“American Progress” by John Gast
This painting evokes a lot of emotion and information. It is very interesting that from the east, it is bright and sunny but to the west it is dark and unknown. It must have felt like that for the colonists and also for the American Indians. I think this painting illustrates what history illustrates. It is all about whose side gets to tell the story. Obviously, John Gast is telling the story from the colonists’ point of view. For the colonists, moving westward was about opportunity. Opportunity for new land, new crops, new discoveries, new jobs, new lives. This idea of “Manifest Destiny” was not a new concept. For centuries, other nations and people have tried to expand their empire. The Romans are a great example of this. In history, there are many examples of one nation or culture trying to displace another in order to better themselves.

Oppression

It was interesting to read in Chapter 11: Expansion and Removal, that some Cherokees owned slaves. Cherokee was considered to be part of the “Five Civilized Tribes”. In the side bar, there is a tongue-in-cheek comment about what civilized means if this tribe did indeed own slaves just like the colonists did. It made me think of why the colonists came to America. One of the reasons why is because they were being oppressed and they were seeking religious freedom. After arriving in the “new land” the oppressed became oppressors by owning slaves and pushing the American Indian tribes further west. This made me think of Paulo Freire and his thoughts on how “the oppressed become the oppressor”. I think that this can be true in some cases and learning that some Cherokee owned slaves illustrates this point. In order to not be controlled, do we, as people, try to control others? Is it a case of one-upping and “keeping up with the Joneses” that leads us down this behavior? Is it fear that things will be taken away from us so, in order to keep things, we do as our oppressors do and find a group weaker than ourselves to take advantage of?

Life and Death

"Death is not an end in itself, merely a necessary part of life. Time is cyclical, not linear." (Kidwell 23)

I think this quote is very thought-provoking. In the past few years, I have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with death. My husband and I have lost some very close relatives. Some have been sudden and some have been expected, all were unfair and you are never emotionally prepared for anything of that scale to happen in your life. I like this quote, in that it simply states that death is what it is. There is nothing particularly special about it but it is something that has to happen. I find peace in knowing that. It is comforting to think that death is not an end, rather it is an event in time. That maybe there is more out there and it is not a stopping point.

A Pleasant Surprise

I will be honest and say that I didn't really know what to expect from this course. After reading the first couple chapters in Kidwell & Velie's Native American Studies, however, I think I am going to really enjoy it. I really loved reading in Chapter 2 all about the different stories that relate life to the earth. It has peaked my curiosity to learn more about these stories. I like that the stories tell of origins and answer the age-old question of “Why?” The stories also have a deeper meaning in trying to understand life and purpose. It will be interesting to learn more and I hope that throughout the semester I can explore more of these stories.
Since I am a farmer's daughter and a farmer’s wife, I am especially interested in the strong connection that American Indians have with the earth. Many of the tribes seem to believe that life and death are both tied to the land. They have an understanding that it is a reciprocal relationship. The concept of giving and taking is one that I hope to learn more about.