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Sioux Culture, 2002.
This paper provides a cultural and historical background on the Sioux and the role of music in American Indian cultures.
10,689 words (approx. 42.8 pages), 31 sources, MLA, $ 212.95
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Abstract
This paper examines both what the Sioux cultures were like before European contact as well as what that culture has evolved into. The paper focuses on the music of this people set within a broader artistic and cultural and even political context. The paper is broken down into four chapters: An introduction into the Sioux people, their musical instruments, the songs of the people, and finally a larger cultural context. The final section of this paper examines the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance as the two most important single types of musical performance.
From the Paper
"Traditional Sioux of the last century - or the centuries before - would have found the entire idea of putting on their best clothes and going to a concert hall to listen - as relatively passive observers - to a musical performance extremely odd. For them, as for other native peoples of the Americas (and arguably other native peoples throughout the world before the onset of industrialization) music was something that was integrated into the fabric of ritual and everyday life."
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"Indian Killer" and "A House Made of Dawn", 2002.
This paper reviews two novels, both related to Indian Society in the U.S.A. --"Indian Killer", by Sherman Alexie and "A House Made of Dawn", by N. Scott Momaday.
792 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 28.95
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Abstract
The writer compares and contrasts the works of these two writers whose novels both focus on the issues of cultural ties in a sub-culture that is dominated and oppressed by the white majority. The paper looks first at Sherman Alexie's novel where the main character John is caught between the two cultures, his Indian background by birth and his adopted white family. The paper then continues with a review of N. Scott Momaday's book, set in post-war America and analyzes the characters development as he struggles between the world he once valued and the white world.
From the Paper
"In Alexie's murder story, a serial killer is operating in Seattle and leaving behind scalped corpses decorated with owl feathers. This leads to a good deal of anti-Indian rhetoric and some street violence, both white against Indian and Indian against white. The killer is John Smith, an Indian without a tribe, which alone sets him apart from both groups. His name is clearly an ironic reference to the white captain famous for the story of Pocahantas. John is caught between the two cultures, for while he is Indian by birth, he is Adopted by a white couple. He rapidly slips into a delusional fantasy life in which he is the Native American hero able to right all the wrongs inflicted on Native Americans by European settlers and all those who followed."
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Wilma Mankiller, 2002.
A review of the life of feminist leader, Wilma Mankiller.
2,341 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 72.95
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Abstract
This paper explores the life of Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, who the writer believes was one of the most important women of the twentieth century. The paper looks at women's rights and the leaders who helped shaped feminism overtime. Through Mankiller's life, the writer presents the various issues of feminism, women in society, female power and equality with men. The writer believes that while Mankiller was an important leader in the Native American ethnic group, she also proved to be a true feminist leader for all women.
From the Paper
"Wilma Mankiller presents a vision of hope to all young minority women who long to be treated according to their character and not their gender. It is her most fervent hope that her election marks the beginning of a new era in Native American and minority women's participation in politics. There is an ancient Oneida prophesy called "the time of the butterfly" that foresees a time when women take the reins of political power in Native American affairs."
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A Story-Teller's Tale, 2002.
An examination of R.K. Narayan's book "A Story-Teller's World".
857 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 30.95
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Abstract
This paper provides a brief analysis of Narayan's book in which he writes about his own world. He tells of his role as a story-teller in Native-American society, the nature of that society, the life of the people, and the way the story-teller takes the details of that world and transforms them through narrative.
From the Paper
"In the first essay in the book, Narayan discusses precisely the art of the story-teller and the way in which the story-teller uses language, stock characters and situations, symbols and the elements of life to entertain and enlighten. Narayan is talking here specifically of a certain type of traditional narrative that has been handed down over time, the legends and the myths that have particular meaning to the Indian people."
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Columbus' True Discovery, 2002.
An argumentative paper about how Christopher Columbus did not really 'discover' America.
1,857 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This study argues that Christopher Columbus did not "discover" America, and that only by twisting reality can it be said that he or any European "discovered" a land which was already inhabited by other human beings. The writer argues that the basis of this twisting of reality is that the inhabitants of the "New World" were less than human beings, and therefore it cannot be said that the land was inhabited at all, but was instead populated by semi-humans, by near-animals, by non-Christian savages with no civilized qualities. In reality, however, the "Indians" Columbus "discovered" were indeed human beings with a subtle civilization and a fully developed religious belief system. The writer continues his argument that Columbus did not "discover America" because it had already been discovered and populated by human beings long before his arrival.
