgiving is a story of the murder of indigenous people and the theft of their land by European colonialists--and of the ruthless ways of capitalism.
In mid-winter 1620 the English ship Mayflower landed on the North American coast, delivering 102 exiles. The original Native people of this stretch of shoreline had already been killed off. In 1614 a British expedition had landed there. When they left they took 24 Indians as slaves and left smallpox behind. Three years of plague wiped out between 90 and 96 percent of the inhabitants of the coast, destroying most villages completely.
The Europeans landed and built their colony called "the Plymouth Plantation" near the deserted ruins of the Indian village of Pawtuxet. They ate from abandoned cornfields grown wild. Only one Pawtuxet named Squanto had survived--he had spent the last years as a slave to the English and Spanish in Europe. Squanto spoke the colonists' language and taught them how to plant corn and how to catch fish until the first harvest. Squanto also helped the colonists negotiate a peace treaty with the nearby Wampanoag tribe, led by the chief Massasoit.
But the peace that produced the Thanksgiving Feast of 1621 meant that the Puritans would have 15 years to establish a firm foothold on the coast. Until 1629 there were no more than 300 settlers in New England, scattered in small and isolated settlements. But their survival inspired a wave of Puritan invasion that soon established growing Massachusetts towns north of Plymouth: Boston and Salem. For 10 years, boatloads of new settlers came.
On arrival, the Puritans and other religious sects discussed "who legally owns all this land." They had to decide this, not just because of Anglo-Saxon traditions, but because their particular way of farming was based on individual--not communal or tribal--ownership. This debate over land ownership reveals that bourgeois "rule of law" does not mean "protect the rights of the masses of people."
Some settlers argued that the land belonged to the Indians. These forces were excommunicated and expelled. Massachusetts Governor Winthrop declared the Indians had not "subdued" the land, and therefore all uncultivated lands should, according to English Common Law, be considered "public domain." This meant they belonged to the king. In short, the colonists decided they did not need to consult the Indians when they seized new lands, they only had to consult the representative of the crown (meaning the local governor).
The colonists embraced a line from Psalms 2:8. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Since then, European settler states have similarly declared god their real estate agent: from the Boers seizing South Africa to the Zionists seizing Palestine.
The Puritan preachers said, from Romans 13:2, "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." The colonial governments gathered an armed force of 240 under the command of John Mason. They were joined by a thousand Narragansett warriors. The historian Francis Jennings writes: "Mason proposed to avoid attacking Pequot warriors which would have overtaxed his unseasoned, unreliable troops. Battle, as such, was not his purpose. Battle is only one of the ways to destroy an enemy's will to fight. Massacre can accomplish the same end with less risk, and Mason had determined that massacre would be his objective."
William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, wrote: "Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire...horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them."
This so-called "Pequot war" was a one-sided murder and slaving expedition. Over 180 captives were taken. After consulting the bible again, in Leviticus 24:44, the colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Only 500 Pequot remained alive and free. In 1975 the official number of Pequot living in Connecticut was 21.
Looking at this history raises a question: Why should anyone celebrate the survival of the earliest Puritans with a Thanksgiving Day? Certainly the Native peoples of those times had no reason to celebrate.
The ruling powers of the United States organized people to celebrate Thanksgiving Day because it is in their interest. That's why they created it. The first national celebration of Thanksgiving was called for by George Washington. And the celebration was made a regular legal holiday later by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war (right as he sent troops to suppress the Sioux of Minnesota).
Washington and Lincoln were two presidents deeply involved in trying to forge a unified bourgeois nation-state out of the European settlers in the United States. And the Thanksgiving story was a useful myth in their efforts at U.S. nation-building. It celebrates the "bounty of the American way of life," while covering up the brutal nature of this society.
Available online at mikeely.wordpress.com. Send comments to: m1keely (at) yahoo.com
Published: December 2007. Feel free to reprint, distribute or quote this with attribution. This website’s contents are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 U.S. License.
Read more at http://kasamaproject.org/history/1793-25native-blood-the-myth-of-thanksgiving-cmigrator-copy-1
IF IT HAPPENED THERE…
This is the fourth installment of a continuing series in which American events are described using the tropes and tone normally employed by the American media to describe events in other countries.
The annual holiday, known as Thanksgiving, celebrates a mythologized
moment of peace between America’s early foreign settlers and its native
groups—a day that by Americans' own admission preceded a near genocide
of those groups. Despite its murky origins, the holiday remains a rare
institution celebrated almost universally in this ethnically diverse
society.
During the holiday, more than 38.4 million Americans
will make the long pilgrimage home, traveling an average of 214 miles
over congested highways, often in inclement weather. The more prosperous
citizens will frequently opt for the nation's airways, suffering
through a series of flight delays and missed airline connections thanks
to the country’s decaying transportation infrastructure and residual
fears of foreign terrorist attacks.
Read more at http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/11/27/if_it_happened_there_how_the_u_s_media_would_cover_thanksgiving_if_it_was.html
ROY COOK
Bravely changing tactics, Philip returned to Mount Hope, where he would meet his fate. In July 1676 Church captured Philip's wife and son. Soon after, the despondent Philip shot one of his warriors. The man's brother would lead Church to the sachem, and on 12 August 1676 Church and his forces attacked Philip's encampment. Philip was shot and killed by an Indian named Alderman, and the corpse was drawn, quartered, and beheaded. Philip's head was placed upon a pole at Plymouth, where it served as a grisly reminder of the war. (Note 4) Read more at http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/11/27/if_it_happened_there_how_the_u_s_media_would_cover_thanksgiving_if_it_was.html
ROY COOK
The current Wampanoag have not forgotten. Their population consists of several groups, sometimes called "tribes", who base their membership upon closely maintained kinship ties to the aboriginal communities. Supposedly there are approximately 4,000 Wampanoag, some living in the traditional homeland, some living where their jobs and lifestyles have taken them. The two best known groups are those of Mashpee on Cape Cod and those of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard, which is the only Wampanoag group recognized by the federal government. Other Wampanoag trace their ancestries from Herring Pond (Bourne), Fresh Pond (Plymouth), Watuppa or Troy (Fall River), Pokanoket (Bristol and Warren, R.I.), Chappaquiddick Island, Christiantown or Takemmy (West Tisbury) and other places.
Read more at http://americanindiansource.com/mourningday.html
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Pow Wow Activities - Sample Assignment by CFT
Pow Wow Investigation Activity (This can be given to kids with the expectation that they will attend a weekend Pow Wow)
You can get this information by listening to the Announcer, reading the program, asking the vendors questions, speaking with dancers, and looking at tables and books.
