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May. 4th, 2005 08:59 pmI am watching G's kids for the next 4 days. S and E will be here until Saturday. Even though Pete has known them his whole life, he is having a hard time remembering their names for some reason. He called S "Lilo" when she first arrived (perhaps because she has red hair and there is a red headed little girl on "Lilo and Stitch"?). He has also been calling E "Tatum" all night long. I can't figure that one out at all. As their mom was leaving, she warned S not to be "combative or annoying". Although S is usually a little hard to take- due to her strong personality- she has been awesome tonight. She helped out with dinner and set the table. She also carried Connor around and played with him. I hope the next few days go as well as today did.
I have to say that I am really enjoying "Lakota Woman". Mary Crow Dog is an amazing woman. I'm learning about things that I had no idea happened in the US and only 30 years ago. This is why I love to study history. I'm always learning something new and exciting. Mary Crow Dog was part of AIM (American Indian Movement) in the 1970's. They went to Washington and took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs building to try and demand fair treatment. Another time, they went to Wounded Knee and held out there for two months. They actually had several fire fights with government officials during those two months. Its amazing that American Indians were still treated so poorly only 30 years ago. They were fighting for the freedom to practice their own traditions, to be treated as equals to whites without being expected to act exactly like whites. At this time, it was not uncommon for Native Americans to be killed by whites with no consequences to the whites. Also, Mary Crow Dog was raised by a Christian mom who had rejected her Native American ways. When Mary gets married to man who is a traditional medicine man, she has no idea how to act like a "native american". She can't even speak the language. Her story is interesting because she is fighting for the right to be a Native American as well as discovering what it means to be a Native American. I know that many Native Americans still have great challenges facing them. Living here, I've driven through several reservations. These reservations are in the middle of nowhere and the houses on them are old and run down--almost like shacks. I wonder if these Native Americans living there mind living like that. Is it only my "white" perspective that makes them seem poor?
After I finish reading "Lakota Woman", I have to write a paper comparing the American Indian Movement to the African American civil rights movement (as lead by Martin Luther King). The most obvious difference is the use of violence. AIM often felt compelled to fight back. Mary was in several fights herself, and even slashed a woman's face with a broken bottle when she was 8 months pregnant. Here's what she says about violence ( Read more... )
I have to say that I am really enjoying "Lakota Woman". Mary Crow Dog is an amazing woman. I'm learning about things that I had no idea happened in the US and only 30 years ago. This is why I love to study history. I'm always learning something new and exciting. Mary Crow Dog was part of AIM (American Indian Movement) in the 1970's. They went to Washington and took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs building to try and demand fair treatment. Another time, they went to Wounded Knee and held out there for two months. They actually had several fire fights with government officials during those two months. Its amazing that American Indians were still treated so poorly only 30 years ago. They were fighting for the freedom to practice their own traditions, to be treated as equals to whites without being expected to act exactly like whites. At this time, it was not uncommon for Native Americans to be killed by whites with no consequences to the whites. Also, Mary Crow Dog was raised by a Christian mom who had rejected her Native American ways. When Mary gets married to man who is a traditional medicine man, she has no idea how to act like a "native american". She can't even speak the language. Her story is interesting because she is fighting for the right to be a Native American as well as discovering what it means to be a Native American. I know that many Native Americans still have great challenges facing them. Living here, I've driven through several reservations. These reservations are in the middle of nowhere and the houses on them are old and run down--almost like shacks. I wonder if these Native Americans living there mind living like that. Is it only my "white" perspective that makes them seem poor?
After I finish reading "Lakota Woman", I have to write a paper comparing the American Indian Movement to the African American civil rights movement (as lead by Martin Luther King). The most obvious difference is the use of violence. AIM often felt compelled to fight back. Mary was in several fights herself, and even slashed a woman's face with a broken bottle when she was 8 months pregnant. Here's what she says about violence ( Read more... )
