Coming into this class I had very little knowledge of Native American culture and background. Being in this class now I have made my own conclusion that their culture is "centered" around different components, which are also the components Kidwell & Velie discuss in their book.
I understand tribal sovereignty as the power over your own people, but not by an individual, viewed more as a group. A type of government. It is argued by American Indians that they have the inherent power to govern themselves. Kidwell and Velie discuss that it is the sovereign right of Native Americans to have their own ruling power over their tribes because their governments are older than the United States Constitution. I feel this is one of the more important components of their background because it is one topic that has been in dispute between Native Americans and the U.S. Government for years. Treaties have been created between the two groups in order to come to an understanding on issues. They help tribes to depend on the government for protection and services in exchange for land.
Language is the most important form of communication between people and animals. It gives us a sense of a person as well such as their knowledge level and, at times, past experiences and world views. Language also helps to formulate stories. Many tribes use their languages, or stories to give meaning to life, such as The Lakota who have used stories to categorize living beings. I wouldn't say that I idolize the way Native Americans use stories, but I definitely think it is much more interesting than actual history. Kidwell and Velie state that storytelling is an excellent example of the power of spoken language.
There is also fear of losing Native American language overall because of the very few people that know it. Reasons being American government has tried to assimilate Native Americans into "American society" and that the elders who speak these languages are dying off without having passed the language on to a younger generation.
Language had also caused many complications between American Indians and the people colonizing America. New Americans wanted to convert Indians to Christianity, but the language barrier had made this transformation incredibly difficult. Once schools were established, the government had banned Indians using their native language in order to help assimilate them into American society.
Literature by Native Americans is also a big part of their culture. More than often American Indian writers will write about Indians over non-Indians. Literature is important to these indigenous peoples because these stories and novels are reflections of their lives. Although there are many different viewpoints from different tribes, the general theme is their relationships to people and land, struggles, triumphs, traditions, and languages.
I understand tribal sovereignty as the power over your own people, but not by an individual, viewed more as a group. A type of government. It is argued by American Indians that they have the inherent power to govern themselves. Kidwell and Velie discuss that it is the sovereign right of Native Americans to have their own ruling power over their tribes because their governments are older than the United States Constitution. I feel this is one of the more important components of their background because it is one topic that has been in dispute between Native Americans and the U.S. Government for years. Treaties have been created between the two groups in order to come to an understanding on issues. They help tribes to depend on the government for protection and services in exchange for land.
Language is the most important form of communication between people and animals. It gives us a sense of a person as well such as their knowledge level and, at times, past experiences and world views. Language also helps to formulate stories. Many tribes use their languages, or stories to give meaning to life, such as The Lakota who have used stories to categorize living beings. I wouldn't say that I idolize the way Native Americans use stories, but I definitely think it is much more interesting than actual history. Kidwell and Velie state that storytelling is an excellent example of the power of spoken language.
There is also fear of losing Native American language overall because of the very few people that know it. Reasons being American government has tried to assimilate Native Americans into "American society" and that the elders who speak these languages are dying off without having passed the language on to a younger generation.
Language had also caused many complications between American Indians and the people colonizing America. New Americans wanted to convert Indians to Christianity, but the language barrier had made this transformation incredibly difficult. Once schools were established, the government had banned Indians using their native language in order to help assimilate them into American society.
Literature by Native Americans is also a big part of their culture. More than often American Indian writers will write about Indians over non-Indians. Literature is important to these indigenous peoples because these stories and novels are reflections of their lives. Although there are many different viewpoints from different tribes, the general theme is their relationships to people and land, struggles, triumphs, traditions, and languages.
