The first quote I would like to share is, “The church was not only a social hub but also a constant reminder of that dangerous era when the U.S. government wanted Mohegans removed from the hill” (Fawcett, 12). I found this important to our readings because of the interconnection and symbol the church was to the Mohegans’ community. It represented their strength in standing their ground to their traditions and region in which they resided in with the hopes of the U.S. government to leave them alone. This type of establishment taught Gladys Tantaquidgeon to cherish the education she was being provided at home of learning the Mohegan traditions. Gladys showed a promising future to inherit the Mohegan traditions in which three nanus or otherwise …show more content…
31). In the PowerPoint; slide twenty-five, Gladys devoted her life to understanding her culture as well as carrying out the duties of the chosen one. She succeeded at this task because it came as natural as breathing. Although she never attended high school, she received her education at home from her nanus. Her great-aunt Emma Baker began with a story of where the Mohegans came from where it had been passed down from other generations. Gladys was young at the time when she was receiving this proud gift that she was destined for, she still understood the value of her lessons. The most important lesson Gladys learned for the medicine trail is only good medicine is allowed for healing. If good medicine was not being used, the spirits would make her medicine tainted and ineffective with the result of harming herself and others. It was taught that she should surround herself with items that brought good spirits such as ancient artifacts, silver, quartz (p. 40). These constant reminders and lessons on how to provide protection and continue comforting for her members gave Gladys strength in discovering not just her culture but other Indian’s
Townsend examines the following months on the settling of the English, as well as Pocahontas’s kidnapping, to her imprisonment, down to her marriage to John Rolfe, her conversion to Christianity, and finally her death.
Based on most ethnic principles and values in early settlers, they were alike, but in a unique way they were different. In both primary and secondary sources, each author has the same type of writing style. In “The Coming of Age in the Dawnland”, Charles C. Mann is referring to analyzation by introducing the readers to Tisquantum the “friendly Indian”and the experiences of traveling to Dawnland and interacting with the Native Americans. Another primary source, “Of Plymouth Plantation”, written by William Bradford, was an American Literature based story to inform the reader about the travels and beliefs of the Puritans and the Pilgrims. Last source is the, “Suppressed Speech Of Wamsutta (Frank B.) James, Wampanoag”. This speech is also to inform the reader about what the Wampanoags went through and what kind of lifestyle they were living from one of their own men's perspective.Each of these villages, families, and individuals all had to go through the same struggles, hardships, and brutal conditions. So, let’s get into what beliefs, ways, and religions each one of these groups had to go through.
After reading Alvord and Cohen’s The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, I found myself looking at the world in a new spiritual way. Alvord is known to many as the first Navajo woman surgeon. Having grown up as a Navajo with a white mother, her life was a constant mix of her Navajo ways and the ways of the Western world. One of the main philosophies of her Navajo culture of healing that she focuses on is ‘walking in beauty’. The Navajo do not view the body as a single being but as a connection to the rest of the world. With the belief that everything is connected, the Navajo believe that negativity in any aspect of one’s life will bring something bad to the person later. A harmonious life, one in which their mind, body and spirit is positively connected to those around them, leads to a healthy one. When Alvord decided to go against her Navajo ways and enter the world of Western medicine she did so with the goal to bring the healing philosophies of her people with
Many traditional Native medicines and healing practices were discouraged with the advent of Western medicine, but now there is a movement to return to traditional ways (Zubek, 1994, p. 1924). Modern Western medicine treats the symptoms to cure a diseased state when the body is out of homeostasis. Native American healing traditions do this as well with herbs and plants suited to the purpose. These Native healing traditions also include sacred rituals, chants, and purification rites to help bring the spirit and mind of the afflicted back into balance. In effect, treating the whole person, not only the disease. A blending of these two healing practices could bring about better prognoses for today's patients. The purpose of this paper is
Though American Indians are enjoying an independent public health system with above $3 billion funds provided by Congress annually for delivering healthcare services to them, still figure and facts on health status of American Indians reveal that they are facing many difficulties and have to suffer from diverse type of illness and disease at a misappropriate level. Since long it was identified by medical communities that there are wide spread diseases diabetes, alcoholism, tuberculosis, suicide, unintentional injuries, and other health conditions among American Indian and they are dying of these diseases at shocking rates (American Heart Association [AHA], 2010). Through this essay I want to discuss the healthcare status of American Indians in the perspective of their culture as how it impacted and lead to develop mistrust between amongst the medical community and American Indians.