1. After Grand Entry, there is a Veteran’s Dance, who is considered a veteran?
2. Why are circles important? Which direction does the dance area open toward? Why?
3. What is one special kind of dance?
4. How many Jingle Dress or Grass Dancers were there?
5. How many drums and drummers? Are they all women or men? Why?
6. Ask Native American people you see what Nation (tribe) they come from until you have three different tribes. List them.
7. What is the Announcer/emcee's name and nation?
8. What is the storyteller’s name and nation?
9. Why is storytelling important?
10. What story did you hear from the storyteller?
11. What does Intertribal mean?
12. Were there any special ceremonies that occurred?
13. Find someone selling dream catchers, what is a dream catcher and why is it important?
14. Find someone selling sage. What does sage smell like to you? Why is sage important?
15. Europeans traded glass bead with Native Americans, what are three *traditional* materials that Native Americans make their own beads from?
16. Name two instruments you can buy at Pow Wow.
17. Name three things made of leather that you see today.
18. What are three things you saw specifically for children today.
19. How many turtles did you see?
20. What is something you should NOT do at Pow Wow?
21. How many children do you see in regalia?
22. Do all Native Americans have black hair? feathers? live in a teepee? wear moccasins?
23. Introduce yourself to one Native American person in regalia. Tell your name, grades, school, and background. find out from them:
- their name or names (they may have a Native name and an English name)
- their nation
- where they live
- what they do for work
- how they travel
- any meanings about their regalia
Answer Key
1. A veteran may be anyone who put their life between their home and the enemy, or sent a child to war.
2. In this area of the country, circles open in the East. The East is where the sun rises and many nations in the East have this as part of the meaning of their name, ie: “People of the Morning Sun”. They are important because circles symbolize many things, including life, equality, and balance, etc.
3. Some specialty dances are Grass, Fancy, Traditional, Jingle, Hoop, etc.
5. Even though women are and have always been drummers, recent Eastern traditions exclude women from drumming at the “mother drum” due to how much “power” they have to “amplify”, they can sing and rattle at the drum and using hand drums is okay, but they would not be sitting and drumming.
7. What is the Announcer/emcee's name/nation? (Marvin Burnette/Sioux, Starr/Nipmuc, answers vary)
8. What is the storyteller’s name/nation? (Loril MoonDream/White Mountain Apache, answers may vary)
9. Stories teach behavior, tell the history, give role models, etc.
11. Intertribal means many nations have come together, many nations are sharing their dance and songs, guests are also invited to dance, etc.
12. Some special ceremonies are honor dances, eagle feather retrieval, etc.
13. Traditionally a piece of vine twisted in a loop, now sometimes made with wire, with a “web” made of sinew inside. It is put at the head of one’s bed to “catch” the bad dreams, while letting the good ones pass through. Objibway/Assinabe origins)
14. The smoke from burning sage is used to purify and cleanse the spirit, like water cleans the body.
15. Some *traditional* materials that Native Americans make their own beads are bone, wood, clay, shell, etc.
16. Some instruments you can buy at Pow Wow are drum, flute, rattle, etc.
17. Some things made of leather are regalia, pouches, purses, moccasins, etc.
18. Some things specifically for children could be cradle board, books, moccasins, etc.
19. Turtles could be in books, regalia, statues, jewelry.
EXTRA CREDIT
Friday, November 5, 2010
Pow Wow Etiquette
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The word Pow Wow comes from the Algonquin "pauau" and means a gathering of people to celebrate an important event. Most Pow Wows are non-profit and depend upon donations, raffles, blanket dances, etc. for support. Donations are encouraged as a way to honor someone. Any participant can drop money onto the blanket to aid in the powwow expenses.
We are always glad to see people attend pow wows, and learn more about our cultures and ways. If you have never been to a Pow Wow, here are a few rules that may help you feel more comfortable and know what to expect. Keep in mind that traditions vary from region to region and Pow Wow to Pow Wow. When in doubt, quietly wait until there is a break in the action and ask the folks near the drum(s) to point you towards the Arena Director (Master of Ceremonies /Announcer). Here are some general guidelines to follow:
The Arena:
The arena is considered a sacred ground and should be treated with respect. Profanity and unruly behavior should not be used. Never cut across it to get to the opposite side. Treat the arena as you would treat a church. Go in the "door" and out the same way, not under ropes.
Do not sit on the benches inside the circle around the dance area, these are for dancers in regalia. Seats with blankets, shawls or regalia items on them are “taken” and should not be bothered. Do NOT sit on someone else's blanket unless invited. Uncovered seats are considered available. Many Pow Wows don’t have seating, so, bring along a lawn chair or blanket and make yourself comfortable.
Pets should be left at home. The Arena is a sacred place from the time it is blessed until the Pow Wow is over. At no time should pets be allowed in the Arena, unless they are working service animals.
The formal part of a Pow Wow begins with Grand Entry around noon. When the Eagle Staff is brought into the arena, in the company of the American Flag, or when they are taken from the arena, it is respectful to stand and remove your hat in honor. The Flag Song, Honor Songs, Veterans Songs, and Indian National Anthem also require the respect of standing and hat removal (unless wearing an eagle feather or other powerful personal medicine). They are not songs for dancing. The Pow Wow ends with the closing ceremonies. In between, there is dancing, drumming, stories, and sometimes crafts for children, special demonstration, etc. The Announcer lets people know what is going to be happening.
Recording/Photos:
Photos of individual dancers should only be taken with their permission, and no commercial photography without first checking with the MC and Pow Wow staff. Tape recording of the drums should be done only after asking the drum group. Video recording should be only for personal use, unless by previous arrangement with the staff. Absolutely NO recording of any kind on Honor Songs, Flag Songs, Veterans Songs, Gourd Dancing, prayers, or at any other time the MC specifies. Obtaining an individual's permission is a respectful recognition of that person's dignity and rights of privacy.
Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs and Other Disrespectful Behaviors:
Pow wows have strict rules against alcohol and drug use in the entire area of the pow wow, and most prohibit smoking in or near the arena. Dress and act appropriately. Hot pants, halter tops, and swimwear are not appropriate in most dance arenas, consider bringing something to “cover up.” Pointing with the fingers is considered poor manners by some nations. If you must point, use your head and nod in the direction you wish to indicate.
