Savagery

    Today in class we were researching learning about the word "savage" and how it relates to Indians. Savage means possessing the quality of being fierce or cruel. The Indians and how their way of life is described seems quite rough around the edges. If I were reading this as a way of developing my views of Native Americans, I would have a slightly negative view of them. It would strike some fear in me that Indians are described as being "vengeful" and "crude." These two words aren't usually the best words to describe a person or a group of people. Even though this might come off as being stereotypical,  using caution when hearing warning signs about a person or group of people is actually a very normal instinct.

Letter

     It's just another day here in Lewiston, North Idaho. The tension in this area grows to be a bigger problem day by day. The other day the white settlers lost track of the Indians and went into panic. They set out to find them and over take them. This is just a couple of the many examples of the conflict and lack of trust in this community. There's so much division and hatred that is so evident. It saddens me daily that we can't all just accept that we are different and get along. Yes, I understand we have different color skin and all kinds of different beliefs, but that's the world for ya. There is going to be diversity in the world and that is a good thing in my opinion. It helps us to learn more and see things from others eyes. We have all told ourselves and deceived ourselves into thinking we have to get our way, and our way only. For either side to think that taking the others resources away is necessary truly saddens me. The white settlers attempt to attack and kill the Indians source of food, and the Indians attempt to shoot down the white settlers transportation methods. It causes me to be very uneasy when I hear about the constant battle these people are in. It develops an enviroment where it is difficult to feel safe. The fear of attack on the town is always in the back of your head because of the severe conflict. My hope is that one day all of this conflict can be resolved, that acceptance of others beliefs can be respected.

Article: "The Teller"

       In the beginning of this article, the location of the Indians is unknown. Troops are then sent out to locate the Indians and attempt to overtake them. There is a large amount of conflict throughout this article between the Indians and the whites. The Indians are attempting to attack the settlers, while the settlers are attempting to attack the Indians. It is very evident that there is much conflict between the two groups, and they both want to be ahead of the other.

Link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82007025/1877-06-23/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1865&index=0&rows=20&words=Indian+Indians&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1880&proxtext=indians&y=15&x=19&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

What is a newspaper?
A newspaper is a printed publication consisting of unstapled sheets and containing news, feature articles, advertisements, and correspondence. (google definition)

When and where did newspapers first come into existence?
The first newspapers were dated in 17th century Europe. (wikipedia)

What were some of the very oldest newspapers in the United States?
Public Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick was the first paper written in America. Another one of the earliest newspapers in America was the American Weekly Mercury. (http://www.paperage.com/issues/nov_dec2004/11_2004newspapers.pdf)

What are the "leading stories" in newspapers today?
A few of the "leading stories" include harmful medication warnings, political issues, and recent sports. One of the most recent "leading stories" include the partying issues of Lamar.

Which does it mean to be the "newspaper of record"? What US newspaper was first designated as the nation's newspaper of record in 1913? What other US paper can be considered a newspaper of record?
A "newspaper of record" is a newspaper that has a large circulation and whose editorial and news-gatherings functions are considered professional and typically authoritative (wikipedia.) The first newspaper to be designated as the newspaper of record in 1913 was The New York Times. Another US paper that could be considered a newspaper of record would be The Los Angeles Times. (wikipedia, google)

How is looking at a newspaper different from our use of social media to stay connected?
Our use of social media is a much more convenient way of staying connected, compared to using a newspaper. Using a newspaper gives you the opportunity of losing it, but with social media it is always available.

Native American Religion

     The main tribe that the article I read focuses on is the Iroquois tribe. This tribe had a strong belief in having an all powerful creator called the "Great Spirit." The religion of this group didn't feel it was necessary to have a direct concept of their creator, the "Great Spirit." Although, they did believe that this spirit had an unlimited amount of power and deserved to be praised. This group of Iroquois people didn't only believe in the "Great Spirit," but also that there were other spirits living in the world. They ignored the presence of evil in the world and only believed in the brother of the "Great Spirit" as being the main source of evil. This group of people had a strong belief that immortal decisions that were made here on earth would later be punished in the after life. This belief was lead to be part of the source of this tribes success.

     The religion of this Native American tribe was believed to be a more complex form of Christianity. Both religions believe in a creator that provides their people with protection and survival, but Christianity believes in a more loving and forgiving God. With this tribes beliefs they say they will be punished for immortal behavior, but Christianity states that God sent his son to die for our sins. This means that God tells us we don't have to pay for our immortal behaviors because they are already paid for by the death Jesus experienced on the cross. Another main difference is that the tribes beliefs say they shouldn't worry about revolutionizing the world. On the other hand, in Christianity, the Bible states to constantly live your life through Christ's example in order to spread the word of God.

     I chose to research Native American religion because religion is a topic i'm very strong and passionate about. I feel it forms a sense of identity and gives you a strong set of beliefs to live your life through. This is why I wanted to research and learn more about what spirituality looked like for the Native Americans.

http://are.as.wvu.edu/ruvolo.htm

Review and Reflect

     I have learned a lot this year already. I have grown in my analytical thinking skills, and gotten better at finding the deeper meaning of things. I've done a much more sufficient job of thoroughly thinking about specific reasoning. The time we spent on slavery and analyzing the two movies we watched majorly helped me to develop this skill at a more efficient level. Through the discussions we have had in class, I have noticed myself being more willing than I have been in the past to speak and share my ideas.

     An area of strength that I have noticed so far this year is sharing my personal views on the sympathy and empathy unit we have done. I have never been very good at openly sharing my views, so this area of growth has been very exciting to see progress in. I have been in many situations that include knowing the difference between being able to be sympathetic vs. being empathetic. I feel these situations throughout my life have really helped me to be able to contribute my views in class on sympathy and empathy. I really enjoyed this unit because this subject really interests me and I was able to relate it to my personal life.

     I would like to improve on thinking about things at a deeper level, and not just exploring things that are on the surface. I do an okay job of this, but feel it could better my discussions and writing skills if I developed this skill even more. I would also like to better my time management skills throughout this year, and not procrastinate with my out of class assignments.