Creation Stories and Those Meddling Europeans (Task One)

It is clear that the creation stories of the Native Americans changed somewhat between 1650 and 1910, but do we really know why?  In most cases in history, beliefs have formed or changed due to an outside influence of some kind.  This was also the case for the Ottawa tribe, the Sioux tribe, and the New Netherlands, which were heavily influenced by the Europeans; however, does that rule out the possibility of an inside influence having had some effect?  Can the Europeans be considered the sole reason for the shape that the Native American creations stories took?

As is the case with the stories of most Native American tribes, each of these stories emphasized animals.  Take the tribe of the New Netherlands, for example.  The story of this people revolves around the bear, the deer, and the wolf having been the three animals that humans were born of, and from each came a different set of standards.  To be born of the bear meant great strength and courage, to be born of the deer meant meekness and timid ness, and to be born of the wolf meant trickery and deceit. An interesting view, but because of Dutch influences, it was said that since man was smarter, he was able to hide his true intentions so that he may come out on top; an odd yet effective adaptation.

When we look into the creations story of the Ottawa tribe, we find the Great Hare, the main deity of the people.  Long story short, this deity was keen on men having their own private woman to supply the labor for menial tasks…not really, but pretty much.  Doesn’t that sound like the stereotypical view of women that we are still trying to shake off today?

As for the Sioux, who were transported west by whites, their story is also quite tainted with a few of the religious clichés we still take light of today.  It is obvious to me that in each of these three cases, the highly influential Europeans tainted the Native Americans, and that sort of thing has a substantial effect on the future of a society.  Through these stories and comparisons we can clearly see that the influence of one culture on another can certainly aid in the total domination of any society.  This can certainly be applied to the past, the present, and the future.  Take a look around.

Davidson, James West et al. Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2006

Comments

[Kath Henshaw]

I enjoyed reading your blog and I can see the potential for the development of your ideas. But, the blog lacks direction and a purpose. This can be attributed to the fact that it has no thesis. A successful thesis could have given your composition a clear proposition or argument that, in return, could have guided your paper along. You may want to strongly consider adding one to your next assignment (and remember to underline or bold it when you do). Although your use of questions did capture my attention in the first paragraph, your composition is missing an introduction that sets the tone for the rest of the blog. Maybe you could add some historic, factual information regarding the time period that your blog discusses, information on relevant locations, European exploration and/or culture, religion and/or you could use an appropriate quote. Your conclusion is rather smushed together with an evidence/supporting fact paragraph. I would suggest separating them out, otherwise that points that you are trying to make get garbled up with the closing statements and neither gets the attention that it deserves. It is best not to put new points into a conclusion. I think that you have a writing style that keeps the reader interested and it will only improve as you gain more control of your tool.

[KimberlyCrewl]

The fact that you opened your entry with a question was very interesting. It causes the reader to think about what you're asking, which is good. But, they will be seeking an answer to your questions. And in that case, you really need to make your thesis clear and make sure the reader knows you have a real point. It is clear that you are thinking about interpreting the content of the stories, but you don't introduce them and you don't delve too deeply into their storylines or into their grit, so to speak. You did not really lead the reader to a point, you summarized and drew stick figures instead of a masterpiece, if you catch my drift. In short, the paper did not really suggest that you understood the whole question, or if you did you did not support that or create something TO support. The whole thing seemed to be a little too casual, like you would write this to a friend when helping them out with their homework instead of you yourself turning this in for a grade. You seemed to not really put too much thought into word choice or diction. It needed to be more formal and more "meaty." But, you made the reader interested, which is hard to do sometimes when you yourself might not be. You show a lot of potential to write really good formal papers because you have a personable tone and make the reader comfortable, but you might want to think about how to constructively add more to your point and know how to create the point in the first place. In any case, it was a breath of fresh air from other entries and has room for great improvement.

[Kyle N.]

Your writing style quickly grabbed my attention, and made me insincerely enjoy reading your blog. However, your blog lacks flow (I struggle with this myself) and an introduction. An introduction is imperative, because it gives the reader a reason for your blog's existence. Also, adding a few pictures to your blog could add creativity to your blog. It will help the reader visualize what it is you are talking about. All and all, not to shabby. It has some room for improvement, but then again don't we all.

[Kyle N]

In reference to my previous commet, insincerely should be sincerely...I'm really sorry about that. *Always double check your writting* Lesson learned.:o/