New Due Date:
July 21, 2011
Black Elk Speaks
Culture is perhaps the most significant influence in a person's life, and it is often misunderstood, made into stereotypes and jokes, or even worse ignored. for example, when people look at me they see a white woman and immediately make several assumptions about me. I am categorized into the entirety of "white culture" (whatever that means). In actually I identify myself in a very specific way. To begin with I was born in Ireland and my first language was Gaelic (Irish). Just those two facts alone mean that I am from an oppressed culture. Since before the birth of Christ the Gaels (Irish, Scots and Welsh) were looked at as the bottom of society or as savages. Have you ever seen the movie Braveheart? That was a mild example of what perceptions of the Irish and other Gaels were. Ireland is the poorest non-third-world country on the planet. Up until 1984 it was illegal to speak Gaelic in the North because of the British control of Northern Ireland. even children were publicly caned for speaking Gaelic on the school yard. Although no longer a law, many people who lived through that time in history don't speak Irish today. In fact, Gaelic is a dying language, which is precisely what the British wanted. I can go further into detail about cultural oppression in Ireland and as to what I identify myself as but it is time to think about Black Elk and his life.
Culture shapes a person. think about your own specific cultures. How important are they to you? Blog Questions: What have you learned about the Lakota culture as a result of reading Black Elk Speaks? what aspects of the culture are you planning on including in your children's book?
The Lakota tribe is quite the strong Native American tribe. They stick as close as possible to their ancestor’s way of living. Even keeping the native language of the Lakota alive. The Lakota tribe’s culture is rich. The culture practices visions all Lakota people must have at least one vision in their life time. Also they are very kind to all animals respecting them and treating them with much respect. This is why the spiritual visions and kindness to animals cross. I say this because there are many characters with animals oriented names which come from their visions. Those are some of the aspects that will be added in my children's book.
ReplyDeleteAs a result of reading the book, i learned that the Lakota culture works together. They don't leave anyone behind and care for each other. They are loyal to one another. Spirituality is a big part in the Lakota culture. They believed in various "Fathers" who were in the heavens. The aspect of the culture i plan on including in my children's book is the spiritual part.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main things that i have learned about the Lakota tribe is that they value bravery.Many of the boys in the tribe are very eager to fight, and very eager to show their courage and their bravery. They also respect all the things that are put on the earth. They respected the treaty they made with the white people; and they respect the animals that they hunt. They are also very determined, and when they want or need to do something they get it done. For example: One of the characters wanted a woman very badly; and he didnt stop at anything untill he finally got her. Lastly they are a very spiritual tribe. Black Elk has hears voices in the clouds many times warning him about future events. He also has a great vision which reveal many spiritual gifts that he will recieve; and many people in the tribe rely on their spiritual faith on their everyday actions. Some aspects that i will include in my novel are going to be bravery and spirituality.
ReplyDeleteThere are many aspects to the Lakota culture. They have a strong sense of spirituality, bravery, and sacrifice during war as a way to protect their people. With spirituality the Lakota people take the time to listen to the six Grandfathers(similar to what a God would be) they have watching over them. These Grandfathers can influence and help the people through times of need. This is possible through visions that different people from the Lakota tribe have. Black Elk was one of these people. By having his vision, Black Elk became closer with the spiritual world and was able to help his people in different ways. In the end Black Elk couldn't help save the entire tribe, but his faith in his vision gave the other tribe members hope. Also throughout the Lakota tribe boys grew up to show bravery and sacrifice as men. From a young age, boys would begin to learn the ways of war. Once they became a certain age and were considered a man, they knew that their role was to fight in the time of war. Black Elk knew that he was going to need to fight and even though he knew the risks of being killed his bravery and belief in the Grandfathers keep him fearless. With bravery and sacrifice comes the ability to perservere through battle and succeed. As stated in the book, once the Lakota's have won a battle a man would skin the scalp of a defeated warrior as way to show their braavery and success of killing in battle. By the skinning of the scalp, the Lakota men and boys are able to show their bravery and this brings them pride. Overall the Lakota culture is rich in its beliefs and sense of themselves. In my Children's book I will be including the visions that Black Elk had seen throughout his life to show the strength of the Lakota's spirituality. Also I will be showing the struggle of the constant battle between the Lakota's and Wasichus(white men) and the bravery and sacrifice the Lakota men and women faced.
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