Rowlandson’s account of her captivity is shaped through her Puritan background and perspective. Her knowledge of the Bible, historical references, and current events influence her views on Native Americans. She perceives her experience during captivity as punishment, a trial that she must persevere with faith to both God and the Bible, for her wrongdoings. Rowlandson thought she deserved her unfortunate turn of events, but that by holding on to her Puritan faith during the encounter with her captors she could somehow survive and represent herself as a genuine Christian lady. Only then would she be fit for Puritan society. Rowlandson’s desire to keep hold of her status in society is evident in her writing. Because of this, her account is a biased and not entirely accurate one.
erosion of the Aboriginal culture.(chp.2). Restrictions placed on the cultural practices of the Aboriginal people ultimately led to the abatement of the Aboriginal traditional medicines.(p88). Losing their freedom to practice traditional therapeutics, the Aboriginal people eventually had to adapt to the culturally inappropriate ways of western medicines. The purpose of this paper is to examine the advantages of Aboriginal healing methods for the Aboriginal people, as well as to explain why these traditional methods continued to persist long after western style medicines were introduced.
If you were in the desert or woods and bitten by a snake, where you go for help? A call to the local ambulance and a fast ride to the emergency room are not available to you. How would you know what potions to use and what would heal your wounds? This was the dilemma of the Native American People hundreds of years ago. How did they handle it? The medical traditions and customs have remained a mystery to us for hundreds of years. This paper will try to explore some of these customs and possibly uncover some of the mystery.
At first Europeans were skeptical of the medicine that the Native Americans used. Medicine men and women used new medical techniques that the Europeans never have seen before, they prayed to spirits and had ceremonies to heal some patients. Native American healers highly believed in spiritual healing that Europeans were not accustom to and did not believe in. However Europeans went crazy over the way Native Americans could use plants and herbs in healing. Native Americans doctors would go into the forest often not far from their homes and find plants, berries, barks, and roots that would be used in healing, although they have been known to go on trips for several days to collect materials too. Many herbs that Native Americans used in early colonial America are still used today like ginseng and bayberry. With the Native Americans knowledge of herbs and natural remedies many colonists were beginning to think that Native American medicine men and women were better doctors than their own educated European doctors. Natives Americans came along way from being savages.
Native American culture refers to the term medicine as “the essence of life or an inner power” (Portman & Garret, 2006, p.454). It is believed that each person has their own essence that is locked in a physical form “our body” and this way they can learn in body, mind and spirit. To be able to understand the roots of Native American traditional medicine, it is important to
The Native American woman interviewed has a strong holistic approach when viewing medicine compared to Western civilization. Before seeking any medical attention she states she will first try teas, herbs and other supplements in soothing common ailments. She often bakes
The two important focal points that I saw when reading module one and chapter one was that Native Americans have developed an everlasting culture and are long-standing decedents. The Calusa had created techniques based on a very minimalistic knowledge base. Creating items such as the knots that were used in fishing nets and different types of medicine for illnesses. (Becnel, 3) In addition, they knots and plants used in their medicines are still used in modern day medicine which just shows how much we have actually learned from these people. Many medical industries have tried developing, new and improved, medicines when they sometimes fail to realize what we have already in nature. That we don’t need all the inserted chemicals which can have
"Native American medicine is based on widely held beliefs about healthy living, the repercussions of disease-producing behavior, and the spiritual principles that restore balance." -Ken "Bear Hawk" Cohen (Chrisman 1).
Elizabeth Ashbridge also gives an insight into the practice of religion in colonial America in her narrative. She too, expresses doubt about religion at
February 10, 1675 was a sorrowful day for Mary Rowlandson’s hometown (Lancaster). Indians came and destroyed their town showing no remorse. Many were killed and wounded. Some were taken captive. Among those captive is a women named Mary Rowlandson. Throughout her captivity she kept a journal of all her removals and interactions she had with the Indians.