TGIF, everybody!
Above are links to two Indian songs I love: the Ojibwa "Wolf Song" (it makes me want to become a wolf and gives me lots of energy) and the Navajo "Beauty Song" (sweet catchy tune). Above is also a link to a GREAT picture book: The First Strawberries. Also above is a photograph of a Navajo sand painting. I like the little girl watching her grandfather paint... I like the idea that the wind will blow the painting away.... Looking at their desert, can you see why they like to sing about rain coming? If you'd like to hear Indians singing songs, click on the above YouTube video links or go to the Spring Semester part of our website, then to the Indians page, then to the Indian Culture and Literature page, then scroll down and find many YouTube videos of Indian songs! Check them out! Anyway, did you feel power while reading the Indian songs out loud today?? I did. From today's class, please remember the following points: 1) Reading Indian stories and songs (literature!) is a great way to learn their real cultures and characters. 2) Originally, Indian literature was ORAL (not written), so they believed their spoken and sang words had magic power. 3) Literature is cultural and universal: by reading Indian songs like "Beauty Song," we know that the Navajo needed rain and got rain by singing for it (culture point), AND we feel the desire of any human being to see beauty in life (universal human point). HOMEWORK (for May 12): Read topics 1, 2, and 3 of the Puritan lecture handout. Read this Spring Blog After-Class Message! TOPICS FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS (by May 9): You could post some comments about any of the Indian songs on our handout.... FOR EXAMPLE: I like [song title] because [your reason why you like it]. Etc... Or you could answer any of the questions I asked in class today about the Indian songs: 1) Who is "you" in the "Power Song"? 2) Why does the "Dream Song" go, "In the sky I am WALKING"? (Why not "flying"?) 3) Why does the "Love Song" go, "Oh, I THINK it is so"? (Why not "I know"?) 4) What is "it" in "Beauty Song" "In beauty IT is finished"? Or you could watch the YouTube video of The First Strawberries picture book I put a link to on our Website and write about your impression of the story. Or you could post some comments about your feeling about one or more of the Indian songs that I put YouTube links to on our class Website. Or you could ask any question or make any comment about anything in our class topics!
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Above are two YouTube videos showing bad, evil images of Indians: the climax chase scene of Stagecoach (1939) and a Tom and Jerry cartoon called The Little Orphan (1949). Watch them! Above is a picture of Laura Ingalls Wilder, when she wrote Little House on the Prairie (1935), and the cover of her GREAT book. Until the 1960s most stories (and movies etc.) showed a bad image of Indians, but Laura's book shows a good image. You can read the book. The English is not so difficult, there are many pictures, and it's very interesting. Above is one image of The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, and one image from inside the museum. Before the museum opened in 2004, Indians were absent from DC's capital area, but now they have their own museum to show their cultures and history etc. TGIF, Everybody!
From today's class, remember the following points: 1) American culture has had two main images of Indians: evil enemy demons (the main image until the 1960s) OR good noble nature people (the main image after the 1960s). 2) Both images of Indians are WHITE American images of Indians, not Native American images of Indians!! To get Native American images of Indians, we need to read their stories and songs and so on. 3) Native Americans have a tragic history in the USA, because white Americans gave them diseases and took their lands and lives... 4) Native Americans are still alive in America, and they are trying hard to keep their cultures alive. TOPICS FOR POSTING WRITING (by April 25): 1) Ask any question or make any comment about anything in today's lecture! 2) Explain your impression of any of the two videos or four pictures at the top of this blog post. 3) Explain your image of Indians from before and after today's class. 4) Explain a movie or TV show or book etc. you have seen that has a Native American in it and what kind of image the person had. 5) Explain your feeling about the Ainu people of Hokkaido. ABOUT WRITING ON OUR BLOG On our class blog, I hope you will write impressions and opinions etc. AND examples to explain your impressions and opinions. Write more than, "Indians are interesting." Write, "Indians are interesting, because...." or "Indians are interesting. For example...." HOMEWORK (for April 28): Read the Native American handout topics 5 and 6 and check the meanings of the words you don't know in them. **Topic 6 will explain how to read the six Indian songs for class!** TGIF, everybody!
It was nice and exciting to meet you today! I'm really looking forward to enjoying the variety of American Culture and Literature class together with you for one year. From today's class, remember the following points: 1. Studying American Culture and Literature will improve your English. 2. And it will deepen your understanding of how Americans think, feel, and live. 3. And it will deepen your understanding of the human heart and mind. 4. And it will give you many topics for thought and conversation. 5. And it will entertain and excite and move you. MESSAGE ABOUT WRITING! You do not need to submit comments on our blog every week. Only write when you want to, when you are interested in our class topic. You should write sometimes! You do not need to write every time. SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR WRITING: By April 18 at noon 1. Write about your experience with and feeling about American culture and or literature (including books and movies etc.) 2. Ask any questions about our class. HOMEWORK: For April 21
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