David Spurr, in his book The Rhetoric of the Empire, seeks to dismantle the elements and rhetoric of colonialism and imperialism and their effects on the people and places where they are imposed.
Colonialism is, by definition, "control by one power over a dependent area or people" (Merriam-Webster). The colonizers believe that it is upon themselves to impose certain "better" modes of living upon the people and places that they enjoined. They take on a sort of "stewardship" in which they attempt to control, change, and nurture something or even someone that they deem to be under their care. However, this creates a number of issues, especially when they encounter an already settled people inhabiting the area which the colonizers wish to develop. The people that are already living there have their own ways of living and their own ideals. So, for the colonizers, to be able to enforce the natives to become "colonized," need to assert a dominance or superiority that eventually bends or forces the natives to either adapt to their way of life. And if the natives refuse to conform, then the colonizers use their false dominance to force them from their land.
There are two important elements that a colonizer will employ when trying to assert their superiority. One is "the gaze" and the other is "surveillance" (Spurr).
"The gaze" is method for viewing the people or cultures in to which the colonizers have stumbled. The gaze allows for the colonizer to view the habits, motions, and customs of a person or group of people. They can then report or analyze what they've seen, however they are never a part of the culture they view, thus leaving their view very limited. For example, a person comes across a group with whom they are not familiar. The person takes note of their clothing, their movements, and speech. He may take into account the groups mannerisms or habits. When the person leaves, he takes with him what he saw, but there's very little depth or understanding. There's no history and a lot of generalization.
The gaze is extremely effective when it comes to ordering or controlling a people or place. With the gaze, a colonizer can view an entire culture without ever relating to or fully understanding what they're seeing. It's a restricted view that allows the colonizer to see it all in a distant and inhuman manner. It allows the gazer to gain a command over what they see, thus moving them into a position of power which is key when trying to force others to live your way.
"Surveillance" is very similar, though on a broader scale. We often see surveillance occurring in descriptions of places or events. The surveyor is often in a position where they can see a great deal. They have a wider and more commanding view of everything occurring around them. For example, a surveyor may be standing on a hilltop, detailing all they can see below them, from the far stretching fields and trees, to the rivers and surrounding hilltops. It's a very detailed landscape view, perhaps, but there's no idea of the people or life that resides in that view. The surveyor is at a vantage point from which they can see all, but those being seen cannot see the surveyor. They are in a constant position of inferiority since their view is limited to what is surrounding them. Again, the surveyor has achieved a specific type of superiority that is key when trying to control or order the world that they view.
The gaze and surveillance have often been employed for "reading" and documenting on Native American cultures. The colonizers who came across Native American tribes would have generally maintained a certain distance since they wished to colonize their land and use their resources. The gaze and surveillance would have been employed so as to gain a scope of the people whom they wished to adapt to their way of life or simply force off their land. Their "readings" of the people would have been the distant, outsider view that left the Native American's in a place of inferiority and misunderstanding. The colonizers would have documented a culture that they had only nicked the surface of, a culture they neither understood nor identified with. This would have led to the stereotypes of Native American's and the loss of their individual identities in the eyes of the settlers.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Subtle Resistance and the Enduring Spirit
Chapter 3 of Native American Studies is taking another look at Native American’s in Western history. So often, history books portray the victimized American Indian, detailing events such as Wounded Knee and the Trail of Tears. While Western expansion was overly aggressive and American Indians were severely mistreated and victims in many ways, Chapter 3 presents the idea that American Indians have, often subtly, resisted Western ideals and attempts to degrade or eliminate their cultures. This resistance has allowed for the cultures’ to endure into the modern day.
Rhetoric has played greatly into this resistance to the Western culture. For example, the text cites an instance of the French attempting to control Native American’s during early American settlement. The French referred to themselves as the “fathers” of the Native American’s so as to assert their supreme importance to the people (p. 44). The Native American’s appeased the French, calling them their “fathers” but with an important, and unnoticed, idea resting in the background (p. 44). While the father is of the utmost importance in a patriarchal society, the Native American’s were in fact a society that celebrated the importance of the matrilineal line. Thus, while the Native American’s called the French their “fathers,” fathers were actually of very little importance to the Native American’s. The mother’s uncle was actually the most influential family member (p. 44).
While the idea of rhetoric may seem insignificant, it reveals a deeper set of ideals that would hold throughout the Native American people’s into the 21st century. It suggests the deeper understanding that Native American’s had of what was occurring in their world and the idea that physical resistance was not going to be enough to preserve their way of life, particularly once the numbers of European settlers became overwhelming. The Native American’s began to look to new ways of preserving their identity, since the land they had tied it to was being taken away. Around the time of Wounded Knee, the Native American’s had become invigorated through the work of Ghost dance’s as an attempt to call upon their ancestors and the spirits to help them restore their old ways of life (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm). While there was still physical resistance occurring at this time, the Ghost dances were a spiritual way to identify with their ancestors and their tribe. The Sioux had been forced to the camp next to Wounded Knee creek, it was not the land to which their identity had been linked to (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm). However, the Ghost dances were a way to call upon the ancestors and spirits that may have been associated with their homeland, but whom they were now, in a way, carrying with them.
