scholarly journals Landscape and Rhetoric: The Marriage of Native American Traditions and Zen Buddhism in Selected Poems by Gary Snyder

MANUSYA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-78
Author(s):  
Surapeepan Chatraporn

This paper examines certain similarities between Native American beliefs and Zen Buddhist teachings and demonstrates how Gary Snyder fuses these two traditions in his poetry. Through the analysis it has been found that the Native American wisdom of the interrelatedness of humans and nature has an affinity with the fundamental Buddhist principle of the interpenetration and interdependence of all existence or as Thich Nhat Han calls it “the inter being nature of things.” Gary Snyder has developed his love of nature concurrently with his respect for Native American traditions and his interest in Zen Buddhism. Snyder draws on the primitive oral traditions of chants, incantations and songs to communicate his experiences. Like the shaman-poet of primitive cultures and in imitation of Buddhist teachings, Snyder seeks to restore reverence for nature and reestablish a harmonious relationship with the universe. Apart from emulating certain Native American beliefs and Zen Buddhist principles, Gary Snyder makes use of Zen Buddhist poetic techniques which bear some resemblance to the oral poetic tradition of the Native Americans that precedes the influence of the white man. The precision of tersely worded images reminiscent of imagistic poetry, conciseness, concreteness, simple and ordinary language, as well as an abundant use of nature and animal imagery, which are common characteristics of both poetic traditions, find their way into the poetry of Gary Snyder.

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-144
Author(s):  
David Landis Barnhill

AbstractIn his poetry and essays, Gary Snyder has developed a syncretic blending of two cultures: Buddhist and Native American. He has written about their similarities and historical links, and has noted how their differences complement one other. Such an intercultural project has been criticized by those who have claimed that one cannot simply take ideas and values from foreign cultures: they are culturally embedded and we are bound to the character and limits of our culture. In addition, some Native Americans have called his cultural borrowing from their culture an inauthentic "white shamanism." Snyder, however, would argue that shamanism and animism are world-wide human phenomena and have been kept alive in what he calls the Great Subculture. Modern people can have access to them through serious and humble spiritual learning. Two concepts can help us understand Snyder's intercultural project. The first is Bahktin's notion of "anotherness," in which difference is affirmed but dialogue and exchange are possible. The second is an ecological theory of culture, which argues against cultural essentialism by recognizing that cultures are both distinct and interwoven and ever changing. Thus authentic intercultural borrowing is a possibility. For Snyder, it is also a necessity if we are to develop a healthy relationship to each other and the natural world.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (44) ◽  
pp. 72-93
Author(s):  
Huda Kadhim Alwan ◽  

The United States government allowed Native Americans to abandon their reservations in the 1950s and 1960s. The historical, social, and cultural backgrounds shaped the forms and themes of works by American Indian writers who urged people to refuse their culture's sense of shame. Moreover, their behavior corresponded with the restoration of individuals to their rituals after disappointment, loss of sense of life, and mental illness performed from the influence of mainstream American society. Among these writers, N. Scott Momaday and Leslie Marmon Silko participate in similar interest in portraying characters caught between indigenous beliefs and white mainstream standards. The construction of national identity in the first modernist Native American Novel, House Made of Dawn (1968) by N. Scott Momaday is tackled in this research. This novel illustrates the healing tale of a young Native American man who, after his return from military service in World War II, suffers from spiritual and psychological illness. The protagonist is isolated from his parents due to his traumatic experience of a foreign war and his problematic genealogy that stems from the orphanage. He is isolated from the land that offers his identity and his culture. In order to gain a consistent sense of identity with the aid of oral traditions and ancient ceremonials of Navajo and pueblo cultures, he begins a ritualistic journey that ultimately leads him to reintegrate with his people and culture. This research illustrates how the construction of national identity is a critical theme for American Indians and contemporary Native American authors.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Focella ◽  
Jessica Whitehead ◽  
Jeff Stone ◽  
Stephanie Fryberg ◽  
Rebecca Covarrubias

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-39
Author(s):  
LaNada War Jack

The author reflects on her personal experience as a Native American at UC Berkeley in the 1960s as well as on her activism and important leadership roles in the 1969 Third World Liberation Front student strike, which had as its goal the creation of an interdisciplinary Third World College at the university.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Poonam Chourey

