Final Blog-Wilma Mankiller


Final Blog: Wilma Mankiller



The video Wilma Mankiller: Challenges of 21st Century Indigenous Peoples” held by the American Indian Studies Library in 2008 was extremely interesting.  She points out the history of the plight of Indigenous Peoples here in American and branches it to all Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.  She pointed out that not only have Native Americans suffered, but other indigenous peoples also have suffered and continue to suffer.  Land grabs by the government, loss of traditional ways, loss of culture and native language.  In the talk she mentions the indigenous peoples of the Brazilian Rainforest and in her communication with them she relays a story of the people  discussing how they used to see famous musicians that would wear t shirts that say “Save the Rainforest” but never did they see a t shirt that conveyed the same message about the people.





  

                                            



Interestingly, she discusses the trial that face indigenous peoples, but in her final comment she discusses the fact, which is completely true, even through wars, genocide, land grabs, treaties, the Native Americans have survived and are resilient.  Their educational scores are improving, they have economic growth within tribal lands, they have better self-government, they have reignited their cultures, ceremonies, and languages.  I believe in her statement than in “Two hundred or five hundred years from now Native American communities will still be here.”  Even though some communities are fractured, the fact that they can leave the confines of the tribal lands and have any career or profession they can come back to their communities and take part in their ceremonies.  Indigenous people have become stronger in their self-governance and there for have become a more powerful group with a definitive voice.  Mankiller discusses the use of technology to inform and educate the masses so that history is known and some never repeats itself.

I think by blogging we can see each other’s individual thoughts on the topic of Native Americans and their history.  Issue they have a currently face and overcome.  It also allows our individual feelings, thoughts, and perspectives rather than just fact finding in other ways we have been writing in class.



I found that if have a different perspective on how the Europeans handled the native Americans when they made first contact.  How the government thought they knew better and took advantage of the Native Americans and how poorly we treated them.  I do believe that they have much they can teach us and how much we can learn from their histories, culture, religion, and ceremonies.




Works Cited


Arizona State University. (2008, October 2). Wilma Mankiller: Challenges of the 21st Century of Indegenous Peoples. PHoenix , Arizona, United States .






Comments

  1. JM599December 13, 2019 at 1:02 PM

    If it one group of people that have survived the most horrific events, and had all the odds stacked against them, it is the Native Americans. Living near a reservation, you can see how the Natives are advancing and doing so by themselves. Never do they ask for help from the county or state. They provide for themselves and have done since the beginning. The younger generation of Native Americans are very protective of their culture and land. They become defensive in any one challenges their ways. as they should. They younger generation are participating in traditional events and pushing to have the Native language taught in school.

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  2. Richard MitchellDecember 13, 2019 at 4:17 PM

    As Wilma Mankiller points out all Indigenous people around the world have experienced similar struggles. The loss of homeland, cultural traditions, and language have plagued Indigenous peoples in many places on this planet. When we talk about climate change we put more emphasis on the weather and the effect on animals and forget about the people, many of them Indigenous, that are, or will be severely affected. We can begin to address this discrepancy by appreciating the strength and resilience of Native cultures, and by listening to and learning from their traditions and stories.

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