Native American Essay Example for Free

Native American Essay It is believed that the Hopi are the Native American tribe that has been living for the longest time in the same place. They arrived in the arid region of Northwest Arizona probably over a thousand years ago, and traditionally lived in the cultivation of corn and other plants, for which they achieved a very careful use of water and space. Despite the friction between the Hopi and both the Navajo and the Western, resulting from the invasion of both cultures of the Hopi lands in the past, they are one of the few aboriginal groups who maintain their culture until today. Their villages are ancient, some with a history of 1000 years. They have developed a reputation for basketry and sculpt miniatures. They are owners and operators of a cultural center, a museum and a hotel complex. According to Hopi tradition, the history of mankind is divided into periods they call worlds, which are separated by terrible natural disasters: the first world fell in the fire, the second by the ice and the third by water. Our present world, the fourth according to their prophecies, is coming to an end and will give way to a new world in the not too distant future. In total, humanity must walk through seven worlds. Hopi Indians claim that their ancestors were visited by beings from the stars who moved on flying shields or thundering birds and who dominated the art of cutting and carrying huge blocks of stone, as well as to build tunnels and underground facilities. These rescuers were called katchinas, meaning wise, honorable and respected. Katchinas were able to save the Hopi from some disasters, and they taught them to observe the stars, cutting roots, enforce laws and a long list of activities. They multiplied as people, and from them emerged clans and nations that extended across America. Hopi means peaceful or civilized person in Hopi language. Fascinated by the Hopi language linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941) became inspired on his research on the Hopi to formulate his principle of linguistic relativity, which states that the language in which people operate affects their view of reality. When Whorf studied the tribe of the Hopi, he was surprised to find that the Hopi language words cannot express the past, the present and the future. The Hopi see life as a continuum and that is why they need not to describe the meaning of time as we do. According to Whorf, the lack of isomorphism between the Amerindians and the English language indicates a basic difference in thinking that is culturally acquired by the individual in the process of language acquisition. The Hopi language, according to Whorf, has a much larger number of verbs than names, unlike European languages, and this is reflected for instance in a different conception of time and motion and this is very important for the following: The Hopi conceive time and movement in a purely operational way – a matter of complexity and scale of those operations that connect facts so that the time element is not separated from the element of space, which enters as a part of the operation regardless of the former. Whorf tells us that one could assume that the Hopi, who know – initially only the language and cultural ideas of their own society, have the same notions of time and space that we have, or that concepts such as time and space involve intuitions that are universal. Yet this is not true, the Hopi do not have – originally a general notion or intuition of time that elapses uniformly and in which everything in the universe goes by the same pace. Though this theory has been observed for several decades, it has also been the target of attacks and criticisms, including those of the well-known professor emeritus of languages Ekkehart Malotki, a specialist in Hopi culture, who argues on his studies that the Hopi language contains various tenses, metaphors and units of time. These include days, number of days, parts and kinds of days, such as yesterday, morning, day, week, month, months, lunar phases, seasons and years. The Hopi live, move and exist within their religion, they fit into the description that anthropologist Mircea Eliade makes of the archaic or religious man , which perceive both the environment and the human actions as sacred, and who is able to respond to this sacredness in the sense that they repeat the exemplary models that they’ve received from their ancestors. The perception of a primordial temporality, as opposed to our Western linear temporality, responds to how they perceive objects and actions in the world. The objects are not perceived as themselves, in isolation, but as participants in a web of meaning that shapes totality, in this way everything is done and acquires significant value in response to other things to which it relates. In relation to actions, each action has an exemplary model, which was inaugurated by a mythical ancestor (for the Hopi, the katchinas), who initiated the action and forged its exemplariness or genuineness, which is now repeated: the paramountcy of time in the repetition of exemplary actions. We see that the difference between the Hopi and Western temporalities can be explained from the meaning of human actions on both cultures, in our Western culture in everything we do we are affected by the past, and we act in response to the consequences that we can get done in the future, however Hopi perceive time as a unit, a continuum, and the actions that ultimately shape their perceptions are not divided in a linear temporality (past-present-future) as they are a constant repetition of the key, mythical actions. This means that the Hopi continually celebrate with their doings a more genuine status of things.