Arts and Crafts:
At any given pow wow, you will find a wide array of Native arts, handmade crafts, and jewelry for sale. Often this is how these vendors make a living, and sell quality goods at a reasonable price. Most will not accept checks, so it is a good idea to have cash on hand. Please use care when handling merchandise.
The Regalia:
Dancers wear traditional regalia, not costumes, when they dance. If they are going to dance anything other than open Intertribals, they wear regalia. Every part of a dancer's regalia is very important to him or her for various reasons. Many hours go into the intricate beadwork and detailing, and a full set of regalia may take years to complete. The feathers or leather may be over 100 years old and very fragile. Never intentionally touch another dancer’s regalia, person or property without permission.
If you should discover a feather on the ground (this is really about Eagle feathers, but many children cannot tell the difference), please, do not pick it up! Rather, guard it and notify a Pow Wow official. There are ceremonies for the returning of a fallen eagle feather, which under no circumstances may be photographed or video taped. Certain items of religious significance should be worn only by those qualified to do so. Respect the traditions.
Dancing:
The Announcer will specify who is to dance and when, and when visitors may participate. Listen to the Director. S/He will announce who is to dance and when. Most Pow Wows conduct Intertribals in which the public may participate. Before dancing barefoot speak with the Arena Director. At some events this may only be done by Sundancers known to the organizers. In some places it is OK for adults to dance while carrying infants or small children. In other places this is considered contrary to local etiquette. Ask before doing so.
Respect the Head Man and Head Woman Dancers. Their role entitles them to start each song or set of songs. Please wait until they have started to dance before you join in. In some traditions, it is considered improper to pass the Head Man or Woman Dancer within the Arena.
Some songs require that you be familiar with the routine or have special eligibility rules in order to participate. Trot dances, snake, buffalo, etc. require particular steps or routines. Veterans dances may be restricted to Veterans, Combat Veterans or in some cases, War Mothers or the relations of Veterans. If you are not familiar with a particular dance, observe and learn. Watch the Head Dancers to learn the procedures.
Drumming:
Before sitting at a drum, ask permission from the Head singer. Do not touch a drum without permission. If you wish to ask for a special song from a drum, talk to the Area Director first and make sure the Master of Ceremonies is informed. It is traditional to make a gift (monetary, tobacco, or otherwise) to the Drum for special requests. More information about the Drum can be found here.
Giveaways:
Giveaways, attributes of Indian generosity, are held at many dances. They are acknowledgments of appreciation to recipients for honor or service given to the people. When receiving a gift, the recipient thanks everyone involved in the giving. They may be asked to dance in an Honor Song following the Giveaway.
Questions:
If you have a question, ask, just take time to get to know the person you are talking with, before asking a string of questions. Most dancers, singers, elders and staff are happy to help. It’s nice to offer a cold drink or other small, symbolic gift to those who help you.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Transforming Curriculum
Below are some websites which offer lesson plans and ideas for curriculum transformation, in general, not specifically NA. Using activities from these sites are a good way to open your heart and mind to including the multiple perspectives of many oppressed groups while gaining skills/techniques to do so…
RaceBridges for Schools (www.racebridgesforschools.com
Teaching Tolerance (http://www.tolerance.org/) offers lessons on social justice across different oppression (sexism, racism, environment, poverty, family/homophobia, etc.)
Quiz on Native Americans
Ed Change (http://www.edchange.org) free handouts for a variety of differnet workshops, trainings, and classes. Professional development, research, and resources for diversity, multiculturalism, and cultural competency.
Some of Claudia's THINKING on Teaching (in general).
Thanksgiving lesson plans and ideas
RaceBridges for Schools (www.racebridgesforschools.com
Teaching Tolerance (http://www.tolerance.org/) offers lessons on social justice across different oppression (sexism, racism, environment, poverty, family/homophobia, etc.)
Quiz on Native Americans
Ed Change (http://www.edchange.org) free handouts for a variety of differnet workshops, trainings, and classes. Professional development, research, and resources for diversity, multiculturalism, and cultural competency.
Some of Claudia's THINKING on Teaching (in general).
Thanksgiving lesson plans and ideas
Friday, September 3, 2010
What Can a Pow Wow Do for A Community? by CFT
Here's my thoughts on some questions which I frequently get in various forms. I notice my answers are somewhat the same each time, but threads or themes get emphasized more or less each time I see the questions - just depends on where my mind is at the moment! Here are my thoughts today…
How accurately are Native American traditions portrayed?
In what? Music, movies, video games, literature, advertisements, cartoons, in educational curriculum, by anthropologists? The list goes on. If you ask a child (and many adults), "What does a Native American look like?" You will get a visual of a person with feathers holding a weapon, sometimes he/she will have long hair. That image is so ingrained in the United States psyche that it is difficult to unravel because alongside the image is the teaching that most Native people are dead and that we all lived in the past. Movies and literature written by Native people have made many strides forward in accurate portrayals, however, generally are not as popular as writing and movies by nonNative people about Native Americans.
In sports, caricatures of Native people and stereotypical acts (tomahawk chop) exist and are accepted in ways portraying any other ethnic group would be seen as an obvious stereotype and eliminated. There are things about us that are true for some of us, but they are blown out of proportion and applied to everyone. Yes, many of us are spiritual, but not to the exclusion of other ways to be. Yes, we protect the land, don't we all want clean water and not chemically treated food? Yes, we complain about stereotypes and inaccuracies of us as a people, but that's because change for our community is coming at such a slow pace. There are many more things about us that are false: we don't all live in tipis, we don't all ride horses, we don't all wear leather or feathers or moccasins or head dresses…
What is meaningful about these types of gatherings? How does it affect those who attend them?
Gatherings, such as Pow Wows, are meaningful in multiple ways. For the public, in the most simple way, they offer a place to see a "real Indian," not the storybook stereotype, but a living Native person who is blending traditional and contemporary traditions and culture in today's world - just like everybody else. In a more complex way, visitors to a Pow Wow get to see (and sometimes experience) the original "American" culture, that of the indigenous people of the Americas. I refer to all indigenous people of the Western hemisphere because the United States political boundaries are much newer than the Nations who spread out and lived upon this land from Canada to South America. Visitors can also learn more in depth information by listening to the emcee and asking questions of dancers and vendors.
For us, a Pow Wow is a social gathering where we can see and interact and dance with other Native Americans in ways that our ancestors have been getting together for generations. It's like "FaceBook live." While we come from all over and have diverse backgrounds, we also share our common Native American heritage. We don't have churches or community centers in every town where we can get together, or even a radio station or television show where we can hear/see ourselves accurately represented. Pow Wow is a place to bring our families, be ourselves, and see some the diversity of the Native American experience.
