Cultural Background and Its Effect on American Indian Authors - Essay Example

Task Cultural Background and its effect on American Indian Introduction Cultural differences play a critical role in the growth of any society. It is responsible for positively supporting or breaking a society. Cultural identity refers to a person’s behavior towards a given cluster. Cultural differences exist since there are disparities of individuals’ behaviors in the societies. This unit examines cultural environments and their effects on three American Indian authors, and their reasons for writing, and the comparisons and differences in their cultural experience. American Indian Authors 1. Alexie The American Indian author Alexie Sherman was conceived in a small town, in Wellpinit, Washington. His year of birth was in 1966. He has received innumerable awards for his legendary work and printed a miscellany of poems. Alexie has written and critically analyzed the influence of cultural themes impacts to the society. He profoundly supported the efforts the Indian Americans put to improve their social status in America. Alexie in one of his poems seriously criticized the racial behavior of the American forks towards the Indian Americans. His perception was that the Mexicans who were from the Indian American descent had every right to reside in America. The Americans in the state of Arizona thrived in pushing the Mexicans to migrate from their considered territory. He considers his banishment He considers his together with the other Indian banishment from Arizona to be racially and politically instigated, since the laws were in support of the racists move. The officials themselves were the ones encouraging racism with the laws they were enacting (McClinton-Temple & Alan, 151). Alexie has diverse views concerning cultural interpretation. In his perceptions, individuals should not negatively view others due to the disabilities resulting from natural causes. In his novel The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian he states the difficulties experienced by physically challenged individuals in adapting to life, and meeting the societal expectations. He views cultural awareness of the society to be unfair in judging the physical disabilities of individuals. The book narrates the example of Arnold who is ill-treated by others for his physical disabilities which he had, as a result, of the surgery he experienced to get rid of the excess fluid that was in his brain. Secondly, Alexie tells that cultural experience demands that their kin members have the responsibility of rescuing other tribal members from what he considered to be cultural preservation were the only way of ensuring that moral developments did not impede the social set up of the minority communities. He acknowledges that at times cultural perceptions could be dangerous as it may twist to be an obstruction to ones freedom (McClinton-Temple & Alan, 88). Alexie uses the style of pulp-fiction to illustrate the social issues prevalent in the modern and ancient societies. He depicts the social issues in his book Indian Killer. The book brings out his views on racism when he majors the story around an Indian John Smith adopted by white parents. The book points out the racist nature of the whites towards the Indian culture. The behavior of John’s foster family is a perfect example of discrimination that characterizes the white’s environment. Alexie cultural perception regarding assimilation to other cultures is that it may result to rejection, since the individuals from the native’s background will rejects the assimilated person. He believes that materialism in America has been denied to the Native Americans. The American Indians were separated into numerous groups away from the European contact. Alexie’s Influence into Writing Alexie was influenced by the urge to sell the Indian culture abroad, and also to lay out a perfect example for the young Indian youths. He wanted to teach the whites of the Indian moral and social obligations. He was also motivated by the need to find answers regarding the cultural perception of individuals. 2. James Welch James Welch is an American Indian author who wrote several literary works regarding diverse subjects. He has shown and explained the difficulties that individuals concentrating on the Indian culture experience, as a result of the difficulty in adapting and starting life afresh in new areas with diverse social and political interest. In his works, he uses individuals from similar cultural back grounds, but diverse historical periods. He uses these individuals to depict the hostility brought about by the changing times to cultural perceptions. He uses the example of the Blackfeet to explain the challenges they countered due to the cultural challenges that were happening. Welch acknowledges that, as cultural changes advances, the possibility of returning to the olden ways become slimmer by the day. He also raises the topic of creating new identities as dynamic culture where the political and social backgrounds are dissimilar to the previous ones (Coltelli, 185). Individuals are best grouped according to their cultural setting and beliefs, since most individuals tend to understand the culture from the historical and traditional practices. Notions are changing, as a result, the cultural and customary beliefs of persons also changes with time. Cultural identity, therefore, is a gradual process in which a person personality changes with the changing times. The conservation of the cultural activities does not require interference from any culture (Coltelli, 185). James Welch Influence in Writing Welch was influenced into writing since he had a desire to educate individuals in accepting changes occurring in their lives due to cultural changes