From: viveka von rosen u <beaver.cs.washington.edu!gnosys!mach1.wlu.ca!vvonros3>
Subject: re: real life
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 21:32:20 GMT

Original-Sender: viveka von rosen u <mach1.wlu.ca!vvonros3>

Hello All-


This letter has a double purpose.  Firstly, I would like to thank those
of you who wrote me in response to my question on cultural appropriation.
(In case my own attempt to respond to Tristine and Arlen didn't work,
I did indeed receive and appreciate your letters!)

I am also interested in Dave Boose's comments.
I guess the reason many of us are so stuck in the past is that it has
affected so greatly the shape of things today.  But I also agree that the
past is the past and we can not change it.  We Euro-Americans came in and
devastated your world.  And the results of that and consequent attempts at
"assimilation", are very evident in the alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide and
unemployment which is rampant amongst many Native American communities.
Luckily, some individuals have been able to function quite adequately in
the world we forced you into.  My friend Dave Ward, an Inuit lawyer in
Edmonton, has achieved "successes" which I could only dream of achieving.
(Amongst other things, he was an alderman, a lawyer, a horse-trainer, a
professional football player, a golden gloves boxing champ, a designer,
etc. etc.)  UNfortunately, despite his successes in this society, he is not
a contented man.  He misses his culture.

I have been pleased to experience some communities in which the Traditional
ways have been re-established, and those communities are thriving healthy
examples that a people's culture can not be taken away from them.  But my
question, related to cultural appropriation, is what about the Native
American communities which have become dependent on interation with surrounding
White communitees in order to survive.  I am thinking of Cherokee village, and
other such tourist "attractions" which sell the idea of the Indian in order
to survive?  How can they extricate themselves (If they even want to) from
this position?  (Thanks to Arlen for alighting me to Cherokee village.)

I am wondering if the rather recent interest in "Indians" by other cultures
is a help or a hinderance.  Certainly an interest in a culture results in an
onlsough of research about that culture, as has been the case of the popular
interest in the many and diverse Native American Cultures.
Finally "Native American Studies" programs have been created in schools and
Universities, movies are being made which portray Native American culture in a
less stereotypical way.  More books are being written, etc. etc.  Euro-
American and Native-American cultures are being exposed to more and more.
We are learning both the incredibly diverse strengths of Native American
spirituality, as well as the horrors of the BIA schools.  I think this is
good.  Unfortunately, where there is interest, there is business.  And
so you get places like Cherokee village, Beadwork that comes from Tiawan, and
"monsters" in comics that look like the Hopi Katchina (Thanks to Tristine
fo mentioning this.)  What are your ideas on this all?

I know these are really general questions, but I am interested in knowing how
people begin to introduce traditionalism back into their communities.  What
do you think of the new-age interest in "Indian" spirituality.  Is returning
to the native language (Inuit, Anishnabeg, Sioux... whatever) a feasible
way of regaining culture?  How is the necessary integration between White
and Native cultures being successfully accomplished?  Are there still
people who would wish to return to a pure traditional way of life with
no interaction with Whites?  Does beadwork done with beads from Tiawan still
hold its traditional value?   What do you think about movies like THUNDER-
HEART, THE LAST MOHICAN, DANCES WITH WOLVES, POW WOW.. etc?

I guess I've asked enough questions...
So I just have one more:
Can anybody give me information about Victor Masayesva (I hope I spelled that
correctly) and his works?  Tristine mentioned he came to U of Mich. to
speak about the portrayal of the Hopi Katchina in Marvel comics, and I
would like to know more.  Has he written any books, papers, etc?


Thanks for listening to yet another onslaught...

Viveka von Rosen
vvonros3@mamut.wlu.ca



Newsgroups: alt.native