From the Paper
"William M. Davidson and Henry Noble Sherwood argue in separate articles that Columbus was indeed a great man who discovered America. Davidson calls Columbus "The Great Navigator" and says that in Columbus "passion for discovery rose to the dignity of an inspiration" (Davidson 248). Sherwood writes that Columbus and his men found "naked savages" in the new land and that Columbus treated them well (Sherwood 253). It is crucial to the argument that Columbus "discovered America" that the context be established first in which the beings which inhabited that land are thoroughly dehumanized. The more that dehumanization process can be carried out, the more easily Columbus and his fellow Europeans and descendants can argue that there were no truly human beings when Columbus arrived and therefore it has to be said that he did indeed "discover" that land. The more one sees the natives as animals, as savages with no concept of God, the more one can argue that Columbus discovered the land on which they live. Accordingly, whether the Europeans brutalized the natives of the "New World" or treated them well though condescendingly, in their own minds and to one another the Europeans in general sought to portray the natives as less than human."
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Gaming Law, 2002.
An analysis of of the legal implications of the Stocker Wannabi Tribe's project to construct and operate a Las Vegas style gambling casino on their land.
1,013 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at whether the Stocker Wannabi Tribe will ultimately be able to move forward with its project to construct and operate a Las Vegas style gambling casino on its reservation in Mio will ultimately be decided by the federal courts. By examining the legal stance of the casino and other similar cases, it attempts to put forward strong public policy reasons which justify rejection of the project.
From the Paper
"The Supreme Court made it clear in California v. Cabaron Band of Mission Indians, 480 U.S. 202 (1987), that gaming on the reservations of recognized Indian tribes cannot be prohibited by a state "unless the state interests at stake are sufficient to justify the exercise of state authority." The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (IGRA), 25 U.S.C. 2700 et seq., provided the states with a share in the regulation of Las Vegas types games but limited state power in the area of Class II games which were defined to include card games such as blackjack which were in fact in legal operation in Michigan prior to 1988. The proposed casino insofar as its games were limited to Class II games would survive state challenge, but, of course, many other forms of gambling are contemplated at Miso."
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The American Indian Pacer Parent Education Program, 2002.
This paper look at the Pacer Parent Education Program for Native American parents of disabled children.
1,572 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
The paper gives an evaluation of a parent training program, the American Indian PACER program, designed and implemented to provide education and supportive services to Native American families with disabled children. The writer describes the program and reviews the literature, leading to an evaluation of the success of the program and concluding with recommendations for the improvement of the program.
From the Paper
"What makes the American Indian program special is that it not only provides all of the customary parent training given in all PACER programs, it does so in a culturally relevant and culturally sensitive manner by using Native American counselors and presenting information in a fashion that is relevant and meaningful for Native Americans. In terms of program specifics, the American Indian program offered by PACER offers workshops for parents in which they learn about special education rights and responsibilities."
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American Perspective, 2002.
An attempt to understand the American psyche and creation as a whole.
2,613 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 78.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the American experience as a whole, wading through the flow of information, in order to gain an understanding of the entire American experience as one direct theme. The writer believes that the long, difficult push across the American continent, destroying and creating, but always expanding, capitulates the American experience. The paper explores the heedless, headlong advance in geographical terms that was coupled with a limitless faith in the general notion of unending technological and economic progress - that is America today.
From the Paper
"But while Crevecoeur, one of the first prophets of the melting pot, praised the European immigrants and "that strange mixture of blood which you will find in no other country" as the vital force driving the new nation, he wrote long in advance of the arrival of immigrants other than the "English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes" whose ability to blend into a single nation impressed him so much (40). And he wrote prior to any reasoned consideration of the presence of millions of African slaves and Native Americans in the mix. Nor did those who thought about this frontier spirit in retrospect give much thought to the fact that masses of anonymous, hard-pressed immigrants from Eastern Europe and Asia fed the insatiable maw of the Industrial Revolution."
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New England Settlers, 2002.
An examination of the experiences of settlers in the New England area in the 17th century and the impact they had on the natives of the area.
