In recent times, many academic scholars and researchers have given great attention to the breakdown of the Native American culture. Ancient traditions that were once part of everyday life is slowly fading away for many amongst this group of people as a result of acculturation and assimilation. This paper seeks to explore the book, “Genocide of the Mind,” written by, Marijo Moore, in order to gain a better understanding of the genocide of Native American identity. This paper will also explore the hardships and challenges that Native Americans endured in the past and still continue to face today as a minority group in America. Today, many people have very little knowledge regarding Native Americans and their existing tribes within the United
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Many people are under the impression that Native Americans are living on easy street, obtaining big checks from the government every month to live comfortably; but this idea is far from the truth. Many Native Americans still struggle to survive each day, possibly more so than some other groups of people. Many Native Americans do not receive healthcare, educational benefits and even struggle to find sufficient employment to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Everything mentioned does not give a true and accurate depiction of who and what Native American people represent or the challenges they face from day to day. What 's more, is many American Indians never receive the opportunity to learn about their heritage because they were not born on tribal reservations or either had to leave for one reason or another. Those that do find their way back to tribal reservations sadly are not always accepted either because they were not born on the reservation, are urban Native Americans of mixed ancestry, or simply because they don’t have any remaining descendants living on the reservations (Moore, 2003). Due to a history of genocide, there are not many Native Americans left in this country. Many face the cruel reality of not fitting in with modern society and not being fully accepted by their own people. It’s a very disheartening situation, but a reality for …show more content…
Everyone in society should admire and embrace people from different cultures. Some things that Native Americans value most include, where they live, knowing where they came from and being a part of something greater than their self. They also value family, honoring their ancestors, rituals, storytelling, song and dance, being connected to nature and being able to pass on their customs and traditions. Besides this, Native Americans also value integrity. Although, the truth in full force can sometimes be painful, the truth is preferred over statements sugarcoated with lies. Besides this, Native Americans also value name giving. For them, it’s a significant event that takes place because it’s a symbol of their culture and who they are. “Some children are named after personal traits or characteristics, or after relatives who have passed on. Some of the things that Native Americans disvalue is lack of respect for their privacy. They tend to only verbalize their opinions and thoughts when asked. Another concept that Native Americans disvalue is demeaning images and names of their people- like the red skins. It is through these type of images that Native Americans believe white and black people continually perpetuate racism and stereotyping. According to
Many people are under the impression that Native Americans are living on easy street, obtaining big checks from the government every month to live comfortably; but this idea is far from the truth. Many Native Americans still struggle to survive each day, possibly more so than some other groups of people. Many Native Americans do not receive healthcare, educational benefits and even struggle to find sufficient employment to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Everything mentioned does not give a true and accurate depiction of who and what Native American people represent or the challenges they face from day to day. What 's more, is many American Indians never receive the opportunity to learn about their heritage because they were not born on tribal reservations or either had to leave for one reason or another. Those that do find their way back to tribal reservations sadly are not always accepted either because they were not born on the reservation, are urban Native Americans of mixed ancestry, or simply because they don’t have any remaining descendants living on the reservations (Moore, 2003). Due to a history of genocide, there are not many Native Americans left in this country. Many face the cruel reality of not fitting in with modern society and not being fully accepted by their own people. It’s a very disheartening situation, but a reality for …show more content…
Everyone in society should admire and embrace people from different cultures. Some things that Native Americans value most include, where they live, knowing where they came from and being a part of something greater than their self. They also value family, honoring their ancestors, rituals, storytelling, song and dance, being connected to nature and being able to pass on their customs and traditions. Besides this, Native Americans also value integrity. Although, the truth in full force can sometimes be painful, the truth is preferred over statements sugarcoated with lies. Besides this, Native Americans also value name giving. For them, it’s a significant event that takes place because it’s a symbol of their culture and who they are. “Some children are named after personal traits or characteristics, or after relatives who have passed on. Some of the things that Native Americans disvalue is lack of respect for their privacy. They tend to only verbalize their opinions and thoughts when asked. Another concept that Native Americans disvalue is demeaning images and names of their people- like the red skins. It is through these type of images that Native Americans believe white and black people continually perpetuate racism and stereotyping. According to