For our study in The World Turned Upside Down, I have decided to focus on the Delaware Walking Purchase. According to the book, the Lenni Lenape Indians of New Jersey and Pennsylvania signed approximately 800 deeds of land to colonist between 1630 and 1767. Thomas Penn, certainly aware of the vast amount of land treaties, claimed to have found a treaty from 1686 claiming that his fathers and their heirs were granted lands "as far as a man can go in a day and a half." Basically, the treaty allowed Penn and others to claim as much land as he could cover on foot in the time allotted.
The Pennsylvanians involved, however, took advantage of the generosity of the treaty. Instead of sending a man out to walk for a day and a half, they cleared a path ahead of time and chose three runners to cover as much land as possible. By the end of the allotted time, they had covered 65 miles, taking the last lands the Indians had claim to in the upper Delaware and Lehigh valleys.
Though the Delaware Indians filed a complaint against the Walking Purchase, they were met with a rude reply making it clear that their "opinion" regarding rights to the land was not of value, and neither was their culture.
I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in the class trip to Cherokee. I suppose I had certain expectations. Maybe I expected to see some sort of resemblance to the materials I've been reading in this class. I had a mental image of peacefulness, and generally just something different than what I am accustomed to.
But I didn't find that in Cherokee. Certainly the museum was fascinating. There were so many things I had never seen or learned, and I was captivated. Cherokee, though, is not a museum. Cherokee, as I saw it, was basically like every other town I've experienced. There are several shops, restaurants, and various other income-based sites. The history was there; I suppose that sets it apart from other towns.
My expectations were based on books. though. What was I to expect? Nothing ever stays the same. I suppose I had let myself become so wrapped up in the culture of old, that seeing its absence in a place that I assumed would harbor it was disappointing. The land was either taken over by business (the casino being the biggest business around) or poorly taken care of (the mound), and I saw very few Indians. Of course, there was the Indian standing on the side of the robe in "traditional" Indian attire holding a sign offering pictures with a "real Indian."
Id like to say I've been able to interpret my thoughts on Cherokee and the experience I had there, but I am not sure I can. The whole experience seems quite overwhelming really. Pinpointing my thoughts or feelings about the town is not something I have been able to do.
But I will not forget Cherokee. I have actually made plans to return soon. I want to see more, experience more, and perhaps wrap my mind around the way that place affects me.
The etiological myth that Junaluska translates is short and simple, but reveals a great deal about the purpose of such tales. Not only does this story reveal it s etiological purpose by explaining the origination of the Milky Way and a description of its appearance, but it reveals an even deeper truth (something typical of American Indian etiological myths, at least in my limited experience).
Looking at this photo, it is easy to see why this would be compared with the corn trail left behind by the dog.
The moral of the Milky Way story, at least in my opinion, is that beautiful things can emerge from the most unlikely circumstances. Grinding meal is not an easy task...
This video is a tad long, but it offers a good look at what goes into grinding meal.
I can only imagine after watching the above video how angry someone would be if even a handful were stolen.
The story could also be taken to mean that when justice is served, beauty is restored to the earth. The dog was punished for his theft when the villagers whipped him, and what followed was the spilling of the meal that led to what is now called the Milky Way. If not for the punishment, the beauty of the most famous galaxy known to mankind would not have been know (according to this tale).
The story I chose for this week was quite short, but I was not only fascinated by the tale.
The above link leads to the newsletter that Junaluska translated original letters for. It is an interesting newsletter and could be a great resource for anyone looking at current Cherokee life.
“What is the point of having experience, knowledge, or talent if I don’t give it away? Of having stories if I don’t tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don’t share it? It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world, and with the divine.” -Isabel Allende
I was particularly struck by the chapter concerning generosity. The first thing that came to mind when I read this chapter was the rather offensive term "Indian giver." I've always found the term to be offensive, but especially after reading "The Story of Brings the Deer."
In this particular story, deer have become very scarce and the people of the tribe are starving. The elderly are dying because they are giving their food to the strong, young ones and things are beginning to look hopeless. It is then that the village sends two hunters, Left Hand and Sees the Bear, out to hunt for deer in hope that they will find enough food to survive until the end of the harsh winter. After many days of searching, the hunters happen to kill a deer that happens to stumble into their camp and fall. However, on their journey home they are asked to share their meat with several creatures who have also fallen upon hard times. Sees the Bear agrees every time, despite Left Hand's angry objections. In the end, Sees the Bear's (who becomes Brings the Deer) life is rewarded by his people and the world around him. The deer becomes whole again, the people have more than enough to eat, and Brings the Deer is given the location of a group of deer by an injured hawk he shares meat with.
