This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
PERIOD 1 - IN THE WHITE MAN'S IMAGE
Over the past two days, we watched the documentary, In the White Man's Image. Please post your thoughts about the film and be sure to comment on at least one other student's reflective post.
40 comments:
Alisa Raniuk
said...
I like “The White Man’s Image”. I think it shows interesting history about how many people and not just Native Americans have become Americanized. On the contrary, I don’t think it was ethical that the whites took away Native Americans’ identities. All of their norms and customs were taken away. A lot of the Native Americans tried to rebel which shows that the whites clearly had more power and were able to take away their rights and privileges. Children were the target to try and change, but it made a lot of them homesick and even more powerless. I think that everyone should be proud of where they came from and this wasn’t portrayed because the whites made the Native Americans be ashamed of where they’re from. It’s crazy to think that a group can easily control another group and this helps explain what happened in 1933 when Hitler came in power.
I thought “The White Man’s Image” was very interesting. This showed how different Native Americans and Whites are. It also, shows that at this time whites would do anything to gain power over the land. It surprised me how whites would trick the Native Americans into letting them change what their children looked and acted like and at the same time they took their land. It seems as though the whites are not use to different types of people. And they would do anything; even change the Native Americans identity, to make them look more like them. The whites not only changed the looks of the Natives, but also who they really were. They taught them a new language and at the time were not allowed to speak their own. They also, took away their traditions, like their clothing. I think this was really harsh of the whites to do.
I agree with Alisa because it is crazy to see how one group of people could control another, like Hitler did. Everyone says that Hitler was this awful man, which he was, but at the same time just a few years before this, the whites, some of our ancestors were treating people the same way. I think the whites at this time should get just as much blame for what they did as Hitler does.
I agree with Missy. I think the whites were really harsh to the Native Americans. Changing someone's identity isn't ethical. Everyone is who they are and no matter what no one can change that. They can change the physical aspects of someone but that still doesn't chage who thy are. The whites also took away the Native Americans most important thing they own...their name. But despite all that it still didn't change who they truely are.
I think that this film was very interesting because it shows how whites felt the need to control the Native Americans and force them to assimilate to American cultures. The fact that whites forced Native Americans to change their ways and take children from their homes just shows how ignorant people really were during the early 1900s. I think it was interesting seeing how the same thing that happened in Germany during the holocaust also occured in the United States.
I agree with Alisa when she says that it was unethical of the whites to act this way towards people who they thought were inferior to them. I also agree with Alisa when she says that people should be proud of where they come from and no one should be able to take that away from an individual.
I thought “The White Man’s Image” was very interesting. This film showed just how much power white people had over Native Americans. They felt they had so much authority over them that they could just change their identities. I thought it was interesting to see the difference between the Native American appearance and the white man’s appearance. The changes were not only external though, white people changed who Native Americans really were. They lost their identities due to a power struggle, and I do not think that is morally right. Just because the whites thought they were so much better they tried to erase an entire culture.
I agree with Alisa in that it was not ethical that the whites took away the Native Americans’ identities. I also think that everyone should be proud of his or her own culture and backgrounds; and no one group should have power over another. In the end, we are all humans, no matter what race or social class you belong to.
The whiteman's image video showed the feelings of the world during the 1920s and 30s. It also helped shead some light on how Hitter was able to gain power over such an influential country such as Germany. In the end what the film really did was show the intolerance of the entire world during that time.
I agree with Marissa this film did teach me information I was not previously aware of about Native Americans and the more recent injustices that had occurred to them.
In "The White Man's Image" I'm not surprised by the white settlers wanting to push the Native Americans away and possibly kill them. The white man saw the Native americans as filthy half naked savages that were always hunting and could not be trusted. The fact that some wished to assimilate them into their own race was actually a pleasant surprise. The assumed they were doing whats right and were giving Native Americans a second chance in this new industrial age. The Native Americans did not see it as helpful and overall the process increasingly harmful to all the poor children that were involved but some were later provided with opportunities better than what they would achieve on an Indian Reservation. I'm not sure if Native Americans would be almost entirely a separate race now if they were not integrated back then but it is very possible. If the schooling never took place Indian culture would not be as absent as it is now.
