I reviewed a short film clip from the PBS sponsored film, In the Light of Reverence. This documentary film is narrated by Peter Coyote and Tantoo Cardinal. The 72 minute film is on how the Native American’s make a great effort to keep landscapes of spiritual importance. The film is off stories of three communities and the places they look after: the Lakota at Devils Tower in Wyoming, the Hopi in the Four Corners area of the Southwest, and the Wintu at Mt. Shasta in California. The film shows the issues of religious freedom for land-based practitioners, and effects on sacred sites, such as mining and ski resorts to New Age practices and rock-climbing. The perspective this film is conveying is that of the native population, and how they are dealing with the changing world around them, which affects how they live.
The film clip I watched was about the Lakota at Devils Tower in Wyoming. This area has turned into a destination for rock-climbing. The Lakota have asked the rock climbers to not come during the month of June. In the film clip they say it is because June is considered special, since everything is being regenerated and reborn. If people did come during that time it would disrupt the ceremonies that take place.
The film clip also showed a contrast over the non-native and native population in the area. The non-native people claimed that the Indians were not always living in the area. They were under the impression that the native people were invading their land and disrupting their culture. They seem to think that the native people only came to the area after the park invited them. The Lakota replied by stating they were always there, but they were not trying to be seen. I think the non-native population portrayed in this documentary are thinking selfishly and arrogantly. They are not trying to be tolerant or respectful of other cultures or beliefs.
I believe that the Native Americans have every right to reserve sacred areas. Non-natives should be respectful and grateful when they are allowed to visit those areas. Everyone has the right to practice their cultural beliefs. The Native Americans are also trying to preserve nature. We cannot continue to live blindly. We must start thinking more about the future. Preserving the world is necessary to preserve continued life. Thus, the Native Americans should not be hindered from doing this, but rather be praised for it.
References
Maynor, C. M. (Director). (2001, August 14). In the Light of Reverence [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/pov/inthelightofreverence/
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post! I knew that present day natives still viewed certain areas or landmarks sacred but it was interesting to hear specifically about one area. I absolutely agree that we should d do our best to respect those who are seeking to preserve nature. However, I also wonder if non-natives are challenging the topic in this particular case because specific regulations regarding the areas use were not issued/requested until a later period in time. Perhaps as they natives said-they had always been there and the general public simply wasn't aware until Devil's Tower became a popular location and issues arose.
I agree with your view point. More issues with preserving their landmarks became harder with modern activities. The natives did not have to worry about the Devil's Tower until more people wanted to go rock climbing. At which time they had to make their presence known and inform them that the month of June is a sacred time. Thus, the non-native's thought they came out of nowhere and were disrupting their life style. Other cultures can clash and with everyone living in same area it is bound to cause issues on both sides.
DeleteWow! I remember visiting "Four Corners" in 1970 with my family. We were on a great 1 month vacation with my aunt and uncle. I was 12....and I did not know, at that time, that it was a sacred site of the Hopi in Arizona; to me it was another historical spot to stop and take a picture. Sometimes you need to revisit places to understand them for their true meaning. I am sure in the many 100+ slides of my dad's slide collection, there is a picture of us standing in the corner of the four corners.
ReplyDeleteI remember going there too as a child. After finding out it's importance I want to go back and see it again. I think knowing this information now will make it seem a lot more special. Like you said it was just another spot to take a picture at but not now. I would love to watch the entire film.
DeleteGreat photo to start the blog, I wanted to read it immediately. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, it was nice to learn what the month of June signifies with new life birth to the season. See how appreciative some people are? The other group non native didn't even know the Lakota Indians were living there, this demonstrates the respect of land and nature Indians have. I am sure they would have been noticed if they were abusing the land or disrespecting the environment and peace within nature. You would think that the sacred areas and rocks would be off limits to people trying to invade on their sacred surroundings.Much patience and tolerance is demonstrated by Natives once again. Some white people do have good values Thank God, as well as other cultures and ethnic groups within society who would most likely have a clearer value system of what the past and sacred tradition encompasses for other groups.We still have a long way to go though in viewing other cultures with respect.
ReplyDeleteI started watching a program by Ken Burns on The West. In it a Native American shared a story on how Devil's Tower was created. The story says that 7 children were playing in the woods. It was 6 sisters and their brother. The brother was chasing the sisters pretending to be a bear. The sisters pretended to be scared and ran away. Then suddenly the brother actually turned into a bear. The sisters became scared and had to run. The sisters came upon a tree stump. The tree stump spoke to them and asked them to climb on top of it to be safe. At that moment the tree stump rose up high. The bear was unable to reach them. The sisters then became the stars of the big dipper. This story related humans to the stars and told how Devil's Tower was created. I found it to be very interesting.
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