Rhonda L. Patterson

ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Prof. Patricia Ryan

May 22, 2013

The Effects of Outside Influences on the Navajo Way of Life

The Navajo have gone through many changes in their culture, mostly due to exposure to outside forces, such as the European settlers moving west.  Originally Matrilineal, these lines have become blurred, and many Navajo struggle to retain their pastoralism, their beliefs and values, and the social organization of their society, because of the influence of the European settlers and the confinement of the Navajo to reservations which has irreversibly affected the Navajo’s primary mode of subsistence, which is agriculture, causing them to look for other means of survival, as well as caused great social change for them as a whole.

Introduction of the reservations to the Navajo has had a great effect on their system of values and beliefs.  Because they have to look outside the reservations for survival now, many have been exposed to new religions, as well as the lack thereof. Some take on these outside beliefs and values as their own, or integrate them into their current ones. The exposure to things such as alcohol, gambling and the materialistic ways of others is causing conflict inside the Navajo community, whose way of life is deeply integrated in their spiritual history.

Living a life both inside and outside of the reservation, a young Navajo must learn to reconcile both vastly different worlds.  Outside the reservation, they learn the value of money and other materialistic things, learn about our predominately patrilineal way of life, as well as the more individualistic ways of the outside society.  With more of the outside world encroaching on their way of life, the younger generation must be able to navigate among the outside world, as well as their own people, and this can cause great confusion where personal identity is concerned. Some see the beliefs and values of their ancestors as outdated. Many throw them aside when they walk off the reservation, picking them back up when they come home. This can be very confusing to their social and personal identities. Also, some Navajo see the new ways as better, and try to integrate them in to Navajo society, while the older generation attempts to hold on to the belief and values they’ve kept all their lives (Csordas, 2003).

The elder generation is worried that Navajo youth will completely abandon the beliefs and values of their culture, as well as their means of subsistence, or, even worse, bring the ways of the outside world on to the reservation.  This creates conflict between the younger Navajo and the older members of the society.  Those who have made a living outside the reservation feel that there needs to be change in their ways of subsistence for the Navajo to survive, because the old ones aren’t working anymore. This change could cause them to lose their identity as a whole, so the elders wish to hold on to the way it’s always been done.  This is a great challenge to the authority of the elders (Csordas, 2003).

Confinement to the reservations has also reduced available land for the Navajo to use in herding and cultivating.  This has affected their society on many different levels.  Prior to the reservations, the Navajo practiced transhumance, which means they followed the seasons, moving their livestock to different areas, so that the herd had plenty of resources available to sustain itself.  Restricting their land movements causes overuse of what land they have.  When the cattle, for example, consistently graze on one tract, eventually the grass will not grow back.  The cattle will starve, get sick, and die off, leaving the Navajo with no meat, milk, or skins to feed or clothe themselves, nor use to trade or make items to trade with others for the things they can’t make themselves (Weisiger, 2004).

With the loss suffered to their mode of subsistence, the Navajo have to look for other means of survival.  Most spending more time off the reservation and away from their culture, taking hourly wage jobs for outside companies to earn a living.  Others are staying on the reservation, opening up casinos or other tourist activities to bring money to their people.  Learning the ways of the outsiders, some walk away from their culture.  Others simply learn bad habits and bring them to the reservation, exposing those that haven’t left.

Alcohol, although illegal by federal law on the entire Navajo Nation (DiLucchio, 1998-2002), and gambling, which were introduced by the outsiders, have not only become large issues, but also ways for the reservation to survive financially.  Many smuggle alcohol into the reservation, or make their own and sell it illegally. Unless there are great abuses, the law is generally not enforced. It becomes another way of subsistence for the Navajo. Gambling has long been a source of argument among the tribe. Many don’t want casinos because they feel they are a detriment to the society. In fact, there is a spiritual myth that concerns this. Others, don’t want the casinos, because there are already too many in the area to compete with. The feeling is that they won’t bring in enough revenue to be worth it. Money and ways to make it have become more important to the culture than farming and herding. As time goes by, many of the old ways, become lost to new ones (Csordas, 2003).