In the beginning of the 1900’s, there was a movement towards boarding schools as a way to assimilate Native American’s into Western culture (p. 50). Once again, the Native American’s are leaving their homes and their families to live under the strict rule of another culture. However, the children banded together in a new sense of resistance, forging friendships and a new tribal identity (p. 50). In the face of cultural elimination, the Native American children are finding their own unique ways to keep their past and cultures alive, forging new identities from the old instead of simply letting the old disappear.
This chapter opened my eyes and allowed me to take a new view of history. The Native American’s were not victims, but enduring spirits who have fought to keep their cultures and identities alive by adapting to new surroundings and lifestyles and continually forging ahead.
Rhetoric has played greatly into this resistance to the Western culture. For example, the text cites an instance of the French attempting to control Native American’s during early American settlement. The French referred to themselves as the “fathers” of the Native American’s so as to assert their supreme importance to the people (p. 44). The Native American’s appeased the French, calling them their “fathers” but with an important, and unnoticed, idea resting in the background (p. 44). While the father is of the utmost importance in a patriarchal society, the Native American’s were in fact a society that celebrated the importance of the matrilineal line. Thus, while the Native American’s called the French their “fathers,” fathers were actually of very little importance to the Native American’s. The mother’s uncle was actually the most influential family member (p. 44).
While the idea of rhetoric may seem insignificant, it reveals a deeper set of ideals that would hold throughout the Native American people’s into the 21st century. It suggests the deeper understanding that Native American’s had of what was occurring in their world and the idea that physical resistance was not going to be enough to preserve their way of life, particularly once the numbers of European settlers became overwhelming. The Native American’s began to look to new ways of preserving their identity, since the land they had tied it to was being taken away. Around the time of Wounded Knee, the Native American’s had become invigorated through the work of Ghost dance’s as an attempt to call upon their ancestors and the spirits to help them restore their old ways of life (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm). While there was still physical resistance occurring at this time, the Ghost dances were a spiritual way to identify with their ancestors and their tribe. The Sioux had been forced to the camp next to Wounded Knee creek, it was not the land to which their identity had been linked to (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm). However, the Ghost dances were a way to call upon the ancestors and spirits that may have been associated with their homeland, but whom they were now, in a way, carrying with them.
In the beginning of the 1900’s, there was a movement towards boarding schools as a way to assimilate Native American’s into Western culture (p. 50). Once again, the Native American’s are leaving their homes and their families to live under the strict rule of another culture. However, the children banded together in a new sense of resistance, forging friendships and a new tribal identity (p. 50). In the face of cultural elimination, the Native American children are finding their own unique ways to keep their past and cultures alive, forging new identities from the old instead of simply letting the old disappear.
This chapter opened my eyes and allowed me to take a new view of history. The Native American’s were not victims, but enduring spirits who have fought to keep their cultures and identities alive by adapting to new surroundings and lifestyles and continually forging ahead.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Intertwining Life and Land
While reading Native American Studies by Kidwell and Velie, I was struck by the relationship, almost kinship, with the land and nature surrounding the Native American people's. From the detailed observation of the celestial movements to the fables and lore that tie the people to the wealth and harmony of nature. While much of Western civilization and culture has been involved with the destruction or replacement of the land, Native American culture is based more firmly, and more logically, in the symbiotic relationship with the land.
There is a deeper understanding of the respect and knowledge of the land that is clearly important when our very survival is tied to it. It seems that too often in Western culture we forget how dependent we are on the land, believing ourselves above the throes of nature. We seem to have created an unrealistic view in which humanity can overcome nature's power through technology. We have lost the logical understanding of how desperately our lives our tied to the world in which we live (though there does seem to be a definite, and very positive, movement away from this sort of thinking). Many Native American cultures have spent generations studying and understanding and living with the world around them. For example, many tribes have extensively studied the cosmos to the point that they recognize the coming and going of the seasons by the movement of stars, constellations, and planets. This study has allowed them to create a sense of time that moves cyclically, as opposed to the Western ideas of time, which are linear. Through a cyclical study of time, the Native American culture can adapt and learn from their past mistakes because time is constantly repeating, as opposed to constantly moving forward and away from the lives and events of our ancestors. Through a cyclical idea of time, a person would be better equipped to deal with certain events or even anomalies occurring in the world. Passed down through history are the fables and lore that allow a person to approach and survive through certain repeating or similar events. For example, the position of a certain constellation may signal the beginning of a growing season, however, the weather or conditions are not yet suitable for such activities. A person with a proper knowledge of the land and the stars would be more aware that such an anomaly was occurring; perhaps noticing that the ground is still frozen or there are signs of drought when there should be tillable land and plentiful rain, according to the stars. Even the slightest warning would allow this person to better prepare for what could months of hardship.
The idea here is that humanity is dependent on the land around them to survive and thrive and if there is a more solid and tangible idea of our dependency, not our supremacy, of nature, then perhaps we could come to care more for the land and save it from further destruction. In short, we need to recognize a balanced relationship with nature and view it as more of a being, rather than just a property in which to exploit for our own advances.
