The Lakota Way: Generosity

“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!

Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit

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).  

The Sacred Tree: Potential

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.

Belt of Wampum

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).

 

A video on how to make a Wampum Belt 

Interview about the Belt of the Present. 

Some links detailing the Belt of Wampum:

http://www.ganondagan.org/wampum.html

http://www.nativetech.org/wampum/wamphist.htm

http://www.nativetech.org/beadwork/wampumgraph/index.html (Create a virtual belt!!)

Wampum Belt that I created on the website above. 

Burial Rituals

For several days after watching The Business of Fancydancing thoughts about burial rituals and customs plagued my brain. I have attended very few funerals in my lifetime, three to be exact. Two of those three funerals were military funerals for war veterans so it is fair to say that my experience with burial customs is limited. However, even in my limited experience, it is clear to me that any culture's burial customs can often reveal a great deal about their values and their beliefs concerning the after-life.

In the photos above, tree burial or scaffold burial is depicted. If you are anything like me, you are wondering why the hell anyone would be buried so high above the ground. Well, this practice was adopted to protect the bodies from wild animals. The scaffolds average about 7 to 8 feet high and about 10 feet long. Before placing it on the scaffolding, the body is wrapped so tightly that it is nearly waterproof. Apparently, in many tribes, it is customary to wrap the body in some way (as we saw in the film). Oftentimes (as you can see above) worldly goods such as food, water, and religious symbols are hung from the poles for the benefit of the dead. 

For more information concerning tree/scaffold burial and many more photos see the following sites:

http://www.nanations.com/burialcustoms/scaffold_burial.htm

http://www.firstpeople.us/american-indian/photographs/apsaroke-scaffold-burial.html

http://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu:8180/luna/servlet/view/all/what/Scaffold+burial?os=0&pgs=100&sort=Title%252CDate_Original%252CSubject%252CDescription

I couldn't resist posting this. The music is amazing. 

He has a lot of interesting information about the Indians in this valley and their tree burial customs.

A very interesting blended ceremony. 

  

Weather

When considering what to discuss in my blog this week, one theme continued to come to mind: weather. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven begins with a story that relies heavily on weather metaphors (appropriate considering that the entire book is basically about weathering storms). On my usual weekly Google search for this course I came across quite a bit of material concerning American Indians and myths and legends concerning the weather. 

One such myth is that of the spirit Pomola (also known as Pamola and Bemola) that is associated with the Penobscot and Abenaki tribes. Pomola is associated with cold weather and was often credited with night, wind, snow, and storms. He is also considered by some to be the god of thunder and protector of Mt. Katahdin (the tallest mountain in Maine). Pomola, though respected by the tribes, is also greatly feared. Legend has it that Pomola lived at the top of the mountain which was off limits to those who lived below.  Though it is not certain, it is speculated that Pomola looked something like the following picture: 

True and random fact: The image of Pomola is used frequently by the Boy Scouts of America! 

There is very little information about Pomola. However, I was able to find the following myth about a woman who married Pomola. http://www.native-languages.org/penobscotstory2.htm

Though there are no videos about Pomola directly, there are several about Mt. Katahdin that offer insight into the Penebscot Indians who once dwelled there. 

Fry Bread Mmm....

If there is one thing we have consistently heard about as a class, its Fry Bread! I was intrigued by the character's use of fry bread as an emotional marker. Both good and bad things are associated with the staple food of the reservation in "Smoke Signals." Fry bread is present when Victor is reliving his mistreatment of Thomas and it is present in Thomas' retelling of the feeding of the five thousand (American Indian style of course). I chose this topic because it reminded me of my great-grandmothers "ho-cake" (Yes, "ho-cake"). It was basically bleached white flour, water, and lard. Grandma Sadie would knead the dough with her beautiful Southern-Irish hands and then fry it in bubbling vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet that was almost too heavy for me to carry. It is arguably one of the most unhealthy things one can possibly consume, but it is oh-so-tasty.

Even with the recent inflation of wheat and dairy products, fry bread is incredibly inexpensive to make and probably very filling. While it can be a bit bland if made improperly, its simple nature makes it easy to "spice up." For example, adding powdered sugar and dark, melted chocolate makes one very tempting dessert!

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying
Extra flour to flour your hands

Preparation:

Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump. Flour your hands well. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.

Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Don’t worry about it being round. As Grandma Felipa would say “it doesn’t roll into your mouth.” In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. You can check if you oil is hot enough by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy pot. 

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to cook.  Place the cooked Fry Bread on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

(http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/NavajoFryBread.htm)