I agree with Steph that external change was the loss of identity. Some Native Americans were sick with the mere thought of being homesick and with no connection to their past. The ones that moved on were some that failed to lose their spiritual identity. They kept their beliefs a secret so they would not be changed. To be formed in the white man's image Native Americans were even forced to change the way they think from for the group, to a capitalistic individual.
I enjoyed the movie, because it was cool learning about how different the whites and Native Americans were. It showed that the whites were way more powerful than the Native Americans because they were able to change the Native American culture and force the Native Americans to assimilate to the culture of Americans. I think the whites would have done anything to change the Native American culture to make them fit in with the whites. I think it was awful that the whites made the Native Americans change just because they were different.
I thought the movie "The White Man's Image" was very interesting. It was interesting to see how the white people got away with taking Native American children and trying to make them into white people. Thats like trying to make a gay go straight, it can not happen. It was sad that a lot of the children died of sickness and homesickness. It really shows how highly whites though t about them selves back then. Also how that thinking helps explain Hitlers actions.
I agree with what Marissa Welch wrote about "The White Man's Image". How the Whites would do anything for power over people and land. Also how the Whites did anything and everything to make the Native American children forget their identities to make them "white".
I liked "The White Man's image" because it was something new. We have learned about the Native Americans over and over again but we have never gone as much in depth when it comes to transforming the Indians and teaching them in schools how to be white. I think this is a very dark spot in America's history because we tried to crush out a rich and vibrant culture that we should have just left alone.
I agree with what Alisa said when she mentioned everyone should be proud of where they come from. It was very honorable of the Native American's to try to hold on to their culture and it was unfair to strip the kids culture away from them and try to make them feel ashamed of it.
“The White Man’s Image” was certainly an interesting film to watch. I think that it sums up what we have learned in US History of the relationship between the white man and the Native American. Honestly, I find it really sad that we pretty much took over their land and were able to exploit it because the Native Americans were not able to stop us. It’s hard to think about it as a white American student because I can’t help but feel guilty. What I mean is that I call America my home because I was born here, but knowing that our society was created at the expense of others, who happened to live here FIRST, makes me feel guilty.
Also, I agree with Steph that the changes the Native Americans went through were not only physical. I also like the way she stated that they lost their identities due to a power struggle. Only, to me, it seems like the Native Americans attempted to defend themselves rather than take more land. I actually admire how they view their land as sacred, not just a moneymaking machine.
I was absent for the first half of the film. I just thought that it was wrong that the whites forced the natives into becoming more like the whites. Its not ok to force someone to do something and its just not right. It seemed like a good idea at first because they were teaching the children things they wouldnt normally learn, but the white men should have taken some time and tried to learn from the natives on how to live a more self sufficient life instead of just forcing the natives into our culture.
This film to me was an eye-opener. Before this film, I did not know much about the discrimination and violence whites held against Indians. It was devestating to see the way Whites deprived the Indians of their values and striped them of their traditions. The physical, mental, and emotional torture shown in the movie was painful to watch and really made me realize that it doesn't take much for one group of people to change another.
I thought "In the White Man's Image" showed a disgusting portrayal of the assimilation of Native Americans into our culture. It seems as if every year I continue to learn more and more about the horrible events that took place when we came to this country and stole their land. I really hated how they were treated in the film, and it made me upset to see some of the younger children in their culture buying into it just because they were raised that way in an effort to assimilate to get more land from the Natives. It was sad to see how as the generations went on, each was more and more Americanized. It seemed as if the General felt as if he was helping them at times, but he had no idea what kind of damage he was doing to a culture. Sadly, the movie was not too surprising; I have known how horrible the natives were treated and I was not at all surprised when I saw them taken advantage of in the treaties. Yet I did learn about how the general feeling at the time promoted this sort of thing, it did not make the whole process any better.
