Cultural communication - Essay Example

He broke up the code of honor that is one of the codes of communication by throwing away her wife in the public. It was considered a shame for Dakota men to reveal their emotions and feelings concerning anything publically. By throwing his wife publically, he made a mistake of breaking up the code of honor of Dakota tradition. He showed his cultural dominance by throwing away blue Bird. Men are considered to have an upper hand in Dakota tradition. The story Waterlily is based on the lifestyle and cultural norms exercised in Dakota Tradition by the people of that society.

The story circulates around the main character, Waterlily, whose birth in a forest and her association to Waterlily enables her to get the name, Waterlily. Her mother, Blue Bird regards her very beautiful. Blue Bird marries to a Dakota man named Star Elk. After her marriage with the man, she comes to know that her husband is a lethargic and covetous individual and has no regard for Dakota tradition. At a victory dance, he in his overly emotional state shows his disregard for the Dakota tradition by throwing away his wife in front of all the people.

This incident appears as a sort of humiliation for Blue Bird and her daughter Waterlily. Due to the publically upheaval displayed by Blue Bird’s husband, she runs away with her daughter and grandmother to her relatives called tiyospaye. Tiyospaye are the people who live in western plains. Waterlily is brought up in a cultural set up where she learns about cultural norms and how can she become a part of culture. The story, Waterlily not only talks about the protagonist, Waterlily but also informs about various cultures and conventions adopted by the Dakota people.

Waterlily learns the rules of kinship. She learns the code of honor and all the aspects that come under this code of communication. She learns aboput how can a person be part of