Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...Culture seems to lend itself to people feeling special or superior. Years ago, those who were cultured-up knew something about opera and ballet, or classical literature...Shakespeare, Dante, Aristotle, Socrates, whomever.
Nowadays it's knowing the 'first language' or having regalia or Native American Spirituality. It's become something of a litmus test in some circles...hey, are you a real Indian? What do you know about the seven grandfathers?
Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom, see you later...
It's enough to make one wonder, how many of our ancestors went to thirteen years of public school and then on to four years of state college, all the while receiving religious training at the local church. How many of them learned the 'first language' in a class or wore their Native American regalia as though it were a period costume.
Hey, Pow Wows are wonderful. They're great social and spiritual events. So are naming ceremonies and feasts and sweats. But they're just that...social and spiritual events. Through them members can revisit the past while visiting with their loved ones. While enjoying this aspect of their culture, they can feel special...even superior to others for a while.
However, other than these social and spiritual activities, the past is where it belongs...in the past. Tribal culture today is as much about education, training, employment and government as, in the past, it was about agriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering. This is where the Sault Tribe needs to encourage its youth to feel special and superior others...not in its social and spiritual activities.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Getting Cultured-Up":
Yes, we are now dealing with internal prejudice. Questions about how much one attends pow wows in employment interviews, who is relative to who seems to be important. While a few are benefiting from the tribe and the three families that are absorbing it all, they are not cultural, in fact The Sault Tribe is called the cultureless tribe in California.
3 comments:
Yes, we are now dealing with internal prejudice. Questions about how much one attends pow wows in employment interviews, who is relative to who seems to be important. While a few are benefiting from the tribe and the three families that are absorbing it all, they are not cultural, in fact The Sault Tribe is called the cultureless tribe in California.
Deb Pine is anything BUT cultural. Sadly she exploited this platform as one way to get elected. She is smug, arrogant, sarcastic, owns a bar thereby expoliting those with sad addictions, and only throws on those beads and feathers in front of the crowd. She is a fake and a phony.
it was obviose at the bod installation that deb pine has no clue and is going to be siding with causley and bernard she more than likely will sleep with who ever it takes to protect her own agenda i thought it very disrespectful her old man and kids playin the drum she cultral allright
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