American Indian Religion & Philosophy

Term Paper 2

Suggested questions to answer – not required questions to answer. There are also only suggested number of pages. The course is teaching American Indian religion and philosophy – so demonstrate that you’ve done the work to have an intelligent and academic perspective. In other words, what have you learned?

American Indian Religion & Philosophy

Ceremony

Critique and Analyze the material, then Support your position.

– Introduction

· In general, what are the purposes for American Indian ceremonies? What might they all have in common?

· Are any American Indian ceremonies similar to what exists in other cultures?

– Function

· Choose one specific ceremony covered in this course. What is the primary function of this ceremony? What is involved?

· Using the same ceremony from above, what are the observable and unobservable functions of the ceremony? (How might the ceremony/activity(ies) provide a function in the family or the community?)

– Application

· Choose one or more ceremonies. Give examples of how the ceremony is significant or relevant in todays’ times? Reflect on todays challenges or challenges for their community environment.

· Describe or interpret how the origin stories (the four in iLearn) might give us information about the people and their environment.

– Scope

· Describe how people are involved in their ceremony (either as an individual, or as a group; you can describe a specific ceremony, the preparation of the ceremony, or how it is conducted).

· What do you consider to be the purpose or expected outcome of their ceremonies? You can choose a general theme or a case-by-case study.

– Conclusion

· What do you now understand about American Indian religion and philosophy?

· Compare your knowledge of American Indian religion and philosophy to another major religious practice and/or philosophy.

NOTE: Use terms from the, Definitions for key terms (1 and 2), found in iLearn.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL Glossary

Animism – a belief that natural phenomena such as rocks, trees, thunder, or celestial bodies have life or divinity.

Anthropocentric – the idea that humans are the most important beings in the universe.

balanced reciprocity – is a direct exchange where the two parties involved seek to arrive at a mutually acceptable price or exchange for goods or services.

class stratification – where members of a society are ranked from higher to lower based on wealth, prestige, position, or education.

colonialism – forced change in which one culture, society, or nation dominates another.

comparative methods – analyzing data about cultures to learn and explain patterns of similarity and difference.

cultural relativism – understanding the ways of other cultures and not judging these practices according to one’s own cultural ways.

cultural transmission – how culture is passed on through learning from one generation to another. Also referred to as enculturation or socialization.

culture – The learned patterns of behavior and thought that help a group adapt to it’s surroundings.

deviance – to not follow the norms of society.

enculturation – the process of learning one’s own culture, also called socialization.

ethnocentrism – judging other cultures by the standards of your own, which you believe to be superior.

ethnography – description of a culture, usually based on the method of participant observation.

extinction – when a culture dies out. Often the people die out too. Some may become peasants or pass into contemporary society.

fieldwork – living among a group of people for the purpose of learning about their culture.

hegemonic – the use of power, usually by those controlling the meta or master narrative against the other

holistic – no dimension of culture can be understood in isolation, cultures are integrated wholes.

humanism – concern for human welfare, dignity and values.

ideal – what people think the situation should be.

imperialism – economic control gained through the corporate organization of nation states.

information society – a society integrated by complex communication networks that rapidly develop and exchange information.

kinesics – body, facial, hand, and arm movements that are used to communicate.

matriarchy – where a mother figure and women have authority.

matrilineal – descent traced exclusively through the female line.

metaphor – application of a word or phrase to an object or concept in order to suggest a comparison.

modernization – the process by which cultures are forced to accept traits from outside.

multiculturalism – stressing the importance of different cultures, races, and ethnicities.

oligarchy – the ruling class. Usually a small group of wealthy individuals.

one-world culture – a popular belief that the future will bring development of a single homogeneous world culture through links created by modern communication, transportation, and trade.

origin story – description of how the culture came into being.

pacification – extending the authority of national government over formerly autonomous people whether by force or persuasion.

patriarchy – where a father figure and males have authority.

patrilineal – tracing kinship, inheritance, power through the male line.

personalness – refers to how well a person knows the other with whom an exchange is being made. Personal means that the other is well known, where as impersonal reflects lack of knowledge about the other. See reciprocity.

power – the ability to influence the actions of others.

qualitative methods – rich descriptions of cultural situations obtained from interviewing, participant observation, and collection of oral and textual materials. Ethnographies are reports from qualitative research.

quantitative methods – numerical tabulations and statistical comparisons made possible by systematic surveys, observations, or analysis of records. Data are used to test hypotheses and identify the strength of patterns observed using qualitative methods.

reciprocity – a mutual or cooperative interchange of favors or privileges, especially the exchange of rights or privileges of trade between individuals or groups as in the transfer of goods or services between two or more individuals or groups. Also see balanced, generalized, and negative reciprocity.

religion – a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.

sacred – things and actions set apart as religious or spiritual which are entitled to reverence.

science – systematically acquired knowledge that is verifiable.