The research expounded the turmoil, uproar, anguish, pain, and agony faced by native Indians and Native Americans in the South Dakota region.  To explain the grief, pain and lamentation, this research studies the works of Elizabeth Cook-Lyn.  She laments for the people who died and also survived in the Wounded Knee Massacre.  The people at that time went through huge exploitation and tolerated the cruelty of American Federal government. This research brings out the unchangeable scenario of the Native Americans and Native Indians.  Mr. Padmanaban shed light on the works of Elizabeth Cook-Lynn who was activist.  Mr. Padmanaban is very influenced with Elizabeth Cook-Lynn’s thoughts and works. She hails from Sioux Community, a Native American.  She was an outstanding and exceptional scholar.  She experienced the agony and pain faced by the native people.  The researcher, Mr. Padmanaban is concerned the sufferings, agony, pain faced by the South Dakota people at that time.  The researcher also is acknowledging the Indian freedom fighters who got India independence after over 200 years of sufferings.  The foreign nationals entered our country with the sole purpose of business.  Slowly and steadily the took over the reign of the country and ruled us for years, made all of us suffer a lot.


2020 ◽  
pp. 095935432097870
Author(s):  
Peiwei Li

Critical epistemological reflection facilitates disciplinary self-reflection, and yet the limitation of this practice needs to examined. This article explores the possibility of a praxis-oriented philosophical foundation for psychology through investigating the limits to knowledge. Integrating insights from critical communicative pragmatist perspectives and Zen Buddhism, this paper outlines what constitutes limits to knowledge and contests the boundary of epistemology, in relation to psychology as a natural science, social science, and critical science. Building upon this deconstruction/reconstruction, Zen Buddhist practice is drawn upon to further illuminate the potential to center psychology through the praxis of knowing as being, which is nontotalizing and always open to uncertainty and fallibility. My key argument is that any notion of epistemology is inadequate when divorced from its intra-connection to being and practice that have inherent ethical and moral relevance. This necessitates deferring philosophizing to a constant and endless practice that upholds an ethics of solidarity.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 941-948
Author(s):  
Linda Burhansstipanov ◽  
Lynne Bemis ◽  
Mark Dignan ◽  
Frank Dukepoo

Abstract The long-term goal of Genetic Education for Native Americans (GENA), a project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), is to provide a balance of scientific and cultural information about genetics and genetic research to Native Americans and thereby to improve informed decision making. The project provides culturally sensitive education about genetic research to Native American medical students and college and university students. Curriculum development included focus groups, extensive review of available curricula, and collection of information about career opportunities in genetics. Special attention was focused on genetic research to identify key concepts, instructional methods, and issues that are potentially troublesome or sensitive for Native Americans. Content on genetic research and careers in genetics was adapted from a wide variety of sources for use in the curriculum. The resulting GENA curriculum is based on 24 objectives arranged into modules customized for selected science-related conference participants. The curriculum was pretested with Native American students, medical and general university, health care professionals, and basic scientists. Implementation of the curriculum is ongoing. This article describes the development and pretesting of the genetics curriculum for the project with the expectation that the curriculum will be useful for genetics educators working in diverse settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Raymond Foxworth ◽  
Laura E. Evans ◽  
Gabriel R. Sanchez ◽  
Cheryl Ellenwood ◽  
Carmela M. Roybal

We draw on new and original data to examine both partisan and systemic inequities that have fueled the spread of COVID-19 in Native America. We show how continued political marginalization of Native Americans has compounded longstanding inequalities and endangered the lives of Native peoples. Native nations have experienced disproportionate effects from prior health epidemics and pandemics, and in 2020, Native communities have seen greater rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. We find that Native nations have more COVID-19 cases if they are located in states with a higher ratio of Trump supporters and reside in states with Republican governors. Where there is longstanding marginalization, measured by lack of clean water on tribal lands and health information in Native languages, we find more COVID-19 cases. Federal law enables non-members to flout tribal health regulations while on tribal lands, and correspondingly, we find that COVID-19 cases rise when non-members travel onto tribal lands. Our findings engage the literatures on Native American politics, health policy within U.S. federalism, and structural health inequalities, and should be of interest to both scholars and practitioners interested in understanding COVID-19 outcomes across Tribes in the United States.


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