The Wild and the Tame

2019 ◽  
pp. 135-147
Author(s):  
Robbie Ethridge
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Native People ◽  
Noble Savage ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
Essential Connection ◽  
Native Literature

William Faulkner’s portraits of American Indians, rooted in popular stereotypes and misconceptions about Native people, range from the degraded, “white man’s” Indian to the Noble Savage. One stereotype that Faulkner draws on is the EuroAmerican idea that American Indians have an essential connection to the natural world, a stereotype that is certainly as old as Rousseau’s ruminations on the Noble Savage. This concept, dubbed the “ecological Indian” by anthropologist Shepard Krech, has been the focus of much debate and discussion. This paper explores the character of Sam Fathers in William Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses as “ecological Indian” and the continued use of Faulkner’s rendering in contemporary Native literature and social justice issues.

scholarly journals Reflection of the traditions and mentality of the people in the national literature of the XX century

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
R. Z. Khairullin ◽  
R. Kh. Sharyafetdinov
Keyword(s):  
Natural World ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Native People ◽  
National Literature ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
The North ◽  
Folk Traditions ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Russian Federation

The article deals with the reflection of life, traditions and customs of the native people in the national literature of the XX century in the general and creative work of the bilingual Nivkh writer V. M. Sangi in particular. It is noted that, along with the publication by V. Sangi, “The Epic of the Sakhalin Nivkh Settlement of the Bay of Black Earth” which is the only currently systematized consolidated text that incorporates the thousand-year history of the indigenous people of the North, attention to the depiction of elements of national culture and the disclosure of folk traditions is characteristic of all the literature of the peoples of the Russian Federation. Based on the Russian-language work of the Nivkh writer, who is characterized by the most vivid and deep reflection of the traditions and mentality of the peoples of the North, a comparative analysis of the revealed motives in national literature in general is carried out. Thus, the national outlook is characterized by initial environmental friendliness, a careful attitude of heroes to nature, a feeling of close connection with nature, a conscious rejection of aggressive intervention in nature, from violation of its laws and rhythms, self-identification as part of the natural world, which is also manifested in the desire to preserve the fragile nature of the circumpolar zone and to prevent a global eco-catastrophe.

American Indian Activism after 1945

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Shreve
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
American Indian ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Native People ◽  
Treaty Rights ◽  
1960S And 1970S

American Indian activism after 1945 was as much a part of the larger, global decolonization movement rooted in centuries of imperialism as it was a direct response to the ethos of civic nationalism and integration that had gained momentum in the United States following World War II. This ethos manifested itself in the disastrous federal policies of termination and relocation, which sought to end federal services to recognized Indian tribes and encourage Native people to leave reservations for cities. In response, tribal leaders from throughout Indian Country formed the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in 1944 to litigate and lobby for the collective well-being of Native peoples. The NCAI was the first intertribal organization to embrace the concepts of sovereignty, treaty rights, and cultural preservation—principles that continue to guide Native activists today. As American Indian activism grew increasingly militant in the late 1960s and 1970s, civil disobedience, demonstrations, and takeovers became the preferred tactics of “Red Power” organizations such as the National Indian Youth Council (NIYC), the Indians of All Tribes, and the American Indian Movement (AIM). At the same time, others established more focused efforts that employed less confrontational methods. For example, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) served as a legal apparatus that represented Native nations, using the courts to protect treaty rights and expand sovereignty; the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) sought to secure greater returns on the mineral wealth found on tribal lands; and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) brought Native educators together to work for greater self-determination and culturally rooted curricula in Indian schools. While the more militant of these organizations and efforts have withered, those that have exploited established channels have grown and flourished. Such efforts will no doubt continue into the unforeseeable future so long as the state of Native nations remains uncertain.