secular – things not regarded as religious or spiritual.

social stratification – arranging the members of a society into a pattern of superior and inferior ranks.

subsistence – the way by which a culture obtains its food.

syncretism – blending traits from two different cultures to form a new trait. Also called fusion.

theory – several related propositions that explain some domain of inquiry. Also called a school or paradigm.

urbanization – the process by which more and more people come to live in cities.

values – what people think is right and wrong, good and bad, desirable and undesirable.

wealth – the net gain in material well-being from economic activity. Wealth is measured according to the items of value in a given culture.

acculturation The process by which a culture is transformed, due to the massive adoption of cultural traits from another society. [Culture

Change: Glossary of Terms

www.anthro.palomar.edu/change/glossary. htm]

ancestral lands Lands utilized by Indian tribes in their migrations and in their hunting/fishing; frequently referred to in their oral histories, and still connected to tribes and their cultures today. These lands may or may not be on reservations.

Assimilation The absorption of an individual or minority group of people into another society or group. This is achieved by learning and adopting the cultural traditions of the society to which assimilation occurs. It is also often hastened by intermarriage and by deemphasizing cultural and or biological differences.

[Culture Change: Glossary of Terms anthro.palomar.edu/change/glossary.htm]

Assimilation Period At the end of the treatymaking period in 1871, the U.S. Congress began a policy aimed at narrowing tribal and individual Indigenous rights and encouraging Indigenous Americans to move from reservations. Assimilation, allotment, and U.S. citizenship for Indigenous Americans became official policy goals and continued until the late 1920s.

[Deloria 1985, Cooper 1990, Pevar 1992, as stated in Historical Chronology by the

Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy, available online]

band Commonly, bands were hunter-gatherers in the past. Bands usually have no permanent leaders; decisions are based on building consensus. Leadership tends to be situational, arising for short periods of time.

[www.digitalhistory.uh.edu.historyonline.indian

sglossary.cfm]

BIA The Bureau of Indian Affairs, a U.S. federal government agency.

bias A highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment; prejudice. [Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

blood quantum Blood Quantum is the total percentage of your blood that is tribal native due to bloodline. All of the tribal nations use Blood Quantum as a requirement for membership. Usually this is detailed on a Certificate of

Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) Card issued by the U.S. government. Additionally, many of the tribal nations have other requirements for membership. [www.americanindiansource.com]

clan Two or more lineages claiming descent from a common ancestor.

[Digital History; www.digitalhistory.uh.edu.history online.indiansglossary.cfm]

cross-cultural setting A setting where one must set aside what the standard for “normal” is within one’s own culture, and try to understand the reasons something is accepted as normal in another culture (according to that culture’s standard). There are aspects of culture that are fundamental but subtle, and important to grasp if one is to function effectively within the new cultural context.

[Building Bridges: A Peace Corps Classroom Guide to Cross Cultural Understanding, pp. 30, 38]

culture A system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shared by a group of people. It includes customs, language, and material artifacts. These are transmitted from generation to generation, rarely with explicit instructions.

[Building Bridges: A Peace Corps Classroom Guide to

Cross Cultural Understanding, pp. 9, 14]

discrimination The act of distinguishing differences between people and showing

favoritism or prejudicial rejection of them. [anthro.Palomar.edu/tutorials/cglossary.htm]

diversity The condition of being different.

[Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

embedded values The visible and invisible values of the author, as shown in his/her published work. For example, an author who writes about American Indians using his/her own traditional values to make judgments and assertions about American Indians. [MT SS 1]

ethnic group Of, or relating to, a group of people classed according to common national, tribal, cultural backgrounds.

[Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

first-person point of view A character tells the story; the reader learns only what the character knows, thinks, and feels. Referring to the speaker or the writer of the utteran

heritage Something passed down from one generation of people to the next generation. Something transmitted or acquired by a

predecessor.

[Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

historical perspective History is a story and most often related through the subjective experience of the teller. Histories are being rediscovered and revised. History told from an Indian perspective conflicts with what most of mainstream history tells us.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU

6, 2005]

indigenous Referring to the native population of an area.

[Culture Change: Glossary of Terms www.anthro.palomar.edu/change/glossary.htm]

information quality The quality of the information obtained, based on accuracy, relevance, fact or fiction; also relies on factors including primary source information, secondary source information, point of view, and embedded values of the author. [MT SS 1]

invisible aspects of culture Those which are beneath the surface, frequently influencing and cause visible aspects of culture.