What more could be done to integrate Native American traditions and ways of thinking into a town's day-to-day life?
Acknowledging that Native Americans lived on the very land that the town now lies on is a beginning. There are probably roads and lakes with Native American names. These road were probably once the trails and paths which Native people walked. The fields were probably clear cut by indigenous people. The balance that existed between living on the land and keeping the land healthy is another value that people in Haverhill can take into day-to-day life. And finally, gaining perspective on how we all share the world with many ethnic groups who have different practices and beliefs, that no one way is the only (or the "right") way to be. That perspective is a gift to everyone who thinks they are "just like everybody else."
How accurately are Native American traditions portrayed?
In what? Music, movies, video games, literature, advertisements, cartoons, in educational curriculum, by anthropologists? The list goes on. If you ask a child (and many adults), "What does a Native American look like?" You will get a visual of a person with feathers holding a weapon, sometimes he/she will have long hair. That image is so ingrained in the United States psyche that it is difficult to unravel because alongside the image is the teaching that most Native people are dead and that we all lived in the past. Movies and literature written by Native people have made many strides forward in accurate portrayals, however, generally are not as popular as writing and movies by nonNative people about Native Americans.
In sports, caricatures of Native people and stereotypical acts (tomahawk chop) exist and are accepted in ways portraying any other ethnic group would be seen as an obvious stereotype and eliminated. There are things about us that are true for some of us, but they are blown out of proportion and applied to everyone. Yes, many of us are spiritual, but not to the exclusion of other ways to be. Yes, we protect the land, don't we all want clean water and not chemically treated food? Yes, we complain about stereotypes and inaccuracies of us as a people, but that's because change for our community is coming at such a slow pace. There are many more things about us that are false: we don't all live in tipis, we don't all ride horses, we don't all wear leather or feathers or moccasins or head dresses…
What is meaningful about these types of gatherings? How does it affect those who attend them?
Gatherings, such as Pow Wows, are meaningful in multiple ways. For the public, in the most simple way, they offer a place to see a "real Indian," not the storybook stereotype, but a living Native person who is blending traditional and contemporary traditions and culture in today's world - just like everybody else. In a more complex way, visitors to a Pow Wow get to see (and sometimes experience) the original "American" culture, that of the indigenous people of the Americas. I refer to all indigenous people of the Western hemisphere because the United States political boundaries are much newer than the Nations who spread out and lived upon this land from Canada to South America. Visitors can also learn more in depth information by listening to the emcee and asking questions of dancers and vendors.
For us, a Pow Wow is a social gathering where we can see and interact and dance with other Native Americans in ways that our ancestors have been getting together for generations. It's like "FaceBook live." While we come from all over and have diverse backgrounds, we also share our common Native American heritage. We don't have churches or community centers in every town where we can get together, or even a radio station or television show where we can hear/see ourselves accurately represented. Pow Wow is a place to bring our families, be ourselves, and see some the diversity of the Native American experience.
What more could be done to integrate Native American traditions and ways of thinking into a town's day-to-day life?
Acknowledging that Native Americans lived on the very land that the town now lies on is a beginning. There are probably roads and lakes with Native American names. These road were probably once the trails and paths which Native people walked. The fields were probably clear cut by indigenous people. The balance that existed between living on the land and keeping the land healthy is another value that people in Haverhill can take into day-to-day life. And finally, gaining perspective on how we all share the world with many ethnic groups who have different practices and beliefs, that no one way is the only (or the "right") way to be. That perspective is a gift to everyone who thinks they are "just like everybody else."
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Lesson Plans
Whether book, movie, lesson plan, or other media source, my comment stands - Educate yourself and talk about the controversies/issues - there is NO PERFECT SOURCE, only really good questions to get to deeper understanding. Having said that, these links are great beginnings for the novice teacher or to enhance the lessons of the experienced teacher!
This is such an awesome NA Lesson plan website I can't even describe it! I don't like the Cowboy/Indian game, but everything else looks great (and, yes, I reviewed every downloadable lesson, through I didn't review every on line resource link).
Preserving cultural artifacts.
My "Language Cards" and how I use them at Pow Wow.
GENERAL CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION LESSONS HERE
Talking Circles: For Restorative Justice and Beyond
This is such an awesome NA Lesson plan website I can't even describe it! I don't like the Cowboy/Indian game, but everything else looks great (and, yes, I reviewed every downloadable lesson, through I didn't review every on line resource link).
Preserving cultural artifacts.
My "Language Cards" and how I use them at Pow Wow.
GENERAL CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION LESSONS HERE
Talking Circles: For Restorative Justice and Beyond
Friday, April 17, 2009
Religion and Christian Privilege - Short Compilation of Thoughts by Leaders in the Field…
Most of the religious hegemony evident in this country is Christian hegemony. The concept of "hegemony" (Gramsci, 1971) describes the ways in which the dominant group, in this case Christians in general and predominantly Protestants, successfully disseminate dominant social realities and social visions in a manner accepted as common sense, as "normal," as universal. The dominant group (in this instance, Christians) reiterates its values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating those who do not adhere to Christian faith traditions.
Based on Peggy McIntosh's (1988) pioneering investigations of white and male privilege, we can, by analogy, understand Christian privilege as constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged array of benefits accorded to Christians, with which they often unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack tossed over their shoulders. This system of benefits confers dominance on Christians while subordinating members of other faith communities as well as non-believers. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the society. They are encoded into the individual's consciousness and woven into the fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social order privileging dominant ("agent") groups while restricting and disempowering subordinate ("target") groups.
Religion and spirituality are private matters between individuals and families. Religion and religious practices should not be imposed upon those who do not as members of dominant groups may believe. We truly need to separate religion from government, and religion from the public square.
Warren Blumenfeld
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Iowa State University
I think asking people who are religiously oppressed or forced to live under Christian hegemony when they are, say, Muslim, to "enjoy the celebration of" Christianity (the privileged religion--as part of a celebration of all faiths) is a lot like asking women to enjoy the celebration of patriarchy or asking people of color to enjoy the celebration of white supremacy. The point is that in our society ONLY Christianity is "officially" celebrated. Anything outside of that hegemonic norm is repressed immediately and harshly, systemically speaking.
