At first, I kind of felt the author was trying to blame everything on the "white man." While I fully believe that Euroamerican culture HEAVILY influenced the state native Alaskans are in today I feel that blaming the white man for everything is a cop out and that this issue is obviously way more complex than that. The spread of influenza which started the Great Death did not seem an intentional action of the white man and massive death due to disease introduction has been something all early societies had to deal with at some point in their history. Take a look at the black plague. It was inevitable that the Alaskan natives would one day come into contact with another culture and as unfortuneate as it is the culture with more power and advanced technology usually wins. I am not saying this is right or fair but it is a part of human evolution. Not to mention, I am sure native Alaskans were in some way naturally curious of these new people and the technology that they had which aided in contact and disease spread. So, basically I view it as nobody's blame just a result of human evolution and nature.
I think the unfortunate part of this history is the introduction of alcohol and intense Euroamerican pressure during the period of the Great Death as it provided a cheap "escape" from what was going on and did not allow native Alaskans a natural grieving period. It is completely understandable how Alaskan natives went through post traumatic stress disorder and shut off from the world which unfortunately resulted in them following European guidance without any question since it seemed as if it would provide their people with some stability. Unfortunately, even after leaving their old culture behind and adopting Euroamerican ways they began to see they would never be equals in this new culture either, creating a greater loss of identity and heightened frustration.
I would like to end by saying that I think native Alaskans should be proud of their culture and should have the opportunity to uncover and practice the ways of their ancestors if they want to, but I also feel they need to be accepted as equals into this society as equals regardless of their choice. White people and even Native elders expect individuals of native descent to act like their ancestors and adopt more primitive ways when many young people from indigenous backgrounds were not taught that way and feel more connected to the modern world they grew up in. Therefore, they feel pressured in all directions. I am Polish descent but people do not expect me to understand Polish traditions or still practice ancient Polish customs so I do not understand why it is so different for people of native cultures. It is a personal choice to explore your heritage, and we need to stop separating ourselves from native people and expecting them to know more about themselves than we do about ourselves. Cultures change and adopt new practices and everyone needs to accept that. However, hopefully through opening up about the past (as Napolean suggests) and embracing new changes to their culture, native Alaskans can once again be proud to be who they are and relinquish their identity as a people.
I agree most of your points, Kara. It is clearly written with deep resentment and bitterness to "the white man." This sentiment seems to be similar to many Alaska Native cultures because of the drastic changes they've faced. I've lived in Sitka, Alaska for 14 years now and this still strikes a chord with the Tlingit culture down there. I don't know if the author's intent is to "blame it to the white man," though, I think it's just a generational view because Alaska Natives were persecuted for their culture, exposed to disease, and other complex factors that played it's part in their history. The process of reconciliation for this culture has started, but there's it's still is far from finished.
ReplyDeleteI agree with JR. I don't think that Napoleon was blaming the "white man" completely. To me, he is trying to explain that both cultures did not mesh well. The Yupik and many other cultures were not one to start battles. Instead of fighting they did nothing because it was not their way. This probably also had something to do with much decreased numbers. The whites were much more aggressive in bringing their culture to the Yupik.
ReplyDeleteKara,
ReplyDeleteI had some of your same views as I got further into the reading. At first, I felt as though he was stating what happened to cause a repeated cycle of alcoholism among Alaska Native cultures. However, the further I got into the reading the more I felt as though he was trying to blame rather than find a new way to deal with the past. He also talked about prisons with Native gaurds, which also made me think he's not accepting the past. By segregating themselves it seems as though they'll continue this cycle of blame the "white man"
In my opinion, it is not necessarily the "white man's" fault, but a large part of the problem can be attributed to the "white man's" stubborn belief in his own superiority. The Great Death itself can only be called an unfortunate circumstance. No one could have predicted or prevented it. But the aftermath could have been handled much better. If the "white man" had not been so insistent that Native culture was wrong, chances are it would be much more alive today. Because of the situation and the "white man's" superiority complex (I think I should mention here that I AM white), Native culture was dismissed as heretical and primitive and therefore stamped out. On the other hand, superiority had become such a part of the "white man's" culture, that no specific people can be blamed. It could even be said that the two cultures were simply not compatible and that was the entire problem. But I do believe that some blame can be placed on the trait of superiority that is still a very large part of the culture of the United States.
ReplyDelete