I agree with Erik that the white men should have learned from the Native Americans to live a more self-sufficient life instead of just overthrowing their culture. There was a lot that the so-called "savages" actually had to teach them, if they had just opened their eyes and were not so blinded by the land.
I liked the movie, because it was interesting to learn about how white people tried to get rod of Native American culture. It was interesting to me how white people were powerful enough to change the Native American culture and force the Native Americans to assimilate to the culture of white Americans. It was kind of shocking that the whites would have done anything to change the Native American culture to make them fit in with the whites, forcing them to give up their traditional beliefs just because they were different. I think it was an extreme example of how more powerful groups can use their power to influence other groups.
I think Mike had a great point about how the white people were making the Natives give up their culture cause they were a more powerful and influential group. It shows how ideas can be forced on groups and identies can be erased of they are not popular among larger groups.
I really liked “The White Man’s Image” movie. It was really interesting seeing how desperate we were to eliminate such a prevalent culture. I don’t really understand why we felt like the Native American people couldn’t go on living their own lives however they wanted to. It was also kind of sad to see that because we were so ignorant and paid no attention to the fact that they are people just like we are.
I agree with Mike because this movie really showed how influential the whites were and how they made the Native Americans do whatever they said because of how intimidating they were.
Oppression of ethnic minorities and the taking of land from indigenous people is something that has occurred over and over again in human history. What I found interesting about this documentary was the fact that was a conscious to assimilate Native Americans into white society.
I agree with Mike and Sean that as soon as an a group of people gain any sort of power or influence, they can easily wipe out other groups or force them to adopt the principles or ideas that they hold.
I liked The White Mans Image because its shows the history of the Native Americans which most people do not find interesting, but i do. Most of the Native Americans tried to fight back against the Americans which shows that the whites clearly had more power and were able to take away their rights.
I agree with Lyndsie because "it was something new. We have learned about the Native Americans over and over again but we have never gone as much in depth" so it was interesting to learn about this part of their lives.
It was interesting to me how the whites just automatically assumed that they were superior to the Native Americans, and decided to "Americanize" them. This was so wrong of them to do. The whites did not know everything about the Native American's culture, but didn't care if they sabotaged it. They started by taking some of the Native American children because they thought that it would be easier to channge them rather than changing the adults, and they were partially right in this sense. A lot of the children didn't realize what was going on and didn't believe that had much say in it anyways. However, there were some of the Native American children that did stand up for themselves and their culture, proving they had a lot of pride.
I agree with Steph- I think that this deffinitely showed how much power the white people thought they had, but also how much power they did have. They got away with completely changing other people's identities. The white people went for the younger Native American children because they thought that it would be easier, and for them it seemed as though it was easier. They did not put up as much of a struggle and may not have even known the extent of what was going on, and I think that that's really sad to think that the white people would not only take advantage of kids, but take advantage as a whole culture.
I think this video was very interesting because it really showed how it used to be in America and how celf-centered whites were. No one should ever be pulled away from their family and life and be transformed completely just because the other person doesnt like how that person is.
I agree with Ricky because the video definetly shows how white people thought about other cultures during the 20s and 30s and how these thoughts were similar to hitlers views during the holocaust
'The White Mans Image' was very interesting to watch. I had no idea that our government was literally trying to make Native Americans, white. I always thought we had just been trying to assimilate them to a white American but learning that we had gone to such extremities as cutting there hair and makin them wear U.S. Army Uniforms was absolutely shocking. The big debate about this process about dealing with the native Americans is weather or not the government was right in what they did. Some may say that the government did the right thing by making the Native Americans assimilate and move to reservation lands because otherwise, our newly growing country wouldn't have been able to grow as fast as immigration, and the economy was moving. I don think what the government did was right at all. The native americans were there first and shouldn't have been told what to do. The fact that Americans of that time were that selfish and ignorant to think that they could wipe out native Americans and just make them like white people is just shocking.
