Comming Up for Air

In this multicultural world, each society possesses unique, stand-alone qualities that separate them from all the others. When cultures collide because of diversity, the after effects are grim, and if leaders don't establish communication early on, war is likely, and much of the history of the conquered nation is lost entirely. In these instances, hostilities fester when the differences within cultures blur societies' ability to decipher commonalities, like the simple human traits we all share. For that reason, we must never forget that each culture is beautifully unique, and hidden within each social structure are extremely rare and valuable qualities. The reflection of ourselves is in all humans that we meet, and within every new culture that we find. Clearly, we only need to take a moment and connect with them, and when we do, a whole-world of possibilities opens to us. This is precisely what happened in the case of the Native American Indian Nations (NAIN) verses the United States (US).

In recent years, key Native American leaders negotiated with leaders of the United States, to gain compensation for the broken treaties, and atrocities committed against their people. The mercies shown to the Indian Nations through western law speak volumes about the power of acknowledging common bonds between cultures. This particular law requires each of us to consider all humans equal; interestingly, when we do so, the veil between us lifts, and we see glimmers of ourselves within the others. Because the leaders of these great nations sought-out and found common ground, the Native American Indians Nations (NAIN) are finally coming up for air.

Within the Native American culture, the after-effects of their conflict with the European culture are both positive and negative. Many decades after the white man stole their land, massacred hundreds of natives, relocated whole tribes, and forcibly broke up families, the leaders of both nations finally acknowledged the common ground that was always present between the two nations. Because the Western leaders acted on behalf of the Indian nations, the Leaders of the American Indians are finally reconnecting with their heritage, establishing law, and calling their people back from exile. Their ability to do so has a huge impact on the lives of millions of American Natives dispersed by slavery all over the world (2005-1009, National Indian Law Library). Some of us believe that the common bond shared between the leaders of the (US) and (NAIN) during those successful negotiations was their humanity. Clearly, our humanity is a gift that endows us with a personal perspective toward other human beings. Some describe this gift as a humbling yet truly emotional connection with someone they've never met, while others simply refer to this precious gift as a feeling of compassion for a stranger. By deciphering the differences and communalities of these two nations, we will gain understanding concerning the prejudice still prevalent among many people within both cultures.

On a global scale, it is surprising that the world is still in tact in the midst of so many religious, traditional, and racial prejudices. In the case of the Native Americans, their world fell apart for precisely these reasons. Even between tribes, there can be war and/or tension because of cultural differences, so one can only imagine the effects a new and different culture such as Europe had on their society. Cases in point, so diverse are these (2) cultures that some religious practices within certain sects of the Indian faith can and did cause fear among Europeans. The European people that arrived in America feared the occult practices found in witchcraft, which the NAIN 'seemed' to practice within their strange ritual dances and ceremonies; and, within some tribes, voodoo, witchcraft, and witchdoctors were common. The Indian cultures feared the white man as well. In many cases, the Indians thought the white man's guns, and 'wheels' were evil, even though their depiction of a life-cycle resembled the white man's wheel. In addition, some tribes deemed white man's alcohol "fire water," and forbid its consumption. These issues are important but only a small part of the challenges that caused these nations to go to war. To uncover the complete story, we'll need a closer look at the evolution of both culture's and a few subcultures within each nation.
Within the traditional (European) culture, simple everyday beliefs, biblically based, were common and most accepted. Many Europeans left their country to find freedom from government oppression. Interestingly, their government oppressed them for the same reason the white man oppressed the Indian, for being (protestant) different. The Spanish that filtered into the Americas spoke a different language, continued to remain catholic in faith, but included cultural rituals like "Cinco De Mayo." The French spoke yet another language, wore different clothes, and conducted life very differently.

When the European's came to the Americas, most the men and women of the culture built homes made of trees, bought and sold land, wore customary clothing, and wore their hair differently then the Indians. They kept cattle in fenced areas, and chickens lived in houses. They worship the Christian God, read from the Bible, and sang to this God inside buildings. The women birthed children inside homes, kept their children close, and the children learned from both parent on a daily basis. Eventually the white man established schools, as well as towns and laws. Some of the men raised and sold cattle and were away from home for many months at a time, while others worked their ranches or had businesses in town.