Unlike most pastoralist societies, the Navajo are matrilineal, and place great importance on the role of the mother.  Their spiritual history shows this in the story of how their culture originated.

The Navajo believe their society was created by the Changing Woman uniting with Sun, giving life to twins.  These twins killed off all the evil, and began a group of people called the Diné, which is the name the Navajo have given themselves as a collective (Witherspoon, 1970).

Changing Woman is the creator and nurturer of the Diné, and is identified with many places and objects.  The Sun takes on the symbolization of a distant father, showing his power by providing care and discipline from a long way away.  This is evident in their herding way of life prior to confinement to the reservations (Witherspoon, 1970).

Navajo men have less of a direct hands on approach with their families than the women, though the lines can be blurred.  In the past, the women took care of the village, while the men went out hunting.  With the influence of the outside world, and money becoming so important in their society, they are slowly changing towards a patrilineal society.  Since the men can leave and bring more money back, they have more power.  In the past, the women held the power, not only because they ran the villages, but they were considered life givers, closely related to the land itself as well as the Changing Woman (Weisiger, 2004).

There have been both positives and negatives to the new life of the Navajo Nation. They have become more organized both socially and politically. Western medicine is now provided free to those on the reservation. They also can take advantage of the welfare system. This is now looked at as a huge negative, as many have become dependent on it, and sit home watching television, collecting welfare checks, rather than go look for work.

Television has been a great detriment to the Navajo Nation. It teaches the children to speak English rather than their own language. Many of the elder generation doesn’t speak English as well, so this creates a huge communication gap (DiLucchio, 1998-2002). The television also brings in all of the outside materialistic things, mostly in the form of advertisements, as well as show children a completely different way of like than the elder generation knew. Most are not going to want to herd sheep, when they see the glamorous people on television doing more interesting things.

Not having a solid work background or income, yet seeing all these things on television, has resulted in children growing up and getting involved in gangs and other illegal activities. Anti-gang units have been formed to combat this.

Since the Navajo are confined to an area, rather than roaming with their herds, housing areas have begun to spring up, though not everyone is given a house. The reservation land is held in federal trust, so no one Navajo owns any of it. Instead, they apply and are approved or not to live in the house. Because they don’t have to buy it, their living expenses are not great. Therefore, welfare and social security checks go a lot farther towards a family’s subsistence. This is supplemented with arts and crafts such as rug weaving and jewelry making, and some hire out as guides to tourists (DiLucchio, 1998-2002).

They have also an education system, which was originally created by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, though most of the teachers are not members of Navajo tribe. Most schools are funded on the federal and state level, however there are some private and parochial schools. When the government brought the schools in after World War I, they told the Navajo that they would teach their children. Therefore, the Navajo let them, and distanced themselves from their children’s education (DiLucchio, 1998-2002). Because their children were being taught by outsiders, the education they received differed from what the older generation learned. Taking that into consideration, as well as the high unemployment rate, school is not taken seriously. Many children don’t understand the need for it, when their parents attended, but as of yet are unemployed, sitting at home cashing welfare and unemployment checks. The only way for school to make sense to them is if they lived life off the reservation, and most aren’t willing to stray that far from family for that long a period of time. Jobs for the well-educated are just not available on the reservations.

In 1872, Thomas Keams created the Navajo Police force. They have jurisdiction over anyone on Navajo land. Other authorities on the state and federal levels have jurisdiction as well. Though the state adds a hefty surcharge, this is added revenue for the Navajo in the form of speeding tickets and their resulting fines (DiLucchio, 1998-2002).

There are many hospitals and clinics found on the reservation. Like the schools, many are filled with non-Navajo workers that live on the reservation. However, they realize the importance of the Navajo healing culture, and many have facilities on site where local traditions can be practiced (DiLucchio, 1998-2002). This creates a melding of Western and Navajo medical healing, which treats both the mind and the body.

While the Navajo hold elections, outsiders are not permitted to vote in them. Periodically, this comes up for discussion, but has always been vetoed. Generally, it is because a Navajo has an outsider living with them for a long period of time, and feels that they should have some say as they’ve become a part of the community (DiLucchio, 1998-2002).

