APUSH Summer Assignment
August 28, 2017
As part of the APUSH summer assignment, I compared and contrasted the views of Bartolome de las Casas and Juan Gines de Sepulveda regarding the encomienda system and Spanish treatment of Native Americans. After analyzed quotes by both of the figures, I found that las Casas advocated for the rights of the native people and rejected the encomienda system. He saw the Native Americans as a humble and innocent civilization. On the other hand, Sepulveda defended the encomienda system, for he focused on the more primitive and violent aspects of Native American culture. This connects to the recognize perspectives pillar because it addresses the varying perspectives that are associated with contrasting backgrounds and motives. Las Casas was a Dominican priest and a settler in New Spain, so he witnessed the brutality of the encomienda system first hand. As a result, he would naturally be more sympathetic to the Natives. On the other hand, Sepulveda was a philosopher with ties to the King and Queen and remained emotionally unattached to the Native Americans. This explains why he ruthlessly sought only to benefit the Spanish monarchy. Furthermore, this assignment addresses my question because it focused on the first major attack to Native American culture and way of life.
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Superman and Me
January 24th, 2018
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Alexie, Sherman. Superman and Me. Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 1998. 11th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2011.
In English, we read and annotated Superman and Me, by Sherman Alexie. In the reading, the author uses personal anecdotes about her childhood in order to highlight the importance of an education for American Indian children. We used this reading to analyze discriminatory issues and ethnic tensions that are rampant on Indian reservations. This assignment falls under the recognize perspectives pillar because I analyzed a first hand account of a serious modern issue. Unlike many other authors that write about these same issues, this author actually grew up on a reservation in Washington state. Through her personal account, I was able to recognize the conflicting emotions that American Indian children have when it comes to education. The education system disrupts their culture and expects them to fail, but success in school is their only way out of their poor social and economic conditions. Furthermore, this source addresses my overarching question because it explores the modern day social effects of US influence in the field of education |
IBL Research
January 2018
In US History, we began our Inquiry Based Learning Project by researching the various modes of Native American assimilation, which included the boarding school era, and key pieces of legislation such as the Dawes Act. This fits within the Recognize Perspectives pillar of AGS because our research was centered on understanding the effects of these actions from the point of view of American Indians. Several of our resources were even first hand accounts written by Native Americans that had suffered through the abuse of this time. Furthermore, this supports the concept of the pillar in that we were attempting to understand their often untold perspective in order to accurately answer our research question. Finally, this ties into my overarching question in that it directly has to do with the government's attempts to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream society.
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The education of little tree
February 2018
Carter, Forrest. The Education of Little Tree. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, 1986.
In English, we read and annotated the first several chapters of "The Education of Little Tree", by Asa Carter. This fictional memoir tells of the narrator's upbringing under the influence of his Cherokee grandparents within a secluded mountainous environment. The main character, Forrest Carter or "Little Tree", is taught supposed Cherokee ways and values through the guidance of his grandparents. This book fits under the pillar of Recognize Perspectives because it explores the different ways in which Native Americans view and interact with mainstream society. Furthermore, the reading supports the concept of this pillar because it uses details and events to explain the perspectives of Native Americans and how their varying viewpoint affects how they interpret and respond to various situations. Finally, this source addresses my overarching question by explaining the cultural impact of marginalization. For example, later chapters of the book touch on their discontent towards public schooling, which is derived from the boarding school programs of assimilation.
In English, we read and annotated the first several chapters of "The Education of Little Tree", by Asa Carter. This fictional memoir tells of the narrator's upbringing under the influence of his Cherokee grandparents within a secluded mountainous environment. The main character, Forrest Carter or "Little Tree", is taught supposed Cherokee ways and values through the guidance of his grandparents. This book fits under the pillar of Recognize Perspectives because it explores the different ways in which Native Americans view and interact with mainstream society. Furthermore, the reading supports the concept of this pillar because it uses details and events to explain the perspectives of Native Americans and how their varying viewpoint affects how they interpret and respond to various situations. Finally, this source addresses my overarching question by explaining the cultural impact of marginalization. For example, later chapters of the book touch on their discontent towards public schooling, which is derived from the boarding school programs of assimilation.
Rio Grande River float
During our time in New Mexico, we took a rafting trip down the Rio Grande with a Puebloan tour guide. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and insightful, and he talked extensively about the history of the Pueblo peoples, nature, and current events in New Mexico. This can be connected to my Spanish 4 class because the guide also talked about the cultural appropriation of Native Americans, which was a topic that we covered extensively in our study of Latin American cultures. Although we studied a different group of peoples, our guide was getting at the same fundacional issues that we explored in class. This experience fits within the pillar of Recognize Perspectives because we were given the opportunity to listen to and interact with someone of a completely different background. Because our guide grew up on a Pueblo reservation, he had an entirely different world view. Over the course of the two hour long trip, he openly expressed his varied point of view on countless subjects. Lastly, this addresses my overarching question in that our guide shared his ideas on the government's treatment of Natives, as well as the revitalization efforts of today.