This reminds me of doing some work at a school in the New England area. I was doing focus groups as part of an equity assessment. I first met with students of color and asked them what their experience of "diversity" was at the school. They said things like "I feel like a visitor in my own school" and "there's racism here and nobody's doing anything about it." Then, moving from the group with the LEAST amount of power in the school to the one with the MOST power, I met with the upper-level administrators, and asked them the same question. The head of the school responded, "We need to celebrate the joys of diversity." Should we not work, first, on making a society which is just and equitable, so that we can "celebrate" more authentically? And isn't the elimination of the privileged and oppressive religion from the public sphere (just as the elimination of white supremacy or patriarchy from the same institutions) a reasonable point of departure?
I'd be more open to the idea of celebrating all faiths if we could first pay serious attentions to the concerns Warren raised. But the idea of focusing on celebrating all faiths in a sociopolitical climate in which that's nowhere near a reality seems, to me, to be another layer of hegemony.
Paul C. Gorski
Based on Peggy McIntosh's (1988) pioneering investigations of white and male privilege, we can, by analogy, understand Christian privilege as constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged array of benefits accorded to Christians, with which they often unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack tossed over their shoulders. This system of benefits confers dominance on Christians while subordinating members of other faith communities as well as non-believers. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the society. They are encoded into the individual's consciousness and woven into the fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social order privileging dominant ("agent") groups while restricting and disempowering subordinate ("target") groups.
Religion and spirituality are private matters between individuals and families. Religion and religious practices should not be imposed upon those who do not as members of dominant groups may believe. We truly need to separate religion from government, and religion from the public square.
Warren Blumenfeld
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Iowa State University
Co-editor of Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious
Oppression in the United States, 2009, Sense Publishers
I think asking people who are religiously oppressed or forced to live under Christian hegemony when they are, say, Muslim, to "enjoy the celebration of" Christianity (the privileged religion--as part of a celebration of all faiths) is a lot like asking women to enjoy the celebration of patriarchy or asking people of color to enjoy the celebration of white supremacy. The point is that in our society ONLY Christianity is "officially" celebrated. Anything outside of that hegemonic norm is repressed immediately and harshly, systemically speaking.
This reminds me of doing some work at a school in the New England area. I was doing focus groups as part of an equity assessment. I first met with students of color and asked them what their experience of "diversity" was at the school. They said things like "I feel like a visitor in my own school" and "there's racism here and nobody's doing anything about it." Then, moving from the group with the LEAST amount of power in the school to the one with the MOST power, I met with the upper-level administrators, and asked them the same question. The head of the school responded, "We need to celebrate the joys of diversity." Should we not work, first, on making a society which is just and equitable, so that we can "celebrate" more authentically? And isn't the elimination of the privileged and oppressive religion from the public sphere (just as the elimination of white supremacy or patriarchy from the same institutions) a reasonable point of departure?
I'd be more open to the idea of celebrating all faiths if we could first pay serious attentions to the concerns Warren raised. But the idea of focusing on celebrating all faiths in a sociopolitical climate in which that's nowhere near a reality seems, to me, to be another layer of hegemony.
Paul C. Gorski
Founder, EdChange - http://www.EdChange.org
Board of Directors, International Assoc. for Intercultural
Education - http://www.iaie.org
Friday, September 19, 2008
Last of the Mohicans Movie Letter, 2008 by CFT
Dear Claudia,
What do you think about using the film, The Last of the Mohicans, to educate students? Would you consider this film inappropriate or personally offensive?
From,
George (name changed)
Dear George,
In general, I think almost all resources can be used as a teaching tool, if the appropriate teaching is going on. That would mean stereotypes are being dismantled, critical thinking skills are being applied, omissions are pointed out, misinformation is being addressed, and such.
Having said that, I might give a more specific response depending on the reason a particular resource is chosen. So, why is the movie being shown?
Is it to learn about the Mohicans/Mahicans? (It would be important to connect with the Mohican nation via web or newsletters - obviously interesting since this book/movie is a fictional account about "the last" and the nation still exists, which is an important point to make, see here).
Is it to learn about the time period? (The preceeding events and subsequent events would need to be explained so that kids knew the NA perspective and impact)
Is it to learn about Native Americans of long ago? (It's important to always bring NA's into the present and to realize that this is a fictional account - therefore how accurate can it be?)
Is it to learn about current Native Americans? (The Mohicans left New York and came down to CT, where they split into the Mohegan and Pequot Nations)
Once questions like these are answered, the next question, "Is there a better choice?" arises. If not, then it would be important to discuss the issues I've mentioned.
Off the top of my head, things that come to my mind about this movie are:
And this website said: "When James Fenimore Cooper wrote Last of the Mohicans in 1826, he made the Mahican famous. Unfortunately, he also made them extinct in the minds of many people and also confused their name and history with the Mohegan from eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, this misconception has persisted, and most Americans today would be surprised to learn the Mahican are very much alive and living in Wisconsin under an assumed name ...Stockbridge Indians. With a similar language and name, the Mahican (Mohican) and the Mohegan may have been members of the same tribe before contact. The Mohegan, however, migrated east as part of the Pequot and settled in eastern Connecticut sometime around 1500, while the Mahican stayed in the Hudson Valley. Afterwards, these two tribes followed separate paths.
Although culturally similar to other woodland Algonquin, the Mahican were shaped by their constant warfare with the neighboring Iroquois. Politically, the Mahican were a confederacy of five tribes with as many 40 villages. In keeping with other eastern Algonkin, civil authority was not strong. Mahican villages were governed by hereditary sachems (matrilineal descent) advised by a council of the clan leaders. The Mahican had three clans: bear, wolf, and turtle. However, warfare required a higher degree of organization. A general council of sachems met regularly at their capital of Shodac (east of present-day Albany) to decide important matters affecting the entire confederacy. In times of war, the Mahican council passed its authority to a war chief chosen for his proven ability. For the duration of the conflict, the war leader exercised almost dictatorial power.
Mahican villages were fairly large. Usually consisting of 20 to 30 mid-sized longhouses, they were located on hills and heavily fortified. Large cornfields were located nearby. Agriculture provided most of their diet but was supplemented by game, fish, and wild foods. For reasons of safety, the Mahican did to move to scattered hunting camps during the winter like other Algonquin and usually spent the colder months inside their "castles" (fortified villages). Copper, gotten from the Great Lakes through trade, was used extensively for ornaments and some of their arrowheads. Once they began trade with the Dutch, the Mahican abandoned many of their traditional weapons and quickly became very expert with their new firearms. Contrary to the usual stereotype, most Mahican warriors were deadly marksmen. The mother of the famous Miami chief Little Turtle was a Mahican."