The Passing Down of a Tribes Ancient Legends Essay example -- Tribal

The Passing Down of a Tribe's Ancient Legends Thesis: The Shaman’s job of passing down the tribe’s ancient legends are very important. I Shamans A. definition B. purpose 1. balance 2. success hunting 3. planting 4. cure sickness C. Usually males 1. post menopausal women 2. blood powers II passed down from generation to generation A. usually from memory 1. sand drawings 2. birch bark scrolls 3. paintings on rocks 4. animal hides B. children 1. eight-familiar stories 2. ten- know history III answer basic questions A. where do we come from B. where are we going C. how the world came into being D. how it was transformed E. guidelines of behavior F. tools of survival IV unknown how long been around A. possible nomadic ancestors from old world 1. Siberian land bridge 2. Migrated 3. Regional tales similar B. Environmental contributions 1. northeastern forest dwellers a. arctic hare b. wolf c. cedar tree 2. agricultural southerners a. Corn maidens b. Sacred mountains 3. coastal people a. aquatic animals b. sea birds c. ocean monsters V stories told in different ways A. told by fire B. Chanting 1. Netslik Inuit 2. Special powers VI special rites A. Maidu-lay down B. Cheyenne-smooth dirt C. Other-presents VII Special words A. Seneca- when the world was new B. Pima- they say it happened long ago C. Zuni answers D. Californian- order back to cave VIII Reoccurring themes A. Mother earth B. Humans and animals C. Animal teachers D. Plots 1. complex 2. humor 3. values IX equal with everything A. Share earth like family B. Man another animal X characters A. Animals 1. ravens 2. raccoons 3. foxes 4. beavers 5. blue jays 6. spiders B roles 1. helpers 2. meddlers 3. both C Coyote 1. respected 2. cunning 3. able to survive in all environments a. prairie b. woodlands c. mountains d. desert XI Crow Indians A Old man coyote B. Ducks 1. root 2. mud C. Empty island 1. root- trees plants 2. ducks 3. men 4. women 5. different animals 6. drum 7. songs 8. dancing D. Shirape 1.weapons 2. Different languages 3. war XII One animal A. Plains Indians-muskrat B. Inuit- raven with spear C. Californian –turtles, waterfowl D. Many- turtle XIII Seneca A. chief’s wife falls B. waterfowl catch C. frog gets dirt D. turtle spreads- landmass XIV Nez Perce A. Monster eats all ... ...ld be known as the wolf people, the Skidi Pawnee. The Wolf Star watched all this from the southern sky. The Pawnee call this star Fools the Wolves, because it rises just before the morning star and tricks the wolves into howling before first light. In this way the Wolf Star continues to remind people that when it came time to build the earth, he was forgotten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading and learning about these creation legends I am intrigued. The shaman’s job of keeping and teaching the legends isn’t even their full job, but it’s important enough to be one. They have to remember and keep all of the customs that go with the story also. I think that they their way of teaching history is great. They all memorize the stories when they are very young and share them. These stories aren’t just history, they are also the guidelines for the children’s behavior. Bibliography Flaherty, Thomas H. The Spirit World. Virginia: Time Life Books, 1992. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5484/legend.html http://www.home.swipnet.se/~w-27834/wolf/myth3.html http://www.score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/wappo/legend.html Leonard, Linda Schierse. Creation’s Heartbeat. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.