Within the traditional American Indian culture, the lifestyle and customs are also very diverse. For example, because hair is considered sacred in some tribes, several Indian males, like those that are Apache, must keep their hair long (2008, Hanson E). In other tribes, it is tradition that they flatten the male forehead during infancy to give the adult warrior a manlier appearance. Some females cut their hair; others grow it according to tribal customs. In some tribes men dominate, in others, Queen Chiefs rule the tribes. Several Indian tribes believe that the trees, earth, and all life forms are sacred; while others believed that, every product of the earth (living or dead), are provisions for survival. Some tribes of the (NAIN) culture conducted sacred ceremonies for their god; individuals took long journeys to find their true path, and spent extended time alone communing with the Great Spirit. Women birthed their infants in the forest or woods, and carried the baby close to their heart by tying them to their body with a blanket or hand made carrier. In many tribes, the elders taught the children through verbal stories, and every day the elders kept the children close and trained them the ways of their people.

The Cherokee, on the other hand, had schools for their children, stores for barter in their villages, and maintained friendly relations with the British and French. They hunted Buffalo and other large game, planted and foraged, but avoided fishing unless other food was unavailable. They were the first Native Americans to have villages, a written language, law, and a constitution (2006, Ehle J.). Their lifestyle is in stark contrast to the Chickasaw tribes who planted, fished (their diet included shell fish), and hunted game. This nation stayed to itself, and communicated very little with the outside world.

Then there is the Comanche Nation. These Indians are shockingly aggressive, and much less conservative than any other Indian nation. Of all the Native American Indian tribes, the Comanche were expert thieves, and actually made their living by stealing horses, women, and children from the Spanish and English troupes. Although they kept the majority of women and all of the children, (interestingly most captured white persons did not want to go back to the white man, but instead took on the Indian way of life, and the tribe adopted them as family). Within the male population, the braves were expected to ride extremely well as this particular Indian nation was a warring nation. Because of their lifestyle, the Comanche's riding expertise is still unsurpassed, and often, their skill made it impossible for the Spanish or English to catch up with them. Case in point, it is said the Comanche rider shot up to (5) arrows at once while hanging from the underside of his horses neck. The downside to this nation's way of life is clear; these thieving businessmen were quite successful trading the spoil; all the while, many other Indian tribes did not condone thievery, slavery, or dishonesty of any kind; but unfortunately, became type-cast by the white man because of the Comanche's unsavory reputation (2006 Sultzman, E.).

Moving forward into the 21st century, there are subcultures in the United States of white men and women that still cling to traditional values, like the Amish people. This culture is unique in that it doesn't employ any media, computer, or machine-type technology. They don't even use electricity. Another culture within the western world that filters the western media message, are some independent families (usually religious) that remain separate from the mainstream society, believing in a traditional and simple lifestyle. These people school their children themselves, and remain within a close knit group that supports their beliefs. Even with all the freedom and diversity in America, the media and Western Consumerism (materialism) sidetracks the majority of Americans from their families. Most of America is fixated on media devices, so that the mainstream western culture spends many hours in front of a screen. The media tends to advocate self-satisfaction and gratification, and employs a "look out for number one mentality." Many media messages teach people to adore, fix, and focus on the size, shape, and overall appeal of their human body (2006 Hayley & Tiggemann). These media gurus have redirected America's values to the point that, what a person looks like can define his/her social status and rapport with people. Within most western social structures, money and possessions are sought-after before a true human connection, which has weakened the unity within American nuclear families considerably.

Because of the change in western thinking, the American nuclear family is slowly deteriorating, and in many cases, connections between people are superficial and self-serving as is the predominant focus of their society. Some believe that it is through this disconnection caused by consumerism that not only stirs teen rebellion; but also creates fear, and hatred between people of the western world. For instance, many teens feel disconnected because of the absence of a traditional family life, and create their own family by becoming members within gangs, tattoo and pierce themselves, and or become drug addicts. These reactions to the lack of parental participation and the mixed messages sent by so many different sources and cultures, create silent statements that spawn separation and fear between them and those people they are trying to reach, which creates more isolation for these lost children (2007, Miller B.). Americans, for the most part, are more disconnected from a simple life that includes nurturing, deep relationships, and a since of belonging than ever before, which many experts believe is a number one contributing factor to the American epidemic of obesity, depression and suicide. To delve deeper into the cause and effect, let's compare the history and present day issues of the white man to the Native Indian.