happening over time. 3. Charles Eastman Eastman views on the concept of cultural perception were instigated when his mother died, and was separated from his family after the uprising. He was enormously influenced culturally in his stay, in Minnesota. His cultural perceptions did not allow him to criticize any religion, since had a full understanding of religion which he immensely appreciated. He believed that Christianity as religion and the traditional Indian spiritual beliefs were similar, since both forms of worships were directed to the adoration of one God. He strongly supported the idea of a strong American Indian, and this is witnessed his views. His view regarding the interests of the Indian Americans was conflicting to his wife’s view; as a result, they divorced (Eastman & Michael, 16). Eastman was a supporter of the cultural re-education, and this is witnessed in his efforts of passing his acquired knowledge to missionary institutes. He gave hope to the American Indians and reversed their destinies concerning the perceived white’s notions, which were undermining to their growth. He neither believed in the white civilization nor the Indian Religion ghosts dance. The change in his perception against the notion that the whites represented progress was due to the mass massacre on the Indian Americans during the Ghosts dance (Eastman & Michael, 72). Eastman was selfless and always wanted to protect his brother the Indian Americans from the mayhem that were being instigated against them like discrimination from the whites. He used writing as a tool for expressing his concerns about the Indian treatment to the officials concerned and the white inhabitants (Eastman & Michael, 22). Charles Eastman Influence into Writing Eastman was enormously influenced into writing because he wanted to act as a mediator between the whites and the American Indians. He advocated that there should be a need for equality in all sectors of life. Eastman was devoted to ensuring that the Indian, American culture was understood amongst the whites for a cohesive living. He was also motivated into inscripting children’s books, since it was his passion to serve as a story teller a venture that made him at peace. The Influence of the Native American Experience on Readers Interpretation of the Text Knowing the Native American Experience has influenced perceptions about certain themes in subjects like racism. Individuals can now comprehend the reasons and fallacy that led to the discrimination of the African and Native Americans. The knowledge about the Native Americans also adds knowledge to individuals on the source where the information came from and through an individuals own analysis judge whether the sources are justifiable (Kuipers, 151). Secondly the interpretation and awareness of the Native American experience leads to cohesion amongst individuals. Most of the text instructs and enlightens individuals, since the text teaches individuals on the various ways of relating with one another and the changes which leads to distinctions between different cultures. Lastly, interpretation of the American Native experience exposes individuals to historical notions that aid in appreciating of the past and the present occurrence. Individuals are able to understand the biases and facts presented by authors concerning the histories of the African and Native Americans (Kuipers, 35). Similarities and dissimilarities in the Way the Authors Tells Their Cultural Experience Similarities The similarities between the cultural experiences amongst the authors were that they both talked about social deeds like racisms in their literary works. They viewed discrimination to be unacceptable in the society and highly condemned the whites for its practice. Secondly both the authors had similar cultural experiences since they both resided in America. They both witnessed the whites discriminating the Indian Americans, as a result, were motivated by their own experiences. They also used characters in the literature works to pass over their messages to the targeted population. Lastly, all the American Indian authors speak English as their main lingo. They are Indians but, with the knowledge of the American language and can not be differentiated on the basis of language from the American writers (Coltelli, 47). Differences The Indian American authors told their cultural experiences at different historic times. They also existed at different historic times; as a result, they had totally different experiences posed by the same issues. Secondly, there approach in dealing to the various experiences was also different, since they applied dissimilar techniques in passing their messages. Conclusion Conclusively, cultural background has an impact on the way the African and Indian Americans were treated. American Indian authors like Alexie, Eastman and Welch expressed their views on the impacts yielded by cultural instigations. They condemned on their literatures issues like discrimination caused, as a result, of cultural differences between communities. The authors both acknowledged that there is no superior culture, and individuals should look beyond their cultural differences when judging others. Works Cited Coltelli, Laura. Winged Words: American Indian Writers Speak. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992. Print. Eastman, Charles, and Michael, Fitzgerald. The Essential Charles Eastman (ohiyesa): Light on the Indian World. Bloomington: World Wisdom, 2007. Print. Kuipers, Barbara. American Indian Reference and Resource Books for Children and Young Adults. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited, 1995. Print. McClinton-Temple, Jennifer, and Alan R. Velie. Encyclopedia of American Indian Literature. New York: Facts on File, 2007. Print. Read More