I could say more if I had more specifics about how the movie was being used, but I hope this helps.
Yours,
Claudia
What do you think about using the film, The Last of the Mohicans, to educate students? Would you consider this film inappropriate or personally offensive?
From,
George (name changed)
<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>
Dear George,
In general, I think almost all resources can be used as a teaching tool, if the appropriate teaching is going on. That would mean stereotypes are being dismantled, critical thinking skills are being applied, omissions are pointed out, misinformation is being addressed, and such.
Having said that, I might give a more specific response depending on the reason a particular resource is chosen. So, why is the movie being shown?
Is it to learn about the Mohicans/Mahicans? (It would be important to connect with the Mohican nation via web or newsletters - obviously interesting since this book/movie is a fictional account about "the last" and the nation still exists, which is an important point to make, see here).
Is it to learn about the time period? (The preceeding events and subsequent events would need to be explained so that kids knew the NA perspective and impact)
Is it to learn about Native Americans of long ago? (It's important to always bring NA's into the present and to realize that this is a fictional account - therefore how accurate can it be?)
Is it to learn about current Native Americans? (The Mohicans left New York and came down to CT, where they split into the Mohegan and Pequot Nations)
Once questions like these are answered, the next question, "Is there a better choice?" arises. If not, then it would be important to discuss the issues I've mentioned.
Off the top of my head, things that come to my mind about this movie are:
- The stereotype of the "noble savage" which appears in this movie. It would be important to dismantle all the stereotypes.
- Non Native actors playing Native roles - Why is this? Who has respect in the acting field and who doesn't, how does this relate to the mythology of "playing Indian", etc. Who is making the money by telling the Native story? (NAs or non NAs). These questions go for novels about NAs, as well. Tony Hillerman (non NA) has made more money from one book about the Navajo than every other NA author put together (according to Sherman Alexi, a NA author).
- It's a fiction. Which means the history, ceremonies, etc. are probably made up. I'm not a Mahican expert, so I couldn't be exactly sure.
And this website said: "When James Fenimore Cooper wrote Last of the Mohicans in 1826, he made the Mahican famous. Unfortunately, he also made them extinct in the minds of many people and also confused their name and history with the Mohegan from eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, this misconception has persisted, and most Americans today would be surprised to learn the Mahican are very much alive and living in Wisconsin under an assumed name ...Stockbridge Indians. With a similar language and name, the Mahican (Mohican) and the Mohegan may have been members of the same tribe before contact. The Mohegan, however, migrated east as part of the Pequot and settled in eastern Connecticut sometime around 1500, while the Mahican stayed in the Hudson Valley. Afterwards, these two tribes followed separate paths.
Although culturally similar to other woodland Algonquin, the Mahican were shaped by their constant warfare with the neighboring Iroquois. Politically, the Mahican were a confederacy of five tribes with as many 40 villages. In keeping with other eastern Algonkin, civil authority was not strong. Mahican villages were governed by hereditary sachems (matrilineal descent) advised by a council of the clan leaders. The Mahican had three clans: bear, wolf, and turtle. However, warfare required a higher degree of organization. A general council of sachems met regularly at their capital of Shodac (east of present-day Albany) to decide important matters affecting the entire confederacy. In times of war, the Mahican council passed its authority to a war chief chosen for his proven ability. For the duration of the conflict, the war leader exercised almost dictatorial power.
Mahican villages were fairly large. Usually consisting of 20 to 30 mid-sized longhouses, they were located on hills and heavily fortified. Large cornfields were located nearby. Agriculture provided most of their diet but was supplemented by game, fish, and wild foods. For reasons of safety, the Mahican did to move to scattered hunting camps during the winter like other Algonquin and usually spent the colder months inside their "castles" (fortified villages). Copper, gotten from the Great Lakes through trade, was used extensively for ornaments and some of their arrowheads. Once they began trade with the Dutch, the Mahican abandoned many of their traditional weapons and quickly became very expert with their new firearms. Contrary to the usual stereotype, most Mahican warriors were deadly marksmen. The mother of the famous Miami chief Little Turtle was a Mahican."
I could say more if I had more specifics about how the movie was being used, but I hope this helps.
Yours,
Claudia
Sunday, November 25, 2007
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Songs
Lyrics/Vocables for Songs I Use in My Classes
You can find many of these songs on YouTube, all on their original Music CD, and mostly all on iTunes.
Mostly Pow Wow Drum Songs
ARAWAK MOUNTAIN SINGERS (Arawak and Taino)
Listen To The Jingles 2:15
Everybody Dance 2:48
Señorita Linda 3:18
Soldier Boy Fought Hard 3:36
Dance Dancers Dance 3:37
Guazabara 3:22
Within The Circle 3:31
BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE (Crow - from Montana)
Hey Ney Ya Na – Ute 3:50
Wishi Ta 5:49
Neesa Neesa 2:49
Women's Shuffle
Willow Song 4:19
CRYSTAL WOMAN (Cherokee)
Honoring the Deer 2:14
EASTERN EAGLE SINGERS (Canada)
Mi'kmaq Gathering 2:10
Kwan-Do-Daey 2:48
Ko-Ju-A 2:56
Rabbit Two Step 2:53
JOANNE SHENANDOAH (Wolf Clan/Oneida Nation - Iroquois Confederacy)
Iroquois Social Songs 5:27
SHARON BURCH (Navajo)
Little Star Shine 3:34
First Cry 3:05
I Walk Alone 3:39
Welcome Home 3:43
Corn Song 3:07
ULALI (Cherokee and Tuscarora)
Mahk Jchi 2:39
Mother 4:38
Native American Rattle 1:17
WALELA (Cherokee) Video of their song below:
Mostly in English Native American Songs
JOANNE SHENANDOAH (Wolf Clan/Oneida Nation - Iroquois Confederacy)
I May Want a Man 4:02 with A. Paul Ortega
We Are the Iroquois 3:32
Please Sign Here 4:22
BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE (Crow - from Montana)
Walking (Pine Needles) 4:24
Circle Round the Wheel 6:22
Path of Beauty 5:32
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (Cree) Here is her educational website
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee 5:16
My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying 6:49
CRYSTAL WOMAN (Cherokee)
Here Come a Woman 3:41
Eagle Prayer Song 2:52
The Buffalo 3:27
The Trail of Tears 5:18
Who Will Speak for Mother Earth? 4:02
Seven Generations from Now 5:38
Fancy Dancer 3:11
Amazing Grace 4:14 video below:
SHARON BURCH (Navajo)
We Are Here 2:55
Colors of My Heart 4:18
Brother Warrior 5:04
WALELA (Cherokee)
I Have No Indian Name 4:33
You can find many of these songs on YouTube, all on their original Music CD, and mostly all on iTunes.