[Building Bridges: A Peace Corps Classroom Guide To Cross Cultural Understanding, pp. 9, 14, 38-41]

oral history Each tribe has a history that can be traced to the beginning of time. Many of these histories will be told only orally, as they have been passed down through generations. These histories are as valid as any other mythology or belief. Some tribes may only tell certain stories during certain times of the year, and this knowledge should be respected.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana

Indians, EU 3, 2005]

oral tradition A tribe’s traditional beliefs and legends that have been passed from generation to generation by word. These histories and traditions may be private, to be used and understood only by members of that particular tribe.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 3, 2005]

over-generalize Generalize to an excessive degree, so that a particular characteristic or aspect is regarded as applicable to every person of a group. [Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

point of view The standpoint from which something is considered or valued. An author might write in the first-person point of view or in the third-person point of view. Synonyms include: angle, attitude, frame of reference, opinion, orientation, outlook, perspective, position, private opinion, slant, standpoint, two cents worth, viewpoint, way of thinking

[from Roget’s Thesaurus of Phrases, 2001]

prejudice To judge before hearing or before full and sufficient examination (to prejudge). Also, an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.

[Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

primary source Primary resources provide firsthand evidence of historical events. They are, generally, unpublished materials such as manuscripts, photographs, maps, artifacts, audio and video recordings, oral histories, postcards, and posters. For example, a treaty between the U.S. government and a tribe is a primary resource.

[UCLA Institute on Primary Sources, available on Internet]

propaganda techniques Methods – not based in fact – used to make persuasive arguments. Critical readers identify these techniques so that they can identify when unclear thinking has occurred, or when an argument deliberately appeals to emotion. Such techniques include: appeal to ignorance, bandwagon, overgeneralization, circular thinking, either/or (looking at something as if it only has two sides), loaded (emotionally charged) words, oversimplification, using a “straw man”— exaggerating or oversimplifying so that something appears ridiculous.

[Adapted from Great Source Education Group’s Reader’s Handbook: A student Guide for Reading and Learning, 2002]

reasoned judgment Relies on factual information which supports the belief being made. When making a reasoned judgment, one might use words such as believe and probably. These words indicate that a judgment is being made.

reservations Land reserved by the tribes for their own use, through treaties and was not “given” to them.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 1, 2005]

ritual The established form of a ceremony, a certain way of doing something; an act that is customarily repeated.

[Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary]

secondary source Secondary materials, such as textbooks, synthesize and interpret primary materials. A grade 6 textbook in history is an example of a secondary source.

[UCLA Institute on Primary Sources, available on Internet]

self-determination “… Indigenous Nations possess certain sovereign powers to exercise government, enter into agreements, and develop and protect natural resources.”

[Deloria 1985, Cooper 1990, Pevar 1992, as stated in Historical Chronology by the Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy, available online]

sovereign powers Before colonization, Indian tribes possessed complete sovereignty. Tribes are now classified as domestic, dependent nations. Tribes have the power to define their own membership, structure, and operate their own tribal governments, regulate domestic relations, settle disputes, manage their property

and resources, raise tax revenues, regulate businesses, and conduct relations with other governments. It also means that the U.S. government is obligated to protect tribal lands and resources, protect the tribes’ right to self-government, and provide social, medical, educational and economic development services necessary for the survival and advancement of tribes.

[Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians, EU 7, 2005]

sovereignty The supreme power from which all political powers are derived. It is “inherent”—it cannot be given to one group by another. Sovereignty ensures self-government, cultural preservation, and a peoples’ control of their future. Sovereignty affirms the political identity of Indian Nations—they are not simply a racial or ethnic minority.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 7, 2005]

stereotype An oversimplified conception of a group of people in which all individuals in the group are labeled and often treated based on certain perceived group characteristics.

[www.ahla.com/diversity_glossary]

suffrage The right to vote.

[Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

termination Termination was designed to produce rapid, forced assimilation. Under termination, the trust relationship between Indigenous Americans and the U.S. government would gradually decrease and eventually dissolve. Economic development on reservations was ignored, and Indigenous people were encouraged to seek a life off the reservation.

[Deloria 1985, Cooper 1990, Pevar 1992, as stated in Historical Chronology by the

Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy, available online]

third-person point of view The story or narrative is told by a narrator outside the story or narrative; this narrator makes observations. Referring to one that is neither the speaker nor writer of the utterance … or the one to whom that utterance is addressed.

[Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

tolerance Respecting beliefs and actions which differ from one’s own beliefs and ideas. Respecting what other people/cultures value and do is a way to help them develop both the selfesteem and the feelings of integrity that will enhance their learning.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 2, 2005]

traditional Indians Those American Indians who show characteristics of American Indian ways of being and belief. A continuum exists between traditional and nontraditional members of tribes. All have a variety of backgrounds, differences of skin color, dress, behavior, along with deeper and subtler differences of values and ways of being and learning.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 2, 2005]

treaty An agreement or arrangement made by negotiation. A contract in writing between two or more political authorities (as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state.

[Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

tribal membership One’s official identity with a particular tribe depends on that tribe’s definition and requirements for membership.

[Essential Understanding Regarding Montana Indians, EU 2, 2005]

urban Indian An American Indian living off the reservation in an urban setting.