Unpacking the Mascot Debate: Native American Identification Predicts Opposition to Native Mascots

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Fryberg ◽  
Arianne E. Eason ◽  
Laura Brady ◽  
Nadia Jessop ◽  
Julisa Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Native Americans ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Native People ◽  
Sports Teams ◽  
Identity Centrality ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Racial Ethnic

While major organizations representing Native Americans (e.g., National Congress of American Indians, n.d.) contend that Native mascots are stereotypical and dehumanizing, sports teams with Native mascots cite polls claiming their mascots are not offensive to Native people (Vargas, 2019). We conducted a large-scale, empirical study to provide a valid and generalizable understanding of Native Americans’ (N=1021) attitudes toward Native mascots. Building on the identity centrality literature, we examined how multiple aspects of Native identification uniquely shaped attitudes towards mascots. While Native Americans in our sample generally opposed Native mascots, especially the Redskins, attitudes varied according to demographic characteristics (e.g., age, political orientation, education) and the strength of participants’ racial-ethnic identification. Specifically, stronger Native identification (behavioral engagement and identity centrality) predicted greater opposition. Results highlight the importance of considering the unique and multifaceted aspects of identity, particularly when seeking to understand Native people’s attitudes and experiences.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Sharon D. Welch
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
African American ◽  
Native American ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Police Force ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Large Numbers

There are moments in history when there are major breakthroughs in the power of social movements. Large numbers of people recognize the depth of injustice, see possibilities of beauty and integrity heretofore unknown, and find new forms of coming together to bring about change. We are living in such a time. We also live in a time of genuine threat – rising authoritarianism, racism, and xenophobia, increasing environmental degradation, morally unconscionable income and wealth disparities, a dangerously militarized police force, and a criminal justice system that disproportionately targets people who are African American, Native American and Latinx. Moreover, we are confronting ongoing threats of war and terrorism, escalating Islamophobia, and a national political system that is largely ineffective, paralyzed by increasingly high levels of division and polarization. We are in a struggle for the very soul of democracy, and all that we hold dear - interdependence, reason, compassion, respect for all human beings, and stewardship of the natural world that sustains us,– is under direct, unabashed assault. This book is meant for those who are concerned about dangers to our democracy, and to our social health as a nation. It is for those who desire to work for social justice, and to respond to essential protests by enacting progressive change.

Representations of American Indians and the Irish in educational reports, 1850s–1920s

2002 ◽  
Vol 33 (129) ◽  
pp. 33-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
American Indians ◽  
Inverse Image ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Control ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colonial Power ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Noble Savage ◽  
Individual Needs

Modern colonialism, writes Gyan Prakash, ‘instituted enduring hierarchies of subjects and knowledges — the colonizer and the colonized, the Occidental and the Oriental, the civilized and the primitive, the scientific and the superstitious, the developed and the underdeveloped’. Such dichotomies ‘reduced complex differences and interactions to the binary (self/other) logic of colonial power’, and colonial rulers ‘constituted the “native” as their inverse image’. Such perceptions of difference as ‘other’ expressed what ‘civilized’ Westerners believed themselves not to be — but also what they feared they might become, should they lose rational self-control. The ‘other’, writes Eva Kornfelt, ‘threatens the integrity of the self by offering alternative, unrealized, and suppressed possibilities’. As shown by Western fascination with the ‘noble savage’, this process could sometimes produce positive representations. Yet even these expressed the needs of the perceiver rather than the reality of the perceived. ‘Othering’, then, is a complex process, one implying deep cultural and individual needs, which may occasionally result in accurate representations, but more often produces self-justifying positive/negative dichotomies.

scholarly journals Perspectives of Social Justice Activists

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse A. Steinfeldt ◽  
Brad D. Foltz ◽  
Julie R. LaFollette ◽  
Mattie R. White ◽  
Y. Joel Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
American Indian ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Consensual Qualitative Research ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Mainstream Society

This study investigated perspectives of social justice activists who directly advocate for eliminating Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos. Using consensual qualitative research methodology, the research team analyzed transcripts of interviews conducted with 11 social justice activists to generate themes, categories, and domains within the data. The five domains included (a) deleterious impact of Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (b) reasons why members of mainstream society might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (c) reasons why some American Indians might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (d) frontline advocacy efforts; and (e) coping strategies for advocates. Results provided insights into the sociopsychological processes that allow the misappropriation of American Indian culture, symbols, and imagery in sport to continue to exist in society. Findings can help counseling psychologists understand the experiences of social justice activists while also highlighting ways that the field can support efforts to eliminate race-based mascots, nicknames, and logos.