The same emotional issues are also prevalent within the Indian culture for several reasons. After the white man broke treaties, they confined the Indian tribes to small plots of land called reservations (2007 Miller B. p.266). In time, they took the Indian children from their parents by force, westernized them by forbidding their native clothing, language, birth names, and cultural traditions. They educated them within the orphanages and eventually adopted them out to white families. In order to ensure the parents and children never reunited, they sold their parents into slavery. The loss of pride as a people and the shame of their defeat eventually wove itself into the daily lives of the Indians like a slow growing cancer. Disillusionment lead to depression, and suicide became prevalent among the young and old. Drugs, alcohol, further undermined the drive of the youth and the culture became immobilized.
Clearly, western commercialism has inundated Native American culture and the effects are strikingly similar to the effects on the world; a large portion of their culture has lost their way. Thankfully, since the Indian Chiefs are calling their people back from exile, the Indian Nations grow stronger, and rebuild their traditional life style. Many Natives are overcoming the depression, drug abuse, and other shame-based behavior, and starting to live again. The nation as a whole has a long way to go, but the Native American Indians are finally coming up for air. After looking into the cultural differences and similarities, we can see that the conflicts festered between the two nations because of ethnocentrism (a form of prejudice). Here are examples of their similar traditions, expressed differently: White men believed in one God, a spiritual world containing good and evil spiritual beings, and an afterlife (2008, Protestant Beliefs). The Native Americans believed in one God (the Great Spirit), a spiritual world that contained good and evil spiritual beings, and an afterlife (2008, Heyrman, C.). Just as white men wear medals to show accomplishment and stature, Indian nations wore tattoos to signify rank and stature (2007 Miller B. p.241).

In every sense of the meaning of 'human being', the white man did not receive the Native American Indian as a fellow human being, because they truly believed their cultural (skin color, dress, behavior, living styles, and community) gave them their humanity; therefore, they deemed the Indian savage. By denying the Indian's humanity, the white man rejected one of the most significant common bonds between the two cultures, as well as the Indian's God given 'human rights.' Once the white man deemed the Natives sub-human, the white man could take their land without sinning against their God. Considering these points, it is clear, that by uncovering the basis for prejudice between these two nations, it is possible to avoid the oppression and war that this type of ethnocentrism creates. By educating future generations about the deceptions of prejudice, and the equality we all share as human beings, we can plant seeds of hope that stop the vicious cycle of intolerance; and in doing so, preserve diverse cultures for future anthropological studies.

In view of the key facts we've uncovered, it is easy to see that when cultures collide because of diversity the after effects are grim, and if war ensues much of the history of the conquered nation is lost entirely. For this reason, we must never forget that each culture is beautifully unique, and hidden within each social structure are extremely rare and valuable qualities. The reflection of ourselves is in all humans that we meet and within every new culture that we find. Clearly, we only need to take a moment and connect with them, and when we do, a whole-world of possibilities opens to us.

References:

Ehle, J. (2006) The Trail of Tears-The Rise and Fall of The Cherokee Nation. Retrieved on February 16, 2009 from The first Nations Histories: http://www.tolatsga.org/Compacts.html#Cherokee1
Hanson. E. (2008, July 14). Native American beliefs clash with rural district's dress code: Long hair doesn't cut it, school says. McClatchy - Tribune Business News Retrieved on February 16, 2009 from ProQuest database.
Hayley D & Tiggemann M. (2006). The Contribution of Peer and Media Influences to the Development of Body Satisfaction, and Self-Esteem in Young Girls: A Prospective Study. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 929. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals database. (Document ID: 1154212471).
Heyrman, C. L. (2008) Native American Religion in Early American. Teacher Serve®. National Humanities Center. Teachers Serve (2008) Divining America; Retrieved February 17, 2009 from: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/natrel.htm
Miller B. D, (2007) Cultural Anthropology (4th Ed.). Social Groups and Social Stratification, (Pp.240, 241, 266, 241). New York: Persons Education, Inc.
National Indian Law Library (2005-2009) [Electronic Version] Retrieved on February 17, 2009 from: http://www.narf.org/nill/index.htm
Protestant Beliefs (2008), S.G.P. [unknown author] Three Key Historic Reformation Doctrines: Retrieved on February 17, 2009 from: http://prayerfoundation.org/protestant_beliefs.htm
Sultzman, L Ehle, J. (2006 October, 11) The First Nations Histories, Retrieved on February 16, 2006 from; http://www.tolatsga.org/compacs.html
©2009 Riley T.M.