One of the most striking things about the story (at least to me), is that Sees the Bear remembers the lesson that he learned from the elderly's example. He says to Left Hand, "The old ones have taught us that it is good to share. Is that not the truth?" The elders felt it was better to give their lives to better the young than to allow both the young and the old to suffer, and Sees the Bear acts with a similar mentality.
I have been fortunate enough to experience this in my short lifetime. I live on a tight budget (as we all surely do while we are in school), and at times it is very tempting to horde everything I have and keep it for myself alone. But I have learned an important lesson in the past semester. I began to give without grudging. I picked up volunteer work that requires me to put time and money into serving those in need. Though on paper it appeared that I wouldn't be able to afford it, I have yet to be short of anything I need. I was given extra work, another grant from the state, and my parents (who have been distant from me since my move to Asheville) even helped me with car maintenance as needed. I couldn't have been more amazed at the way my life changed when I began to think with an outward focus. Though I am still selfish in many ways and will likely never be a saint, I couldn't be more happy with the new attitude of generosity that has become a part of my life. I am connected with the world and others in a new way.
I couldn't have been more pleased to find this video!
Though I loved the majority of the reading for this week, I took special interest in the second section titled, "Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective" (Imagine a Literature major selecting that piece, its unthinkable). What caught my attention was her comparison of the Pueblo style of narrative with a spider's web. After reading that, I looked at every book on my shelf and realized that I had never read anything that description before this class.
Silko describes the literature as a web "with many little threads radiating from the center, crisscrossing one another." As I pondered this thought, it hit me that this does not apply only to individual stories, but all of the stories act in the same manner. They all connect to one another in an intricate, beautiful circle. Spider webs do not necessarily have a beginning and in end, they aren't "linear," just as humanity and the natural world is not linear. Everything happens in cycles, and it is difficult to prove that life works in a linear fashion. The stories that are so deeply rooted in the Pueblo culture embody the cyclical pattern of life quite well.
It hit me after reading this section that it connected very well with the portion before it, "Interior and Exterior Landscapes." The idea that the natural world reveals things about humanity and represents truths about life and living fits perfectly with the web analogy. The web reveals the unity of the stories and their connection to the rest of the world. Consider a spider web. Certainly it is beautifully connected, but not every strand is perfectly placed. Some strands are crooked compared to others. Some strands appear to be unnecessary, but they all fit into the web nonetheless (much like the portions of Silko's book).
Pay attention to the strands. Not one is the same and none are "perfect" (as the mainstream might define it).
I was most struck by the value of potential in this weeks reading, The Sacred Tree. I am now a senior in college and looking back over the last four years of my life I am astounded by how often I underestimated my own potential. I can think of many papers, exams, and especially creative opportunities in which I sold my self short of the potential I now recognize in myself.
I have always said that I lack creativity. I love literature (a good thing considering that it is my major) and I love the connection that I feel when I read powerful and meaningful writings. But I have never written anything for myself. To this day I say, "I am a terrible writer. I am planning to be behind the scenes as an editor." Now, this is TRULY what I want to do with my life, I did not choose to be an editor simply because I don't believe in my potential. However, that does not mean that I do not have the ability to write well. I simply have not put enough effort into developing my own potential. I may never be a famous author or even publish a small article, but I am certainly capable of writing for myself. Oh fear, how often I allow it to cripple me!
I was very touched by the values in The Sacred Tree. After reading this short book, I intend to integrate both activeness and potentiality into my personal life. I strongly desire to end the cycle of self-doubt and fear and I intend to take steps to do so.
Now, I just have to figure out how to do this.
One of the things that caught my attention in the "Walking Purchase" section I blogged about this week was the mention (several times, in fact) of the Belt of Wampum in Canasatego's response. I had no clue what the Belt of Wampum represented so, as always, I set out on an exciting Google expedition to educate myself. What I discovered was quite fascinating considering the reference that is made to the belt in the text. Traditionally, a Belt of Wampum is used to commemorate treaties, historical events, and personal contracts (marriage, for example). The belts were (are) made from white shell beads and purple beads from the quahog (I am seriously resisting the urge to include a Family Guy reference at this point).
In the letter we read, Canasatego essentially forces the Belt of Wampum upon the Lenni Lenape Indians of New Jersey. I was particularly struck by the fact that someone who certainly understood the significance of the belt would pervert the peaceful history of it. It is insult enough that it took two years to respond to the complaint, but he furthers insult the tribe by stating, "Let this belt of Wampum serve to chastise you." The belt was not intended to be a disciplinary tool, but a symbol of a peaceful transaction between peoples, something the "Walking Purchase" most certainly was not.
I was able to find several different designs, all of which I find extremely beautiful.
This is a sort of map that shows the structure of this particular belt. It is comprised of 38 rows.
A ceremony of some sort that is being commemorated with a Belt of Wampum (seem in the foreground).
