AMIND 440 SDSU What Are Your Thoughts to Winona LaDukes TED Talk Questions
For this week's blog post, please answer the following questions
1. Last week we learned about the importance of historical thinking and analyzing texts and history based on context. Practice analyzing the context of the Bering Strait Theory (BST) articles from last week. Who was the author? When/where were the articles published?
2. According to the author, what are the controversies surrounding the Bering Strait Theory? In contrast, what are the current scientific perspectives on the Bering Strait theory, according to this week's PowerPoint lecture?
3. Why might it be important to briefly consider the peoples’ history of the Valley of Mexico, Central America, and South America before discussing the first peoples of the modern-day United States based on the textbook chapter? In other words, how might the history of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca encourage us to think differently about the popular narrative/mainstream history of the US?
4. What were some key points/quotes that resonated with you from this week's textbook chapter, "Follow the Corn," and why? Please include specific examples.
5. What is to be Dunbar-Ortiz's overall argument in the chapter, "Follow the Corn"? In other words, what seems to be the main idea or most important take-away?
6. How might this week's material connect to at least one of our key terms from last week's Module 2?
7. What are your thoughts/reactions to Winona LaDuke's TED Talk, and why might it be significant in our understanding of this week's material?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHNlel72eQc
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/bering-strait-theory-pt-1-how-dogma-trumped-science-Q2ff_I3a5EClaPY4VJU_yQ
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/bering-strait-theory-pt-2-racism-eugenics-and-when-natives-came-to-america-3xtM74CLKky6ZEM3dlUCvA
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/bering-strait-theory-pt-3-the-theory-becomes-a-religious-crusade-fSPyAiDOtkmAxN_BCc4BJQ
POST
•Decolonization is the goal of undoing/removing/reversing the presence of colonization in order to regenerate Indigenous knowledge, epistemologies, culture, and ways of life.•Decolonization can be the removal of colonialism not only physically and politically on a large scale, but also on a personal/community level.•Thinking critically about history instead of memorizing “facts”•Understanding that in order to become “history,” there must be ample evidence; evidence can change history•History often associated with power: who tells the stories, how often, “good guys” v. “bad guys”•History from American Indian perspective often conflicts with mainstream/popular US narrative•How does this change the way we understand/previously understood history?•Phrase coined by Ojibwe historian Jean O’Brien to describe what happens to American Indians in mainstream United States history•The practice of “writing Indians out of existence”•Over-writing of Indigenous peoples’ stories, histories, experiences, presence, and even existenceThe first key term we need to familiarize ourselves with is colonization. The term will play an important role in how we understand United States history from an American Indian perspective, as opposed to the mainstream portrayal of United States history. “Colonization” describes the ongoing process of control by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components (people, animals, land, resources, and ways of living.) We often associate the word “colonization” with the British colonies in the 1600s, leading to the establishment of the modern-day United States. However, our definition shows that colonization is not only characterized by a physical presence of one country in another, the process is ongoing. Colonization has occurred, and continues to occur, all over the world, as shown in the map above, and we’ll be grappling with this concept throughout the course.I just put more materials that you might need to write about
Slide 1: Welcome back! This week we’ll begin discussing key terms for the course, and we’ll also learn more about the Bering Strait Theory to begin thinking critically about US history.Slide 2: The first key term we need to familiarize ourselves with is colonization. The term will play an important role in how we understand United States history from an American Indian perspective, as opposed to the mainstream portrayal of United States history. “Colonization” describes the ongoing process of control by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components (people, animals, land, resources, and ways of living.) We often associate the word “colonization” with the British colonies in the 1600s, leading to the establishment of the modern-day United States. However, our definition shows that colonization is not only characterized by a physical presence of one country in another, the process is ongoing. Colonization has occurred, and continues to occur, all over the world, as shown in the map above, and we’ll be grappling with this concept throughout the course. Slide 3: On the flip side, we’ll also be grappling with the term “decolonization,” or the undoing of/healing from the consequences of colonization. Decolonization is the ongoing reversal of the presence of colonization in order to regenerate Indigenous knowledge, epistemologies, cultures, and ways of life. Once again, this does not only include the physical removal of colonialism from a space, but it also includes removal of the remnants of colonization on personal, emotional, community, and political levels. Slide 4: So as we begin this history course, we need to practice approaching history in a new, or a different, way than we may be accustomed to. The strategy that we’ll be using to reconsider history from an American Indian perspective is through the strategy “Historical Thinking.” Using this strategy, we’ll be thinking critically and interpreting history instead of simply memorizing facts, dates, and names. We must understand that in order for something to become history, usually ample evidence must be provided (multiple witnesses, documents, footage, interviews, etc.), but evidence is often hand-selected by the person retelling the story, which means some parts might unintentionally or intentionally be left out. With this in mind, we can begin understanding that evidence changes and shapes what becomes what we understand as history. This means that there is no way to discuss history without discussing power. Power determines who tells the stories, how often, what types of stories, and who is portrayed as the “good guys” v. the “bad guys.” So obviously