Mostly Pow Wow Drum Songs
ARAWAK MOUNTAIN SINGERS (Arawak and Taino)
Listen To The Jingles 2:15
Everybody Dance 2:48
Señorita Linda 3:18
Soldier Boy Fought Hard 3:36
Dance Dancers Dance 3:37
Guazabara 3:22
Within The Circle 3:31
BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE (Crow - from Montana)
Hey Ney Ya Na – Ute 3:50
Wishi Ta 5:49
Neesa Neesa 2:49
Women's Shuffle
Willow Song 4:19
CRYSTAL WOMAN (Cherokee)
Honoring the Deer 2:14
EASTERN EAGLE SINGERS (Canada)
Mi'kmaq Gathering 2:10
Kwan-Do-Daey 2:48
Ko-Ju-A 2:56
Rabbit Two Step 2:53
JOANNE SHENANDOAH (Wolf Clan/Oneida Nation - Iroquois Confederacy)
Iroquois Social Songs 5:27
SHARON BURCH (Navajo)
Little Star Shine 3:34
First Cry 3:05
I Walk Alone 3:39
Welcome Home 3:43
Corn Song 3:07
ULALI (Cherokee and Tuscarora)
Mahk Jchi 2:39
Mother 4:38
Native American Rattle 1:17
WALELA (Cherokee) Video of their song below:
Mostly in English Native American Songs
JOANNE SHENANDOAH (Wolf Clan/Oneida Nation - Iroquois Confederacy)
I May Want a Man 4:02 with A. Paul Ortega
We Are the Iroquois 3:32
Please Sign Here 4:22
BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE (Crow - from Montana)
Walking (Pine Needles) 4:24
Circle Round the Wheel 6:22
Path of Beauty 5:32
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (Cree) Here is her educational website
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee 5:16
My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying 6:49
CRYSTAL WOMAN (Cherokee)
Here Come a Woman 3:41
Eagle Prayer Song 2:52
The Buffalo 3:27
The Trail of Tears 5:18
Who Will Speak for Mother Earth? 4:02
Seven Generations from Now 5:38
Fancy Dancer 3:11
Amazing Grace 4:14 video below:
SHARON BURCH (Navajo)
We Are Here 2:55
Colors of My Heart 4:18
Brother Warrior 5:04
WALELA (Cherokee)
I Have No Indian Name 4:33
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Dear Teacher, 2007 by CFT
September 4, 2007
Dear Teachers,
I’m Sequoya’s mom. Some of you may know his older sibling, Cheyenne or me. This is my eleventh year writing one of these opening letters. I have written over 150 letters in that time and cc’d the principals and superintendent each year. As opening day approaches, I would like to share with you, the teachers who will spend so many hours with my child, my feelings about what it means to be a Native American in this community.
I don’t know how many times you have had a Native American child in your classes, but I do know, as a parent, it is really hard to be Native American in this town. Over the years, the town and the schools have reached out to include the Native voice, but it is still minimal when compared with all there is. For example, we can’t be with Native Americans any time we want, none of the teachers any of my children have had have ever identified as Native American, there isn’t a regular “place of worship with like believers” that has a service once a week in town, people don’t celebrate the same holidays, images of Native Americans don’t really look like us, curriculum is loaded with stereotypes and misinformation, the Native perspective is frequently missing across the board (literature, history, the arts), and I could go on. My point is, that many of the things we value and do aren’t components of mainstream Bedford life or the school system, it takes me an additional effort to raise my children as strong, proud, educated Native Americans who feel a sense of community in this town, as well as with other Native Americans. All these community circles are important for their well being, to have a network for support, and in order to grow up with a strong sense of identity.
I have found that informing teachers directly about our religious observances allows for the least amount of conflicts. State and federal law requires schools to make reasonable accommodations to the religious needs of students, which usually means no homework, but I know that other holidays are met with more respect and I think you will find that my requests are reasonable. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151C, section 2B addresses religion as well.
The following dates are holy days for us for the 2007-2008 school year:
Autumnal Equinox: Sunday, September 23
Winter Solstice: Saturday, December 22
Vernal Equinox: Thursday, March 20
Summer Solstice: Saturday, June 21
This year, there is only one day which occurs in the regular school schedule. On this day, Sequoya will not be in school because the family will be celebrating something greater than any individual – honoring the Earth as the mother of and caretaker to all creation. Our family would appreciate if special events and activities (tests, fieldtrips, speakers, parties, assemblies, etc.) were not scheduled on this holy day. Sequoya should be excused from homework. Past experience has made it so I feel I must clarify homework. An excused homework means no homework. No doubling homework the previous or following day to “make it up.” And, no testing of information that was on the homework or presented in class unless it is reviewed, retaught, or given out as a handout. I believe this request is similar to the accommodations that are made for observances such as Rosh Hashanah and Good Friday. It is extremely difficult to have a family holy day when a child is thinking about the consequences of missing a day of school. It is also stressful for me as I pass on important Native American values when the climate pressures one to be Christian or Jewish or “normal.” Imagine trying to celebrate Seder or Christmas while your child is thinking of how much homework he/she will owe and what he/she will miss on the next test! I hope appropriate arrangements can be made, given these dates ahead of time.
In order to take part in important religious and cultural traditions, Sequoya may miss other school days. We keep these at a minimum and will inform you should they arise.
Sequoya’s last name is deleted for purposes of this website. Please make the effort to spell it correctly. It is really three words with no hyphen, and maybe someday technology will catch up with diversity and computers will be able to handle that, but for now, putting in the hyphen is okay with us. Having multiple words in a last name is a Native American practice; think of the spelling of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. And, by the way, his first name is after the Cherokee Leader (Sequoyah), not the Californian tree (Sequoia)
We DO honor the flag, but do not say the Pledge of Allegiance, as it was written in honor of Christopher Columbus who massacred our Nation’s ancestors, the Arawak (and Taino). We do not celebrate Columbus Day.