I agree with Ethan. He had an interesting observation about how the children who were brought up in this Americanization process seemed interested and okay with it while the older men may do anything they could to protest the process. This is depriving the children out of their actual culture and getting rid of thier identity one price at a time.
I agree with Ashly that this movie was a good portrayal of the relationship between the Native Americans and Americans through history, which is sa to say. I also relate to her when she's says she feels guilty about it
40 comments:
I like “The White Man’s Image”. I think it shows interesting history about how many people and not just Native Americans have become Americanized. On the contrary, I don’t think it was ethical that the whites took away Native Americans’ identities. All of their norms and customs were taken away. A lot of the Native Americans tried to rebel which shows that the whites clearly had more power and were able to take away their rights and privileges. Children were the target to try and change, but it made a lot of them homesick and even more powerless. I think that everyone should be proud of where they came from and this wasn’t portrayed because the whites made the Native Americans be ashamed of where they’re from. It’s crazy to think that a group can easily control another group and this helps explain what happened in 1933 when Hitler came in power.
I thought “The White Man’s Image” was very interesting. This showed how different Native Americans and Whites are. It also, shows that at this time whites would do anything to gain power over the land. It surprised me how whites would trick the Native Americans into letting them change what their children looked and acted like and at the same time they took their land. It seems as though the whites are not use to different types of people. And they would do anything; even change the Native Americans identity, to make them look more like them. The whites not only changed the looks of the Natives, but also who they really were. They taught them a new language and at the time were not allowed to speak their own. They also, took away their traditions, like their clothing. I think this was really harsh of the whites to do.
I agree with Alisa because it is crazy to see how one group of people could control another, like Hitler did. Everyone says that Hitler was this awful man, which he was, but at the same time just a few years before this, the whites, some of our ancestors were treating people the same way. I think the whites at this time should get just as much blame for what they did as Hitler does.
I agree with Missy. I think the whites were really harsh to the Native Americans. Changing someone's identity isn't ethical. Everyone is who they are and no matter what no one can change that. They can change the physical aspects of someone but that still doesn't chage who thy are. The whites also took away the Native Americans most important thing they own...their name. But despite all that it still didn't change who they truely are.
I think that this film was very interesting because it shows how whites felt the need to control the Native Americans and force them to assimilate to American cultures. The fact that whites forced Native Americans to change their ways and take children from their homes just shows how ignorant people really were during the early 1900s. I think it was interesting seeing how the same thing that happened in Germany during the holocaust also occured in the United States.
I agree with Alisa when she says that it was unethical of the whites to act this way towards people who they thought were inferior to them. I also agree with Alisa when she says that people should be proud of where they come from and no one should be able to take that away from an individual.
I thought “The White Man’s Image” was very interesting. This film showed just how much power white people had over Native Americans. They felt they had so much authority over them that they could just change their identities. I thought it was interesting to see the difference between the Native American appearance and the white man’s appearance. The changes were not only external though, white people changed who Native Americans really were. They lost their identities due to a power struggle, and I do not think that is morally right. Just because the whites thought they were so much better they tried to erase an entire culture.
I agree with Alisa in that it was not ethical that the whites took away the Native Americans’ identities. I also think that everyone should be proud of his or her own culture and backgrounds; and no one group should have power over another. In the end, we are all humans, no matter what race or social class you belong to.
The whiteman's image video showed the feelings of the world during the 1920s and 30s. It also helped shead some light on how Hitter was able to gain power over such an influential country such as Germany. In the end what the film really did was show the intolerance of the entire world during that time.
I agree with Marissa this film did teach me information I was not previously aware of about Native Americans and the more recent injustices that had occurred to them.