There are many similarities to life of the Navajo to life in the general American populace. We both have an education system, police force, hospitals, and governmental system. Neither educational system has the enough involvement of the parental units. The police and hospital seem to face the same issues as ours – combining Western and Non-Western cultural healing. Lastly, both governments seem to reward their people for not working, making them reliant on handouts.

It seems as if our social system has become their social system. Had we not forced our ways on the Navajo, would they be as they are today? Confining the Navajo to a reservation has greatly changed their way of life, altering not only their basic values and beliefs, but also the social aspects of their society’s organization and pastoral way of life due to the need to seek subsistence in the outside world.

References

Csordas, C. D. (2003, September). Trials of Navajo Youth: Identity, Healing, and the Struggle for Maturity. (Wiley, Ed.) Ethos, 31(3), 357-384. Retrieved May 06, 2013, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3651921

DiLucchio, L. (1998-2002). FAQ’s* About Life on the Navajo Nation. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Canyon De Chelly and the Central Navajo Nation: http://www.navajocentral.org/faq02a.htm

Ruffing, W. Y. (1977, March). Shonto Revisited: Measures of Social and Economic Change in a Navajo Community, 1955-1971. (Wiley, Ed.) American Anthropologist, 79(1), 58-83. Retrieved May 06, 2013, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/673934

Weisiger, M. (2004, Summer). The Origins of Navajo Pastoralism. (W. P. Studies, Ed.) Journal of the Southwest, 46(2), 253-282. Retrieved May 06, 2013, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170290 .

Witherspoon, G. (1970, February). A New Look at Navajo Social Organization. (Wiley, Ed.) American Anthropologist, 72(1), 55-65. Retrieved May 06, 2013, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/670754

Rhonda L. Patterson

ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Prof. Patricia Ryan

April 29, 2013

The Culture of the Iroquois Nation

The Iroquois, who lived mostly in the area around the eastern Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway, were a great nation, with a strong sense of familial and tribal unity.  They believed the land was owned by Ongwehonweh (original beings) not the individual or tribe, and that women held a superior place in the world.  They were also a warring and agricultural society.

The word Iroquois actually refers to the language of the Iroquois nation, rather than the name of a single Native American tribe (The Iroquois Tribes, n.d.).  This nation originally compromised five tribes: Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga.  After the European colonization, a sixth tribe, the Tuscarora joined the Confederacy, because they were losing their battles against the settlers.

Prior to banding together, these tribes constantly warred with each other.  Somewhere around the 1500’s, they joined forces to make themselves more powerful against others, creating a governmental system that wasn’t even in place in Europe at that time.  There was an unwritten constitution created, which centered on an idea called a “Great Peace.”  According to the Great Peace, all the tribes could govern themselves as they wanted, as long as they did not create a conflict with another tribe (The Iroquois Tribes, n.d.).

Along with the constitution, a two house or bicameral government was formed.  The Seneca and Mohawk tribes were in one, with the Oneida and Cayuga in the other.  That left the Onondaga, as the tie breakers.  They also had final veto power.  Benjamin Franklin was a fan of the Iroquois and how they set up their government.  It is believed that the structure of the United States Constitution is somewhat based on that of the Iroquois Nation.

Because the Iroquois were a matrilineal society, they felt that since women created life, as did the Earth, women were of great power.  In each clan, there was a council whose members were chosen by women.  That council, akin to the representatives of our Congress, made decisions for their clan, which they took to the War Chief.   The War Chief then passed the information on to the Council of Lords for deliberation.

During the French and Indian War, the Iroquois were considered neutral.  In reality, they fought with whichever side suited their means at any given moment.  Eventually, the tribes started to disagree with each other as to which side they should fight with and why.  Due to these disagreements, the Great Peace was broken, and the tribes began fighting with each other once again.

Clans were named after various animals and birds.  Every clan was comprised of relatives all descended from one originating woman, and all of a clan lived in one longhouse.  When a couple married, they moved in with the clan of the wife.  The Iroquois could not marry within their own clan, so the husband would have to leave his, though he kept close ties with them (Office of Cultural Education, n.d.).

