Dr Wilke Speech Analysis

Dr. Misty Wilke came as a speaker in our transcultural class to spread some light on the Native American Culture and their practices. While doing this she hoped to clear out any stereotyping and assumptions the students already have made about the Native American culture. As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, Dr. Wilke had some great stories and explanations to how and why the Native American culture practices certain things that others find odd.
Influence on my Thinking There were many things during the speaker that I found very interesting and informative. Many of the practices of the Native American culture I was unaware of and Dr. Wilke’s speech made the culture as a whole much easier to understand and appreciate. …show more content…
Wilke explained and put huge emphasis on the conversation norms for her culture. She expressed to us that unlike most cultures, this culture has a huge emphasis on silence. Silence is valued more than speech and it is very difficult for members of this culture to attract attention to themselves. They prefer to put attention towards a group they are a part of rather than get praise for individual success. This explains some of their social tendencies that make some very uncomfortable. Another thing I did not have clear understanding of before Dr. Wilke’s speech was their diet tendencies. A large aspect of the Native American culture is focused on food and their rituals for recipes. Previously to the speech I had the understanding that Native Americans just simply had an unhealthy lifestyle that lead to their increased rates of obesity and diabetes. The culture has issues because rarely when health concerns arise, the health care providers do not intervene to promote a healthy lifestyle by giving diet alternatives that still pertain to their