The Klamath tribes of southern Oregon.

The Klamath Tribes.

http://www.klamathtribes.org/



The Klamath tribe can be located to a federal reservation located in southern Oregon, just west of Medford, and south of Crater Lake national park. The tribe is a government recognised, as are many tribes in the USA. Although the tribe lost it's government recognised status as an official tribe tribe in the mid 20th century however regained status in 1986. At the time of termination (1956), the Klamath tribe were the second wealthiest tribe in the nation, and since its restoration in 1986, the tribe as had a 5000% growth rate.

On their official website, it states that the people of the Klamath tribe contribute upwards of $25 million each ears into the Klamath county region of souther Oregon through goods and services, including trade, such as casinos, and by avidly existing as an equal rights employer, employing 250 Klamath county (non tribe) tax paying residents. This is to ensure the tribe stick to their treaty agreement signed with the US government in order to gain recognition.

The mission of the Klamath peoples is; " to protect, preserve and enhance the spiritual, cultural and physical values and resources of the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin Peoples by maintaining the customs and heritage of our ancestors.  To establish comprehensive unity by fostering the enhancement of spiritual and cultural values through a government whose function is to protect the human and cultural resources, treaty rights, and to provide for the development and delivery of social and economic opportunities for our People through effective leadership." 

I think that by looking at the above, taken from the Klamath website offers interesting ideas about community, family, the importance of cultural value, and spirituality, while insisting on the importance of cultural and human resources, human rights, and above all treaty rights. I think that by looking at the integration of the Klammath peoples with the non tribal communities in the area, shows the Klamath tribes as a progressive tribe.

Nanticoke Indian Tribe from Deleware

When I visited Delaware last year I had quite a fascination about learning more about Native American people and their culture and history so my Family took me to the Nanticoke Indian museum about 12 miles from my relatives house. When I got there the museum was empty and looked like it had been empty for a while apart from school visits and talks so the two Native American guides showed me around the museum personally and gave me a whistle stop tour of their history, how and where they settled, their culture, dress and food which was all spectacularly interesting. They also taught me how to skin a full buffalo and what every part was used for.

So after some digging I found their website, although a bit backdated they have a lot of wealth of knowledge of their culture and backgrounds. http://www.nanticokeindians.org/index.cfm.
The word Nanticoke means people of the tide water and they resided usually along the Delaware river and unlike most Native American tribes at the time the settled across the river rather than moving with the seasons to other parts of the US to follow Buffalo.

The website presents their tribe as wealthy hunters, they were very resourceful and were very kind. The page about their history highlights that the Indians were even peaceful when invaded and most were sick and tired so moved up the river to Delaware where most settled and still live today. This shows their identity to be true to themselves and nature, they would rather move and settle further up the river and keep peace than instigate a war between colours.

Their original tribe consisted of 200 people, however the supporters of the cause is much higher, this makes me wonder if other native American tribes from the same area have named themselves as Nanticoke's to be a part of a tribe. The main celebration of Nanticoke Indians is Powwow, http://www.nanticokeindians.org/what_powwow.cfm, this is a gathering of Nanticoke Indians where they will dance and sing in their original dress, although this is seen as a gathering for only Native Americans this is not true, not only was I invited to join but there are pictures on the site of white Americans joining in on the ceremony showing that their identity is very welcoming, they are warm and kind to those who are interested in their culture and I witnessed it for myself. The tribe itself does not currently reside in tribal areas or practices the old arts so the Powwow is a chance for them and others to experience history and nature and the spirituality of the tribe. This means that wealth wise these Native Americans have normal and usual jobs and practice their culture outside of their work place and are fully integrated into American society (possibly yet again keeping peace.)

Navajo Indians

http://www.navajoindian.net/

The Navajo Indians are a tribe located in the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. They are the largest legal tribe in the United States with over 200,000 people.

In earlier years (prehistoric times), they were a part of a large group of Indians who later broke off into several small groups. They were not come in contact with US government until 846. Today, the Navajo Nation has it's own government throughout their tribes in the four corners.

Much of their money comes from goods they make such as jewelry and blankets.

The Navajo Indians are very family-oriented and support each other. They holds ceremonies for those who are sick and they use Sandpainting to spiritually heal the sick.

The website seems to give a very informative overview of the Navajo tribe. It describes the trouble the Indians went through as well as what they have contributed to US history.