There is a deeper understanding of the respect and knowledge of the land that is clearly important when our very survival is tied to it. It seems that too often in Western culture we forget how dependent we are on the land, believing ourselves above the throes of nature. We seem to have created an unrealistic view in which humanity can overcome nature's power through technology. We have lost the logical understanding of how desperately our lives our tied to the world in which we live (though there does seem to be a definite, and very positive, movement away from this sort of thinking). Many Native American cultures have spent generations studying and understanding and living with the world around them. For example, many tribes have extensively studied the cosmos to the point that they recognize the coming and going of the seasons by the movement of stars, constellations, and planets. This study has allowed them to create a sense of time that moves cyclically, as opposed to the Western ideas of time, which are linear. Through a cyclical study of time, the Native American culture can adapt and learn from their past mistakes because time is constantly repeating, as opposed to constantly moving forward and away from the lives and events of our ancestors. Through a cyclical idea of time, a person would be better equipped to deal with certain events or even anomalies occurring in the world. Passed down through history are the fables and lore that allow a person to approach and survive through certain repeating or similar events. For example, the position of a certain constellation may signal the beginning of a growing season, however, the weather or conditions are not yet suitable for such activities. A person with a proper knowledge of the land and the stars would be more aware that such an anomaly was occurring; perhaps noticing that the ground is still frozen or there are signs of drought when there should be tillable land and plentiful rain, according to the stars. Even the slightest warning would allow this person to better prepare for what could months of hardship.
The idea here is that humanity is dependent on the land around them to survive and thrive and if there is a more solid and tangible idea of our dependency, not our supremacy, of nature, then perhaps we could come to care more for the land and save it from further destruction. In short, we need to recognize a balanced relationship with nature and view it as more of a being, rather than just a property in which to exploit for our own advances.
Native American Studies by Kidwell and Velie--Chapter 2
In Chapter 2 of Clara Sue Kidwell and Alan Velie's Native American Studies, the idea of the Native American relationship between the land and their identity is explored. The chapter traces several different tribes and their legends and myths pertaining to the creation of the Earth, the establishment of dominant species, and even the effects of certain celestial movements on activities, such as farming. I found the Lakota story about the creation of the Black Hills very fascinating. Not only does the story explore the creation of a rare and different part of the land, but it also explores the idea of predator and prey and the rights and respect afforded to and for hunting. The myth relates the story of the "two leggeds," such as birds and humans, and the "four leggeds," such as buffalo (p. 27). The two groups decide to race to determine who will be the dominant, hunting group and who will be the prey. They race around for such a long time that the Black Hills are formed. In the end, a bird, who had been riding on the back of a buffalo, lifts off and reaches the finish line first (p. 27). I found this story so interesting because it reveals the Lakota's tribes relations to the land and the animals in it. It's an attempt to understand and live symbiotically with nature. The Black Hills, whose trees and rises differ greatly from the rolling prairies surrounding it, become less foreign and odd when its creation is encompassed in a myth. Also, the tribe who feels a a strong connection to the land and the animals within it still needs to grasp its survival traits. They need to hunt to survive, killing the animals they may feel a certain bond or brotherhood with. This myth allows for the tribe to hunt the animals in a respectful and agreed upon manner. The "four leggeds" had agreed to the race and accepted the terms of losing, thus allowing the tribe the right to hunt them (p. 27).
By exploring the myths and legends of different tribes and peoples, allows for outside viewers to better understand their ways of thinking and living. While the ceremonies or preparations for a hunt may seem strange to someone of different background, the myths and legends allow a peek into the meaning behind it all. The Black Hills story reveals the Lakota's responsibility for the land and the animals around them, assigning them their care and keep. The story also presents another view of the world. It removes the idea of fixed or even real domination. In the beginning, all were equal. The ending could have varied, had the buffalo won the race. It can alter the blind-eyed view of man as the "divine form" and therefore handed the right to dominate all other species. The Lakota story offers the hunted species, as well as man, a sense of respect and dignity. Man earned his right to hunt the "four legged" species by racing and winning against them (p. 27). The man agreed to the same terms as the buffalo and therefore has earned his rights to hunt them.
By exploring the myths and legends of different tribes and peoples, allows for outside viewers to better understand their ways of thinking and living. While the ceremonies or preparations for a hunt may seem strange to someone of different background, the myths and legends allow a peek into the meaning behind it all. The Black Hills story reveals the Lakota's responsibility for the land and the animals around them, assigning them their care and keep. The story also presents another view of the world. It removes the idea of fixed or even real domination. In the beginning, all were equal. The ending could have varied, had the buffalo won the race. It can alter the blind-eyed view of man as the "divine form" and therefore handed the right to dominate all other species. The Lakota story offers the hunted species, as well as man, a sense of respect and dignity. Man earned his right to hunt the "four legged" species by racing and winning against them (p. 27). The man agreed to the same terms as the buffalo and therefore has earned his rights to hunt them.
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