In "The White Man's Image" I'm not surprised by the white settlers wanting to push the Native Americans away and possibly kill them. The white man saw the Native americans as filthy half naked savages that were always hunting and could not be trusted. The fact that some wished to assimilate them into their own race was actually a pleasant surprise. The assumed they were doing whats right and were giving Native Americans a second chance in this new industrial age. The Native Americans did not see it as helpful and overall the process increasingly harmful to all the poor children that were involved but some were later provided with opportunities better than what they would achieve on an Indian Reservation. I'm not sure if Native Americans would be almost entirely a separate race now if they were not integrated back then but it is very possible. If the schooling never took place Indian culture would not be as absent as it is now.
I agree with Steph that external change was the loss of identity. Some Native Americans were sick with the mere thought of being homesick and with no connection to their past. The ones that moved on were some that failed to lose their spiritual identity. They kept their beliefs a secret so they would not be changed. To be formed in the white man's image Native Americans were even forced to change the way they think from for the group, to a capitalistic individual.
I enjoyed the movie, because it was cool learning about how different the whites and Native Americans were. It showed that the whites were way more powerful than the Native Americans because they were able to change the Native American culture and force the Native Americans to assimilate to the culture of Americans. I think the whites would have done anything to change the Native American culture to make them fit in with the whites. I think it was awful that the whites made the Native Americans change just because they were different.
I thought the movie "The White Man's Image" was very interesting. It was interesting to see how the white people got away with taking Native American children and trying to make them into white people. Thats like trying to make a gay go straight, it can not happen. It was sad that a lot of the children died of sickness and homesickness. It really shows how highly whites though t about them selves back then. Also how that thinking helps explain Hitlers actions.
I agree with what Marissa Welch wrote about "The White Man's Image". How the Whites would do anything for power over people and land. Also how the Whites did anything and everything to make the Native American children forget their identities to make them "white".
I liked "The White Man's image" because it was something new. We have learned about the Native Americans over and over again but we have never gone as much in depth when it comes to transforming the Indians and teaching them in schools how to be white. I think this is a very dark spot in America's history because we tried to crush out a rich and vibrant culture that we should have just left alone.
I agree with what Alisa said when she mentioned everyone should be proud of where they come from. It was very honorable of the Native American's to try to hold on to their culture and it was unfair to strip the kids culture away from them and try to make them feel ashamed of it.
“The White Man’s Image” was certainly an interesting film to watch. I think that it sums up what we have learned in US History of the relationship between the white man and the Native American. Honestly, I find it really sad that we pretty much took over their land and were able to exploit it because the Native Americans were not able to stop us. It’s hard to think about it as a white American student because I can’t help but feel guilty. What I mean is that I call America my home because I was born here, but knowing that our society was created at the expense of others, who happened to live here FIRST, makes me feel guilty.
Also, I agree with Steph that the changes the Native Americans went through were not only physical. I also like the way she stated that they lost their identities due to a power struggle. Only, to me, it seems like the Native Americans attempted to defend themselves rather than take more land. I actually admire how they view their land as sacred, not just a moneymaking machine.
I was absent for the first half of the film. I just thought that it was wrong that the whites forced the natives into becoming more like the whites. Its not ok to force someone to do something and its just not right. It seemed like a good idea at first because they were teaching the children things they wouldnt normally learn, but the white men should have taken some time and tried to learn from the natives on how to live a more self sufficient life instead of just forcing the natives into our culture.
This film to me was an eye-opener. Before this film, I did not know much about the discrimination and violence whites held against Indians. It was devestating to see the way Whites deprived the Indians of their values and striped them of their traditions. The physical, mental, and emotional torture shown in the movie was painful to watch and really made me realize that it doesn't take much for one group of people to change another.
I agree with Krystal, this film was a good introduction into understanding how one group can change another, just like what happened in the Holocaust.