Thanksgiving is a difficult time, as it is not a celebration for us in the same way it is for mainstream society. Although we are not Wampanoag, we live on their land and fight their fight in solidarity. Saying, “Have a nice long weekend” or “Did you see your family over the long weekend?” is appropriate, saying “Happy Thanksgiving” is not. Just because Sequoya doesn’t challenge or say anything or you perceive “He’s okay with it” doesn’t mean it isn’t creating conflict inside of him.
Over the summer, I created a website for courses I teach about Native Americans. Please feel free to browse through it. There is much more information about Columbus, Thanksgiving, stereotypes, curriculum, and other resources. I would just like to point out a letter I wrote in a previous year which has more information about education and growing up Native American:
To summarize, I believe the following are most important to know about Sequoya, our family, and Native Americans as the school year begins:
• Religious holy day Observance as they relate to homework, tests, and other school events
• Thanksgiving Non-Observance
• Pledge of Allegiance/Columbus Day Non-Observance
• Spelling/Capitalization of last name
I invite you all to attend the Pow Wow in Bedford on the weekend of September 15 and 16. It is the 25th year anniversary. A Pow Wow is a great opportunity to learn about Native culture. It is an event enjoyed by adults as well as children. Sequoya will be there and always appreciates seeing that his teachers are interested in this part of who he is. For more information, you can see the flyer.
If you would like to discuss any of these points further, I’d be happy to meet with you in person, communicate via email, or talk on the phone. I will be sending a copy of this letter to the all others involved in Sequoya’s education, including the superintendent, principal, and teachers.
Thank you,
Claudia
Dear Teachers,
I’m Sequoya’s mom. Some of you may know his older sibling, Cheyenne or me. This is my eleventh year writing one of these opening letters. I have written over 150 letters in that time and cc’d the principals and superintendent each year. As opening day approaches, I would like to share with you, the teachers who will spend so many hours with my child, my feelings about what it means to be a Native American in this community.
I don’t know how many times you have had a Native American child in your classes, but I do know, as a parent, it is really hard to be Native American in this town. Over the years, the town and the schools have reached out to include the Native voice, but it is still minimal when compared with all there is. For example, we can’t be with Native Americans any time we want, none of the teachers any of my children have had have ever identified as Native American, there isn’t a regular “place of worship with like believers” that has a service once a week in town, people don’t celebrate the same holidays, images of Native Americans don’t really look like us, curriculum is loaded with stereotypes and misinformation, the Native perspective is frequently missing across the board (literature, history, the arts), and I could go on. My point is, that many of the things we value and do aren’t components of mainstream Bedford life or the school system, it takes me an additional effort to raise my children as strong, proud, educated Native Americans who feel a sense of community in this town, as well as with other Native Americans. All these community circles are important for their well being, to have a network for support, and in order to grow up with a strong sense of identity.
I have found that informing teachers directly about our religious observances allows for the least amount of conflicts. State and federal law requires schools to make reasonable accommodations to the religious needs of students, which usually means no homework, but I know that other holidays are met with more respect and I think you will find that my requests are reasonable. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151C, section 2B addresses religion as well.
The following dates are holy days for us for the 2007-2008 school year:
Autumnal Equinox: Sunday, September 23
Winter Solstice: Saturday, December 22
Vernal Equinox: Thursday, March 20
Summer Solstice: Saturday, June 21
This year, there is only one day which occurs in the regular school schedule. On this day, Sequoya will not be in school because the family will be celebrating something greater than any individual – honoring the Earth as the mother of and caretaker to all creation. Our family would appreciate if special events and activities (tests, fieldtrips, speakers, parties, assemblies, etc.) were not scheduled on this holy day. Sequoya should be excused from homework. Past experience has made it so I feel I must clarify homework. An excused homework means no homework. No doubling homework the previous or following day to “make it up.” And, no testing of information that was on the homework or presented in class unless it is reviewed, retaught, or given out as a handout. I believe this request is similar to the accommodations that are made for observances such as Rosh Hashanah and Good Friday. It is extremely difficult to have a family holy day when a child is thinking about the consequences of missing a day of school. It is also stressful for me as I pass on important Native American values when the climate pressures one to be Christian or Jewish or “normal.” Imagine trying to celebrate Seder or Christmas while your child is thinking of how much homework he/she will owe and what he/she will miss on the next test! I hope appropriate arrangements can be made, given these dates ahead of time.
In order to take part in important religious and cultural traditions, Sequoya may miss other school days. We keep these at a minimum and will inform you should they arise.
Sequoya’s last name is deleted for purposes of this website. Please make the effort to spell it correctly. It is really three words with no hyphen, and maybe someday technology will catch up with diversity and computers will be able to handle that, but for now, putting in the hyphen is okay with us. Having multiple words in a last name is a Native American practice; think of the spelling of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. And, by the way, his first name is after the Cherokee Leader (Sequoyah), not the Californian tree (Sequoia)
We DO honor the flag, but do not say the Pledge of Allegiance, as it was written in honor of Christopher Columbus who massacred our Nation’s ancestors, the Arawak (and Taino). We do not celebrate Columbus Day.
Thanksgiving is a difficult time, as it is not a celebration for us in the same way it is for mainstream society. Although we are not Wampanoag, we live on their land and fight their fight in solidarity. Saying, “Have a nice long weekend” or “Did you see your family over the long weekend?” is appropriate, saying “Happy Thanksgiving” is not. Just because Sequoya doesn’t challenge or say anything or you perceive “He’s okay with it” doesn’t mean it isn’t creating conflict inside of him.
Over the summer, I created a website for courses I teach about Native Americans. Please feel free to browse through it. There is much more information about Columbus, Thanksgiving, stereotypes, curriculum, and other resources. I would just like to point out a letter I wrote in a previous year which has more information about education and growing up Native American:
To summarize, I believe the following are most important to know about Sequoya, our family, and Native Americans as the school year begins:
• Religious holy day Observance as they relate to homework, tests, and other school events
• Thanksgiving Non-Observance
• Pledge of Allegiance/Columbus Day Non-Observance
• Spelling/Capitalization of last name
I invite you all to attend the Pow Wow in Bedford on the weekend of September 15 and 16. It is the 25th year anniversary. A Pow Wow is a great opportunity to learn about Native culture. It is an event enjoyed by adults as well as children. Sequoya will be there and always appreciates seeing that his teachers are interested in this part of who he is. For more information, you can see the flyer.
If you would like to discuss any of these points further, I’d be happy to meet with you in person, communicate via email, or talk on the phone. I will be sending a copy of this letter to the all others involved in Sequoya’s education, including the superintendent, principal, and teachers.
Thank you,
Claudia
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