Admission Essay for entering University

I have always wanted to study music up to the highest education level possible for two reasons; one to use the education for life and secondly to live off the education.   Education for me is just more than attaining good grades. Education for me is an opportunity to develop into a well-rounded person, fully equipped to face the world and serve my community and humanity and eventually make the world a better place for future generations to live in.The Queen’s University has a unique culture which emphasizes on innovation, imagination and a culture of valuing of people. The Queen’s University has a well-equipped library which meets the research needs of students, fully computerized and equipped with state of the art equipment. This is very ideal for music students and is very crucial for me as a music student.Throughout my life, I have always desired to study music from a reputable University hence my desire to join Queen’s University which has unmatched standar ds in as far as music programs are concerned. My dream is to excel as a musical student and graduate as a well-rounded music professional able to deal with the challenges that constantly emerge in the field.Without this hands-on experience, skills and knowledge I cannot be able to make it, hence my resolve to join Queen’s University where I believe I will achieve my career and academic goals.   My dream to pursue music stems from an early age, partly from the encouragement from parents and secondly from my personal ambitions and career goals.   My ambition is grounded in the realization that I am a talented singer and a lover of music.I understand the importance of nurturing the talent and for me the best way to do it is by studying music at the University level. As early as when I was in grade seven, I had already learned how to play piano alongside other musical instruments.This led me to join the school choir where my talent was identified and nurtured by the music tea cher. To exploit my music potential, I enrolled in the school’s concert where I was an active member for a period of two years. My desire and interest has never stopped as I continue to nurture my music talent even up to date.This has led me to study music ever since then and I am now at A.R.C.T. level. For me, music is more than leisure; it is more than a path to a promising career.   Music is a means to express oneself in one of the mot effective ways. Music leads to special way of communication in that it connects the messenger and the audience.Music is the best avenue to solve some of the challenges the world is faced with, in regard to political tensions. Music can play a very positive role in conflict resolution in a world where it is dominated by violence and selfishness. Music cannot co-exist with violence; music can serve as a media of communication even between the worst of enemies. Music holds the key to peaceful co-existence.Conclusion  My interest in Queenâ⠂¬â„¢s University is informed by the fact that it will offer me with an empowering study environment. The University has well equipped music labs as well as great music professors. Queen’s University has a sizeable number of students which means that, admission at the University requires high qualifications making it a center for excellence. I really look forward to getting admission to the Queen’s University music program.Works cited pagewww.queensu.ca/fuculty staff/accessed on 25/02/2007

Selfie Addiction and its Psychological effects to Adolescents

Selfie Addiction and its Psychological effects to Adolescents Thesis statement: Social media and the mobile web have given rise to a strange phenomenon called â€Å"Selfie†. It may be the 2013 word of the year, but for certain at-risk people, taking selfies just may be dangerous. What is Selfie? According to Oxford English Dictionary, it is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smart phone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. You see them all over social media. But why do people take selfies? To get attention from as many people as possible or to get self-esteem boost. Kind of cute for the first five minutes but when some people change their profile photo several times a day, it may be†¦show more content†¦1. How does Selfie affect self-esteem and self-confidence? Most selfies are taken with a camera held at arms length or pointed at a mirror, rather than by using a self-timer. Many selfies are intended to present a flattering image of the person, especially to friends whom the photographer ex pects to be supportive. Selfies may be seen as silly, harmless fun, but they can also trigger serious self-esteem issues especially to adolescents. Selfies may be are an outward expression of a persons existing self-esteem issues or feelings that they are not good enough (Ott, 2014). He said some young people who post selfies are seeking attention, positive feedback and social validation. He also said that Selfie-taking can be an addiction if it affects other areas of your life because you will not or cannot stop. Whats abnormal for selfies is, as with most things, a lack of balance. Certain insecurities make them vulnerable and lead them to rely too heavily on the response of others. It is more dangerous for teenagers who are still developing their identity because often times posting what you believe is the perfect picture of yourself can lead to more negative thoughts if you dont get the positive feedback you are seeking. As stated by Panpimol, a Selfie creates an impact, more or less, on one’s everyday life, depending on each individual. Posting photos on socialShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship between Selfies and Real Life Relationship Quality1004 Words   |  5 Pagespeople began to use self-portraits not only just to capture moments of their lives, but also to refocus the way they viewed themselves. Nowadays, these self-portraits are called selfie. The term selfie was first used on Flickr in 2004, but it took almost a decade to reach the masses. According to Oxford Dictionary (2013), selfie is defined as â€Å"a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a Smartphone or webcam and uploaded to any social media website†. People now live in a timeRead MoreThe Impact Of Social Media On Young People1065 Words   |  5 Pagesstudies and surveys pertaining to social media. Chances are, if you’re reading this you participate in social media in some way or another, so next time you go to check your Facebook, retweet an interesting link, or choose an Instagram filter for a selfie, think about the ways your brain is processing the seemingly endless stream of information it is taking in. 1. Social media is addictive. Studies show that 63% of Americans log on to Facebook daily, and 40% log on multiple times each day. PeopleRead MoreThe Myth Of The Word Narcissism2047 Words   |  9 Pagesstudents in college scores’ on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) rose twice as high compared to an earlier study that covered changes between 1982 and 2006 (Twenge). Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego University, uses psychological data, mainly from American college students, to support the idea that today’s youth are increasingly selfish due to many factors. For several years, psychologists have been arguing that Americans of the modern and more advanced era tend to be more