throughout this course, the history we’ll be learning will often conflict with the mainstream/popular United States narrative, and it’s important to consider as we move forward: how does this change the ways we understand/previously understood history? Slide 5: In order to engage in “Historical Thinking,” we will be investigating multiple accounts and perspectives of events, interpreting primary sources, “sourcing” or researching further into the topics, and analyzing context (which we’ll be discussing further on the next slide.) Slide 6: I think this mantra, “There is no text without context,” really demonstrates how important the term context will be throughout this course. When interpreting history and historical texts, it’s important to consider the context, or the outside influences that shape what’s happening and how the stories are told. In order to analyze context, we must ask ourselves: what is the time period? Where is the event occurring? Where or how is the text published? Who is the intended audience? Who is involved in the creation of this event or the document? What is the social/political/religious climate? What is at stake here? These questions are so important to ask with everything we learn throughout the semester because it forces us to think analytically and critically about the subject matter at hand. Slide 7: The last key term we’ll be learning this week is Ojibwe historian Jean O’Brien’s phrase “firsting and lasting.” This phrase is used to describe what happens to American Indians in mainstream United States history, and it means “the practice of writing Indians out of existence.” In other words, it’s the over-writing of Indigenous peoples’ stories, histories, experiences, and even existence. On the following slides, I’ll show you some examples of what this looks like. Slide 8: Here are some examples of “firsting.” Firsting refers to events/people/places that mark the beginnings of a dominant society over a preexisting one. For example, many people begin the history of America with the arrival of the British and the establishment of European institutions, like the “first school” pictured here, or they associate America’s beginnings with the establishment of the U.S. and the “Founding Fathers.” However, American Indian tribes have lived, flourished, and established impressive educational, political, and social structures long before the arrival of the Europeans. Both of these examples illustrate O’Brian’s concept of “firsting” because the American Indian perspective is completely neglected/removed from the mainstream United States narrative in order to uphold the dominant society’s power and ideals. Slide 9: Here are some examples of O’Brien’s concept of “lasting.” Lasting refers to stories that mark the “end” of a culture or a group of people’s existence. This is exemplified through this fictional 1757 book by American novelist James Fenimore Cooper detailing the extinction of the Mohican tribe as the fledgling United States emerged, and through this early 1900s sculpture entitled “End of the Trail” by James Earle Fraser. Notice the detail on this sculpture: the American Indian has been struck by an arrow in the heart, his head is bowed in pain, and he and his horse appear to be collapsing. This book and this sculpture are just two examples depicting the concept of “lasting”: the American Indian narrative is intentionally erased, thus creating and perpetuating the façade of the “dying Indian” or the “vanished race.” However, despite countless examples of “lasting,” American Indian people are very much still present, resilient, and thriving. The history that we’ll be learning about in this course will directly push against the colonial dominant history of “firsting and lasting” by engaging with multiple perspectives that will, in turn, show a fuller picture of United States history. Slide 10: You may have already heard of the Bering Strait Theory in past history classes, which proposes that the first people to populate the Americas were believed to have migrated from modern-day Siberia to modern-day Alaska while tracking large animal herds after the Ice Age via the Bering Strait ice bridge. This theory was first proposed by early naturalist Jose de Acosta in 1590 and was later protected by anthropologist Ales Hrdlicka from the 1920s-1940s. However, in this week’s readings, we will see how this theory has been challenged/reconsidered from one American Indian perspective, and we’ll discuss our reactions to this together. (Keep last week's Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Danger of a Single Story" in mind as you read the articles!)Slide 11: So, where did Native Americans come from? The Bering Strait Theory serves as one scientific answer to this question. The many, many unique indigenous cultures of the Americas have their own religious perspectives on this question, which may often differ from the scientific perspective, just like Christian Creation stories versus Evolutionary theories. However, although there are various opinions on the dates of the first migrations, most scientists agree that the earliest Americans came from Eurasia via the Bering Strait, which was a frozen land mass between Russia and Alaska.Slide 12: This map shows various possible migration routes from Eurasia to the Americas across the Bering Strait, which was frozen during the Ice Age. But even now, people can paddle across on kayak.Slide 13: More recent views suggest that humans have inhabited North America for at least 100,000 years. However, there is no universally accepted achaeological evidence to support this (ie human bones, artifacts, etc). Archaeologists are still arguing about the accuracy of various methods of dating. Science journalist Charles C. Mann presents more current research suggesting that humans have been in South America much longer than previously thought, and it must have taken them a very long time to get down there.Slide 14: On the other hand, linguistic evidence suggests a time depth of 50,000 years or more since languages take a very long time to differentiate from one another from a common ancestor language, and there are so many distinct languages across the modern-day United States. As you read through this week's readings, be sure to keep these multiple perspectives in mind. We are beginning with the controversial topic of the Bering Strait Theory as a way to consider applying our new key terms and as an exercise in Historical Thinking. We also hope to begin understanding the way History is open for interpretation and critical thinking, instead of simply memorizing dates and facts. Enjoy the readings, and please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great week!