Defining Culture

[Tom]

We've often talked about clothing dress and cultural identity, here's a link, not defining NDN dress but still a very useful tool.
www.hofstra.edu/CampusL/Culture/Culture_Dress.cfm
I like the topics and the deadlines!!!

[Tom]

The deadline for submission was closed before I found this, sorry, but hopefully I can find out more about this conference.
However in the future I will be looking for links that define culture.
We often here, "my culture , our culture" etc. years back I took a cross cultural seminar and found out that “Treaty Status” people had the same culture as “mine ours and them”, what our daily lives consist of basically .. is our culture, heritage is another element altogether different. Society is based on two elements, people and culture, both equaling society.
Which came first? both depends on the other, and the other can not exist as a separate entity, even if you were a hermit you are still defined by the culture that is your most living thought, your reality, you can not exist into form from nothing , live nothing, be nothing etc.
So culture is huge, traditions, society material culture and intellectual property all add to the world we live in and the culture that defines us.
Communities develop as micro entities of larger societies, some what separate from the larger western thinking mainstream but still the exogamy of culture defines the endogamy of who we are as people in time and geography.
Defining culture in mainstream society depends on who we are as society members, in or out of mainstream realms we adapt and change create our own mythologies based on our histories and how we relate to our realities, accepting of them or not.
By defining the family in a community focus this can enable a latitude or need that depends on the constraints of the community.
So for those seeking a special status in the community , it can only be done by acceptance of that party separate from those seeking acceptance, how, when and why are the critical elements to communities development by individual persons or groups within or outside the community.
What we have seen in the past is a forced entry without proper protocols, placing all parties at risk and risking future interactions.
Only in time can we see the benefits of efforts well placed to the best of our knowledge.
It's not what will my country do for me, it's what can I do for my country,... was the best way anyone put the effort.
Have a Great Day

[Linda]

Those are certainly some deep thoughts. We sure had enough "forced entries without proper protocol" this week. "We adapt and create our own mythologies," describes so many of the groups asserting themselves otday, though most aren't nearly honest enough to admit that's what they're doing. Instead they point fingers maliciously at others doing the same thing.

[Tom]

Hey Linda, I agree, with many of the southern communities that I have visited both status and non status, recognized or not, like all people we relate to our history in present terms, that's all that we can do because we can not travel back in time, so we relate their (most often they are our family ) histories to us, for example looking at an old photo and trying hard to imagine what was happening in the image.
Today many tribal groups (I try and stay away from that word but it refers to many) that refer to themselves as tribal, even without knowing the slant that is applied to it. The terms culture, heritage, community etc are so mixed up with out following the or knowing intent makes for a tangled web, confusing those that are trying hard to understand what is being said.
In short, the community groups with the strongest Indian identities and no "tribal" focus are those that reassert themselves in power positions that are self proclaimed.
Traditional groups most often say that they are not “Native American”, even when the latter claim so deeply that they are, these groups then or members of them invent mythologies to support what direction they would like to be politically allied to.
So my question is, really where will they end up, and who will be with them?

[Ed Yancey]

Hey Tom, someone much wiser than most of us (although you wonder why he had so many wives and a 1000 concubines) did say "There is nothing new under the sun". A lie is a lie no matter what kind of skin you wrap it in and bibotry is bibotry no matter what color or name it bears. There is always room for healthy pride . How should we survive if we removed the ancient landmarks? We are a compilation of all that went before us so I cherish my Scotch, Welsh, Irish, English, Native American and who know's what else.
There was a "Cherokee" down here on the NC coast a few years ago who told me I was a liar. No Cherokee man would allow a white man to marry a Cherokee woman, they would kill them both. Well.......................................what can I say? The most famous of all Chief's John Ross arrived on the world scene by way of a Cherokee lady and a Scottish gentleman. Should I say more but simply repeat, I have yet to meet the man or woman who chose their family and parents before they were born. Pride is fine when it creates a respect for yourself and allows for acceptance of others even if they do not come up to your standards. The greatest teacher who ever walked this earth was Jew of very Jew and yet reached out to all men. There is another kind of prIde that goes before a fall and a HAUGHTY spirit that goes before destruction. In those circumstances I have observed more than likely the fall and the destruction does not come from others. You wind up doing a pretty good joy on yourself.
This is a wonderful forum in which all of us can come together, share, care, learn and yes love one another without passing any kind of judgement. Some of the voices that want to invade this place of learning and caring and turn it into a place of declaring and clashing would do well to remember an important thing about Native American Culture-----Listen well and respect the Elders who are supposed to be men of age , experience, knowledge beyond just the brain, and well established.
I must share this note: When I was in college I was told of a young freshman who went up to an elderly black gentleman busy about raking and burning leaves on campus. The young "scholar"said to the old man, " You know what? to which the old gentleman replied "No." The young and observant scholar said, "I just realized, you're as black as that ground." The old gentleman thought for a moment and replied, " You know you are right, but come spring this ground is gonna be as green as you are!" What a freedom and Life we can enjoy when everybody doesn't have to be squeezed into our mold. I'll shup up for now and quit preaching before I start meddlin!!!!!!Ed

[Ed Yancey]

Tom, please overlook my spelling, the word is bigotry, and a little down the word is job not joy. I'm a little tired at this point. Ed

[Tom]

Hey Ed no problem w/ the spelling mine always has as many typeo's as always.
I think that we have made some great inroads here into understnding the events, I hope that I can make a better future in my posts.
One last note, there was once a French author that wrote that
"we often disguise ourselves to others that in time we often can't recognize ourselves".! or something to that effect.
Thanx for the post Ed.

[Tom]

refreshing