2,105 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 66.95
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Abstract
This paper takes as its focus the culture of the Native Americans of Southern New England and also why it was so terribly disrupted by European settlement. Another way of looking at this last issue is to say that this paper examines what made this region attractive to the Europeans who would superimpose their culture on the area. Finally, the paper examines how the final outcome of European settlement in this area was the result of the traditional native settlement patterns and the ways in which these interacted with the specific goals of the Europeans.
From the Paper
"Southern New England was the home to a complex civilization when some of the first European settlers to the New World came to the area that is southern and eastern Massachusetts, the eastern part of New Hampshire, Rhode Island and most of Connecticut. Although there were regional differences throughout this area caused by differences in the environment as well as by the inevitable differentiation of people into subcultures, this region was unified by what can be viewed into a single cultural group. That culture -- along with the lives of individual American Indians -- would be in large measure destroyed during the 17th century as their culture came into conflict with that of the Europeans."
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"Lakota Woman" and "Black Boy", 2002.
A discussion of "Lakota Woman" by Mary Crow Dog & Richard Erdoes and "Black Boy (American Hunger): A Record of Childhood and Youth" by Richard Wright.
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at two different autobiographies written by Sioux activist Mary Crow Dog and African-American writer Richard Wright. This paper shows the many similarities between the oppressive conditions endured by their people and the initiatives they used in the struggle for equality.
From the Paper
"The histories of oppressed minorities in the United States have all begun very differently, but throughout the twentieth century they have developed as many similarities as differences. African Americans, for example, were brought to America against their will and forced into slavery where they were encouraged to increase in number because they were considered valuable 'property' essential to the economy of the Southern states. Native Americans, on the other hand, were forced off their own lands, robbed of their traditional means of survival, and systematically murdered any time they occupied lands the European Americans wanted."
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Peyotism, 2002.
This paper examines Peyotism, the largest religion started, organized, and directed by and for Native Americans.
2,253 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 69.95
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Abstract
The paper gives a history of the discovery of peyote, or mescal, and the way in which it was adopted by Native Americans as a method for reaching spiritual heights. The writer also outlines the reaction of mainstream religions and the United States government to the use of this drug. The paper compares the reaction in the U.S. to that of the Mexican authorities.
From the Paper
"From 1886 to 1932 the Bureau of Indian Affairs joined traditional Christian missionary societies to thwart Peyotism by all means possible. Federal prohibitions were proposed but failed, so that opponents of Peyotism took their campaign to the states. From 1899 to 1937 legislatures of 14 states outlawed peyote. Peyotists, who incorporated their religion in Oklahoma as the Native American Church in 1918, won the right to use the cactus in religious rituals in a half dozen court cases between 1960 and 1979 in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado, California, and Washington. Federal rules promulgated under drug-abuse laws exempt religious use of peyote. This remains the current legal state of Peyotism today, although legal challenges to it continue (Richter, 1997, p. A7)."
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Tinseltown's Toys: Hollywood's Misleading Images of Indians, 2000.
A comprehensive review of Michael Hilger's 1995 book "From Savage to Nobleman: Images of Native Americans in Film."
1,452 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how in his book "From Savage to Nobleman: Images of Native Americans in Film", University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire professor Michael Hilger investigates the portrayal of American Indians in movies. Hilger watched hundreds of movies, from silent era epics to modern-day blockbusters, to determine the manner in which Hollywood depicts Indian characters. It discusses how Native Americans comprise an extremely small portion of the nation's population and how because many people do not have the opportunity to interact with Native Americans, their views and beliefs about them are typically shaped by the racial stereotypes found in movies. It analyzes how Hilger attempts to destroy many of the false impressions of Indians in the movies by recognizing them for what they are, lies.
From the Paper
"Hilger's writing style is very methodical. Before entering into the examination of films featuring Indians, he sets forth the specific criteria he used for determining into which category a particular depiction of Indians should fall. One such "measuring stick" was the Indian's attitude toward whites. Typically, savage Indians are "enemies to the whites and obstacles to westward expansion," while Noble Red Men "are friends to the whites and realize they must adapt to white culture or face extinction" (Hilger 3). Hilger also characterizes Native American men as either Savages or Noble Men by their attitude toward white women: Noble characters are attracted to the white women, while Savage characters, "driven by their hostility, capture and rape white women" (Hilger 7-8). Hilger identifies a number of other general characteristics of both the Noble and the Savage Indian and describes these traits at the beginning of the book."
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