The first half of this book has showed me so much more than what i have learned in high school. The book really shows the fact that people have misunderstood the Native People in North America. All my life I grew up thinking of native americans as people who were covered in feathers and had spears. Always thought they had to live in teepees and lived off the land.
The chapters I have read up to show that they are such well respected people far from what people think. They also do things a little bit different than most other cultures. Some things that have kinda left me baffled. From having baby’s spirits hovering above the mother right before birth to having indians at a funeral laughing at a funeral not out of enjoyment but out of happiness for them to go onto the next life. Celebrating when a female gets her first period. Letting white folks join in on powwows. It is crazy to as how cruel a person is to use kids as target practice and slice them in half for the dogs to eat the kids. Weird fact on how the priest would baptize them like that was going fix the fact that they are burning, hanging, shooting, and basically making them a game to kill.
caleby June 14, 2018
To add on to your post, I would like to share how many stereotypes we were accustomed to as we look into their culture without learning the history and backstory behind their traditions. I think that there is a plentiful amounts of lessons that we can adopt as fellow outsiders from the Native American culture. I can’t wait to dive into this book with my fellow pal Joey.
mikerose June 14, 2018
Joey,
I think you brought up some great points and great highlights of the first week. I think the more and more we learn about thes people I gain respect for them. I mean they let white people into their cultural celebrations even when white people are pretty much the reason they are on reservations. I also love the point you bring up about priests baptizing babies as they hang them, burn them, or feed them to dogs. As most people know Christianity didn’t really “practice what they preached” back in older times. I just feel like that is pretty ironic and pathetic.
zjross June 14, 2018
I agree that in High School you are not taught the truth on Indians. In High School you are taught what people want you to think about Indians, because our country is not proud of what we did to the Indians. I also think it’s crazy that they would use children for shooting practice and would feed them to dogs. Like they are people, what kind of mind set do you have to have to be able to do such a thing. It also shocked me that they laugh at the funerals in the Indian culture, but I also think it’s cool that they celebrate life at the funeral so it’s not sad.