Do Stereotypical Media Representations Influence White Individuals’ Perceptions of American Indians?

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 656-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley A. Strass ◽  
David L. Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
American Indians ◽  
White Privilege ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Important Predictor ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
European American ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Counseling Literature

In this study, we examined exposure to stereotypical movie portrayals of American Indians, motivations to respond without prejudice, and awareness of White privilege on racist attitudes. European American participants ( N = 232) were randomly assigned to watch stereotypical representations of American Indians or control videos. Hierarchical regression results revealed that higher internal motivations to respond without prejudice and awareness were associated with lower levels of racist attitudes. Higher external motivations to respond without prejudice were associated with higher levels of modern racist attitudes. For participants high in awareness, there was no significant difference in modern racist attitudes between the control and stereotype conditions. For participants low in awareness, those in the control condition reported lower modern racist attitudes than those in the stereotype condition. Results suggest awareness is an important predictor of lower racist attitudes but needs to be reconceptualized within the counseling literature. Social justice implications and limitations are discussed.

Meaningful Work in a Time of Crisis

2020 ◽  
pp. 280-304
Author(s):  
Vincent Stanley
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Organic Cotton ◽  
Rerum Novarum

The co-author of The Responsible Company: Patagonia’s First 40 years describes how work at the clothing company he helped start became increasingly meaningful and satisfying over the decades as, beginning with a switch from conventional to organic cotton, Patagonia tackled increasingly difficult social and environmental problems in its operation and supply chain. Stanley draws on two papal encyclicals, Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum(1891) and Francis’s Laudato Si (2015), and Catholic social justice principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, to illustrate the need and the possibility, in a time of social and environmental crisis, for business to mobilize its productive capacity to help regenerate human communities and the natural world; this would be meaningful work of the highest order.

Social Justice and Environmental Justice Is an Easy Blend For Us: You Can’t Have One Without the Other—An Interview With CEEJ

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-663
Author(s):  
John Sullivan ◽  
Katelyn Parady
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Air Force Base ◽  
Crude Oil Spill

Reverend James Black and his daughter, Joi Black-Tate, are key members of the Center for Environmental and Economic Justice team that served as a community hub for risk dissemination and clinical cohort management during the Gulf Coast Health Alliance: Health risks related to the Macondo Spill effort to characterize risk from the Deepwater Horizon well explosion and crude oil spill. In this interview, Reverend James Black and Ms. Black-Tate discuss how their community in Biloxi, Mississippi, was impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and connect this catastrophe to their previous experiences with collaborative Environmental Protection Agency projects measuring dioxin in “Back Bay Biloxi” and toxic chemical seepage from the Keesler Air Force Base. They elaborate on why they view their organization’s commitment to environmental justice as a natural outgrowth of the struggle for African-American civil rights and social justice in Mississippi and share reflections on the spiritual core of their relationship to community, social change, health, and the natural world.

scholarly journals Environment and Literary Landscape: An Ecological Criticism of Louise Erdrich’s Novel Tracks

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (I) ◽  
pp. 158-163
Author(s):  
Sana Tariq ◽  
Bahramand Shah
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
American Literature ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Native American Literature

Connecting the environment with societies’ cultures through literature has created a new awareness of environmental issues. The current environmental crisis is a product of modern human culture. The thought of using land as a commodity and disregard for environmental ethics has worsened the ecological crisis. The paper focuses issues of environment highlighted in Native American literature. The anthropocentric behavior of Euro-Americans is contrary to Native American idea of biocentrism. For American Indians, land is considered not merely a stage on which the act is played but also as an active participant in the drama with major role to play in the lives of the characters. This article applies Ecocriticism theory on Louise Erdrich’s fiction Tracks to generate an ecological criticism of the text. This paper highlights new ways of treating the natural world, putting responsibility on humans to see how their cultures are affecting environment.

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