I find it interesting that the website continuously used the term "Indian" as well as "Native American."

Blackfoot Nation

http://www.blackfoot.org/default.php

This website clearly signifies the traditional beliefs and values the Blackfoot Nation appear to sustain and are immensely proud of. Their opening greeting to those visiting the website, somewhat mysteriously, shows how dedicated they are to theses traditions: " We are members of the ancient line of Blackfoot people going back before time. We are the traditional believers in our ancient ways that were given to us by iits-tsi-pah-ta-pii-op - the Source of Life." Despite this, it is also revealed that they are "alive in the modern age" and that they "use the technology of the present era to educate relatives, our friends and ourselves worldwide."

The continual use of their own language throughout the website emphasises their pride in what they consider to be part of their tribal identity. One page on the website, entitled 'Greater Blackfoot Nation' begins with the phrase "NIITSITAPII AHSISTO (The Real People Declare)" and thus precedes various declarations from the tribe, such as their territory: " The recognition of our Exclusivity of Title to the lands of the traditional Niitsitapii territory (the North Saskatchewan River in the North, and, South to the Yellowstone River, and, in the West from the Continental Divide and East to the Touch Wood Hills); the land which we call Niitsitpiis-stahkoii" and continue to give an idea of unity within the tribe: " We gather together to help each other in good times and hard times."

There is also a sense that this tribe have not forgotten, and will never forget, how they have been treated in the past, often referring to those who attempted to "enslave" them with their "genocidal pursuits that seek to kill us and destroy our cultures" and consequently try to "reject the dogma of mankind". Therefore, overall, there is an overriding impression that this tribe are completely independent from everyone else and this, among many other elements, contributes hugely to their identity.

Push Review

http://www.womanist-musings.com/2011/09/review-of-push-by-sapphire.html

This is a website for women to post blogs and contribute to other woman's posts.

This blog review begins by explaining that she found the reading extremely difficult. She then gives a summary of the book, using many weak words and the overall grammar of the post is seemingly amateur. The blogger does, however, give the reader a sense of just how poorly Clarice was treated at home and school. She discusses a reference to Clarice's description of her mother's foul smell and finds that there is a direct connection in the story between someone's smell and their character. She seems somewhat surprised at the vulgar terms and controversial issues that occur during the book but it seems that she understands the importance of them.

Some parts of the review were a bit unorganized and scattered, but at the end she collected her thoughts and ended with some good ideas.

On line review of Push.
http://www.womanist-musings.com/2011/09/review-of-push-by-sapphire.html

Throughout this on line book review, the writer makes it explicitly clear that the brutally real and uncomfortably graphic style of narration throughout makes for a difficult read, claiming the book as 'brutally real', and 'shocking'.

The writer, on more that one occasion throughout the review, refers to issues of sexuality, listing some of the key homosexual characters in the book, notably Miss Rain, the protagonists teacher at the Alternative school, noting her as 'the first positive gay person in Clarice's life'. I think it is important to mention, or at least make reference to the homosexual view point throughout the book, as the author Sapphire is a lesbian.

The review often makes reference to the heavy features of race and class within the book. Suggesting an evident imbalance of society, especially in relatively impoverished areas such as Harlem, where the book is set, noting how Clarice 'fell though the cracks of the system', as poor black girl, Clarice simply never had a chance, and unfortunately, this can be found all too commonly within lower class America.

Online review of Push

http://www.examiner.com/review/review-push-by-sapphire

This review of the novel Push by Sapphire makes it clear to any prospective reader how it can provoke a sense of courage and bravery seen both in the author and protagonist. This can be seen in both a literary sense, by Sapphire's "defiance of convention" in using Precious as the illiterate narrator with a "stream-of-consciousness voice" as well as in the content of the novel, in particular in its dealings of "transgressive stuff".

This review also seems to celebrate how Sapphire does not shy away from the issues presented throughout which many readers most likely do not wish to hear about. As this review states: "The extremely graphic abuse, particularly the sexual assault from both mother and father, manage to simultaneously shock the reader and endear them to the narrator, who, with her limited vocabulary, portrays her pain with earnestness and a sort of heartbreaking acceptance that reveal just how helpless she is to her environment." Consequently, it appears to be these moments of shock and heart break which endear the reader to Precious and the experiences of the people who brought Sapphire inspiration for this novel.