An agricultural society as well as matrilineal, meant that the women in the tribe also chose when and to whom the food would go.  Since there were many clans within each of the six tribes, and marriages would create ties between clans, this position was one of great power.  A poorer clan could marry a man to a woman from a clan that was better off, thus ensuring their survival if necessary.

Many aspects of the Iroquois Nation’s society can be seen in the present day, specifically their political and military systems.  Both the European and American governments have a bicameral legislature.  The United States is set up so that each state (tribe) governs itself, as long as they don’t fight with each other.  Congress (council) oversees the states, and we have a President (War Chief) in charge.  Our peace is broken at times, such as during the Civil War.  The main difference between our governing system and theirs is that we are a patriarchal society, whereas they were matriarchal.

At one time, our society was more family oriented.  People didn’t move far from those related to them, and in many cases, stayed in the same homes.  Mothers ran the household, while the men did the “harder” work outside the home.  Society is shifting now, and the roles are becoming blurred along the gender lines.  People are also moving farther away from their families such as I did, and in some cases, break ties altogether with certain members.  Many no longer care for those in their family that need help, leaving them to fend for themselves or rely on strangers and the government.

I don’t have strong matriarchal kinship roles in my family.  My mother never taught me much the way that others teach their children.  As long as I kept myself amused and didn’t bother her, everything was fine.  Because of this, I learned how to fend for myself, and that I couldn’t rely on her for much.  My father, on the other hand, was always there for me.  To this day, I have a hard time building relationships with other females, and most of my closest relationships are with men.

We, as a society, could learn much from studying the ways of the Iroquois.  Their strength in unity, both political and familial, is something that current society sorely lacks.  For this reason alone, the six tribes that made up the Iroquois were an admirable nation.

References

Office of Cultural Education. (n.d.). A Mohawk Iroquois Village. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from New York State Museum: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/IroquoisVillage/constructiontwo.html

The Iroquois Tribes. (n.d.). (The Independence Hall Association of Philadelphia) Retrieved April 29, 2013, from U.S. History: http://www.ushistory.org/us/1d.asp

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Thank you Susie for saving this baby!!

He was found with another dog, which we called Papa. Papa was euthanized yesterday. The pup is out of time. He is very eas going, knows basic commands, and as you can see by the photo, a complete sweetheart. He doesn’t deserve this. You can contact me at rhonda@avondalepets.com

I’m sorry I failed you.

Rhonda L. Patterson

INF103 Computer Literacy

Prof. Troy Robinson

April 15, 2013

Long and Short Term Costs of Using Fossil Fuels Over Green Energies

Harnessing natural energies such as wind, solar, and water currently cost the end user more than using the fossil fuels, however, saving on the short term costs may not be worth the long term effects on our environment.  Many governments are rejecting proposals for the natural energies simply due to the rate hikes that would need to be passed on to their constituents.  New technologies have high start-up costs, which have already been paid, usually by someone else, for the usage of fossil fuels.  These government officials see the current costs, and don’t want to pay them, without even taking in to consideration how long term use of non-renewable energies can affect the environment.  Fossil fuels are finite, while renewable energies are not, and even though start-up costs may be high, long term costs will most likely be significantly lower, both to cash reserves and the environment.

Our federal government realizes this, and has instituted many grant programs to get individuals and companies on board with renewable energy programs.  Currently, renewable energies make up over half of all the new power produced in our country, with the United States able to claim 20% of all wind power installed around the world.  In fact, there were more wind turbines built in the United States in 2012 than any year prior (American Wind Energy Association, 2013).

The basic premise behind harnessing power from the wind is that as it hits the blades of the turbine, the shaft, which is connected to a generator, rotates and creates energy.  This energy is harnessed, and changed in to electricity.  In areas where the wind is fast and steady are the optimum places for windmill farms to be placed.  Without wind, the blades wouldn’t turn the shaft, and no electricity would be created.  Since the direction and speed of wind are dependent on many factors, mostly revolving around terrain such as ground levels, bodies of water, and plant life, where a wind farm can be placed would be limited (U.S. Department of Energy, 2013).  Tall trees and mountainsides can easily block the wind from hitting your turbines.

