Year in Reviw

Posted by Jeffrey R Gudzune Jan 27, 2009

Over the last two years, we have explored a wide variety of topics on the subject of Native American history, culture, and politics. Together, we have crossed Beringia during the concluding millennia of the last Ice Age and glimpsed at the struggles of Paleo Indian bands as they traversed North America. We have watched the arrival of the first Europeans and witnessed their rapid expansion into sacred indigenous land. We have reserved judgment, but viewed with sadness the transgressions of a young American republic as it absorbed, through treaty or force, more native territory. We have collectively wept at the relocation of thousands of Native Americans and been stirred by the courage of those who mounted a determined resistance to the growing military of power of the United States. We have been inspired by those Native Americans who served the United States amid international conflicts, despite the fact that they were not even considered citizens of the land they fought to protect. Finally, we have cheered at the triumph of those founders and proponents of Native American rights movements as they struggled to gain equality.

In the second year of our in depth look at indigenous life, we explored the intricacies of Native American religious and medicinal practices. By examining the creation mythologies of dozens of indigenous communities, we have gained a better understanding of how indigenous tribes sought to answer the philosophical questions of their own communities. Looking at tricksters and cultural heroes gave us a larger grasp of the concepts of good and evil, and, in some cases, how these two concepts may not be mutually exclusive. The rituals of the Lakota, Dakota, Cheyenne, Mandan, and Plains communities have demonstrated the unique social and spiritual beliefs of native tribes and underscored the interconnectedness of these two aspects of indigenous life. It is my hope, that what we have looked at will encourage others to take an interest in the fascinating world of Native American history.

Going forward, we will continue to explore new topics and gain a larger perspective on this subject. Let us open the door to a larger world.