There is new technology, however, that allows wind to be made into energy even if the locale isn’t that conducive to doing so.  Tubercle blades are based off the fin of the humpback whale.  The notches on the fins of the whale, or the blades on the turbine in this case, allow for more propelled motion than with smoother ones (The Biomimicry 3.8 Institute, 2013).  Therefore, windmill farms can now be put in more areas than ever before, making it a more viable energy to harvest.

There are three other major types of renewable energies – solar, water/wave, and microalgae.  Like wind, all of them are undergoing rapid technological advancements, which will enable them to more easily and effectively harness energy for our use.  All of them require an initial cost outlay, which is why many governments are turning away from them.  State regulators in Virginia rejected a deal with a company called Invenergy.  They decided that natural gas was less costly to their constituents, raising their monthly bills by 0.2 percent (Matthew L. Wald and Tom Zeller, 2010).

Many other state’s legislators are doing the same as Virginia.  Some, however, feel this is a very short-sighted view, because it doesn’t take into consideration that after the initial layout, actual costs would even out, while the other forms of energy would become more expensive, because they are finite.  One day we could very well run out of coal, natural gas, and oil.  Many power companies are in the process of switching over to natural gas.  There have been new drilling technologies created recently, and since they’ve already started paying for this restructuring, why would they pay for the equivalent of starting over when they so recently did just that?  Eventually, we will run out.  At that point, the costs to actualize the use of renewable energy as a mainstream source would be astronomical.  It would also take time, and we probably won’t have that luxury by then.

The next question we ask is how long do we have until “then” is now?  This answer is ever changing.  The US Energy Administration puts out a report every year called the International Energy Outlook.  Basically, it reports how much accessible fossil fuel we have left.  In 2010, the report stated that even though we used fuels throughout the year, we actually had more available than in 2009.  This number varies every year, because it is dependent on new harvesting technologies as well as many other factors, making some resources which were previously unavailable, easier to bring to the service.  For example, now that we have the technology to drill far beneath the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, we have more reserves available to us, even though we’ve used some of them (Conger, 2010).

Compared to other countries like Denmark, the United States relies too much on fossil fuels over other energies.  Denmark intends to rely on wind power at a level of 50% of their total energy consumption by 2020, and works in a partnership with neighboring countries such as Norway and Sweden to make this a reality (Kelly-Detwiler, 2013).  As you can see by the charts, Denmark is on a much faster pace of converting their energy usage to renewables than we are in the United States.

(International Energy Agency, n.d.)

(International Energy Agency, n.d.)

In the long term, using fossil fuels over renewable energies will cost us too much.  Not only will they run out at some point, but as they do, the price to the end user will be high.  We’ve already seen it happen in the oil industry.  When the supply runs low, and the demand grows, the prices rise.  The same will happen with coal and natural gas.  Our country should stop looking at the short term expense of making the switch.  Instead, we should look towards the future, where we use a form of energy that not only will cost us less to use than fossil fuels, but is endless in its supply.

References

American Wind Energy Association. (2013, January 30). Industry Statistics. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from American Wind Energy Association: http://www.awea.org/learnabout/industry_stats/index.cfm

Conger, c. (2010, September 24). How Much Fossil Fuel is in the Earth? Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Discovery News: http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/how-much-fossil-fuel-is-in-the-earth.htm

International Energy Agency. (n.d.). Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption (% of Total). Retrieved April 15, 2013, from The World Bank: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.COMM.FO.ZS

Kelly-Detwiler, P. (2013, March 26). Denmark: 1,000 Megawatts Of Offshore Wind, And No Signs of Slowing Down. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2013/03/26/denmark-1000-megawatts-of-offshore-wind-and-no-signs-of-slowing-down/

Matthew L. Wald and Tom Zeller, J. (2010, November 7). Environment. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/science/earth/08fossil.html?_r=1&

The Biomimicry 3.8 Institute. (2013, January 19). Tubercle Technology blades. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from Ask Nature: http://www.asknature.org/product/49269092db17515de04ac92a75f68bb1#changeTab

U.S. Department of Energy. (2013, January 17). Wind Program. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/wind_how.html

Approval seeking or attention seeking?.

From what I understand, they had been there about 5 hours. No water was left for them. (They went through 4 bottles rather quickly.) Hundreds of people walked and drove past, not stopping. The story we (Craig from Petmeisters Pet Sitting was there as well) received from someone was that a kid (no idea of age) took the dogs in to the nearby barbershop, asking if anyone wanted them. When the man walked out of the barbershop, he found the pup tied up outside. We found the pup running loose, and the older dog (we call him Papa) was tied to the aforementioned fence. This is where we got our timeline. I can only speculate on how everything came to be as we found them.

As of right now, they need foster, rescue, or best yet – a forever home. They deserve it, and they will make great furkids!

I want to thank Jacki specifically. The Marta cop that called in it, called them as strays running free. Jacki got involved and found out what was really happening, and expedited things. Thank you Jacki!!

Please share this post in hopes that we can get these babies into a safe and loving home!!

As you may have read in recent posts, my complex decided to raise my rent by almost $100 on my lease renewal notification. I successfully (I thought) negotiated by email a renewal of a “flat $XXX” per month. The complex manager wrote back to me and agreed to it. Thankfully, all of this was done in writing, so I have proof. I did learn some things along the way! (Electronic communications were deemed legal correspondence some years back on a federal level.)

When my lease first arrived, it listed a rent rate of $110 over my current. The agreement was for $25 more a month. There was a concession addendum which listed my rent at the agreed upon rate, if I met certain conditions. While most would consider this ok and sign it anyways, I won’t.

Why? Well, for starters, what happens if I can’t meet said conditions? I have to pay $69 more plus any fees this might incur from then on. I should easily be able to meet these conditions, but there’s always the what ifs. Secondly, this allows them to come back at the end of my lease and say that hey, your rent was this much as a base, so we are going to look at that for your increase, we are doing away with this concession for this lease term, or any number of other issues that negate any negotiations made originally. Lastly, this is simply NOT what was agreed to by the management.

It’s sad that in this day and age of social media, not to even consider ethics and moral responsibility in business, that companies feel they can get away with actions such as this. Please know, that as a public, we do have recourse. We don’t have to take being treated this way. Obviously, one solution is moving, which we may still have to do. However, there is a state commission that oversees all property sales and rentals in the state of Georgia. It’s called the Georgia Real Estate Commission, or GREC for short. Not only do real estate agents (of which I used to be one) have to be licensed by them, but so do property managers. GREC upholds high ethical and moral standards, and doesn’t take it lightly when these are violated. Please don’t let actions such as this go. File a complaint. You can do that here. Make sure you have proof though. While if they get enough complaints about a person or company that don’t come with proof they are likely to do something, you will get better results if you can back up your claims.

In my other post, I said I wouldn’t name the complex or management company. I have now decided it’s time to do so. Management company – RAM Management. Complex – Avondale Station Apartments.

Also, below is a post I just left on RAM’s facebook page. I decided it would be good to document it here, as they deleted the last post I left.

Rhonda PattersonRAM Partners, LLC – Apartment Management

24 minutes ago · 

• I emailed your company 2 weeks ago regarding a bait and switch by my complex manager in regards to what was agreed upon (in writing) over what the lease actually said. I have not heard anything from your company, and the lease I just received at my door still reflects these actions. I am sad to realize that your company evidently condones these actions. This is how it looks by lack of response anyway. Please know that I will be contacting GREC and filing a complaint, and providing them with copies of my offer and the manager’s agreement to it, as well as my letter to you and copies of my new lease.

  This really saddens me, as I’ve lived here for a couple years, and really liked it up until your company took over management of the property.

  I am also saddened to know that you will delete this shortly, as you have other issues I’ve posted.

  Have a nice day.

  Like ·