I thought "In the White Man's Image" showed a disgusting portrayal of the assimilation of Native Americans into our culture. It seems as if every year I continue to learn more and more about the horrible events that took place when we came to this country and stole their land. I really hated how they were treated in the film, and it made me upset to see some of the younger children in their culture buying into it just because they were raised that way in an effort to assimilate to get more land from the Natives. It was sad to see how as the generations went on, each was more and more Americanized. It seemed as if the General felt as if he was helping them at times, but he had no idea what kind of damage he was doing to a culture. Sadly, the movie was not too surprising; I have known how horrible the natives were treated and I was not at all surprised when I saw them taken advantage of in the treaties. Yet I did learn about how the general feeling at the time promoted this sort of thing, it did not make the whole process any better.
I agree with Erik that the white men should have learned from the Native Americans to live a more self-sufficient life instead of just overthrowing their culture. There was a lot that the so-called "savages" actually had to teach them, if they had just opened their eyes and were not so blinded by the land.
I liked the movie, because it was interesting to learn about how white people tried to get rod of Native American culture. It was interesting to me how white people were powerful enough to change the Native American culture and force the Native Americans to assimilate to the culture of white Americans. It was kind of shocking that the whites would have done anything to change the Native American culture to make them fit in with the whites, forcing them to
give up their traditional beliefs just because they were
different. I think it was an extreme example of how more powerful groups can use their power to influence other groups.
I think Mike had a great point about how the white people were making the Natives give up their culture cause they were a more powerful and influential group. It shows how ideas can be forced on groups and identies can be erased of they are not popular among larger groups.
I really liked “The White Man’s Image” movie. It was really interesting seeing how desperate we were to eliminate such a prevalent culture. I don’t really understand why we felt like the Native American people couldn’t go on living their own lives however they wanted to. It was also kind of sad to see that because we were so ignorant and paid no attention to the fact that they are people just like we are.
I agree with Mike because this movie really showed how influential the whites were and how they made the Native Americans do whatever they said because of how intimidating they were.
Oppression of ethnic minorities and the taking of land from indigenous people is something that has occurred over and over again in human history. What I found interesting about this documentary was the fact that was a conscious to assimilate Native Americans into white society.
I agree with Mike and Sean that as soon as an a group of people gain any sort of power or influence, they can easily wipe out other groups or force them to adopt the principles or ideas that they hold.
I liked The White Mans Image because its shows the history of the Native Americans which most people do not find interesting, but i do. Most of the Native Americans tried to fight back against the Americans which shows that the whites clearly had more power and were able to take away their rights.
I agree with Lyndsie because "it was something new. We have learned about the Native Americans over and over again but we have never gone as much in depth" so it was interesting to learn about this part of their lives.
I was absent for this activity
It was interesting to me how the whites just automatically assumed that they were superior to the Native Americans, and decided to "Americanize" them. This was so wrong of them to do. The whites did not know everything about the Native American's culture, but didn't care if they sabotaged it. They started by taking some of the Native American children because they thought that it would be easier to channge them rather than changing the adults, and they were partially right in this sense. A lot of the children didn't realize what was going on and didn't believe that had much say in it anyways. However, there were some of the Native American children that did stand up for themselves and their culture, proving they had a lot of pride.
I agree with Steph- I think that this deffinitely showed how much power the white people thought they had, but also how much power they did have. They got away with completely changing other people's identities. The white people went for the younger Native American children because they thought that it would be easier, and for them it seemed as though it was easier. They did not put up as much of a struggle and may not have even known the extent of what was going on, and I think that that's really sad to think that the white people would not only take advantage of kids, but take advantage as a whole culture.
I think this video was very interesting because it really showed how it used to be in America and how celf-centered whites were. No one should ever be pulled away from their family and life and be transformed completely just because the other person doesnt like how that person is.
I agree with Ricky because the video definetly shows how white people thought about other cultures during the 20s and 30s and how these thoughts were similar to hitlers views during the holocaust
'The White Mans Image' was very interesting to watch. I had no idea that our government was literally trying to make Native Americans, white. I always thought we had just been trying to assimilate them to a white American but learning that we had gone to such extremities as cutting there hair and makin them wear U.S. Army Uniforms was absolutely shocking. The big debate about this process about dealing with the native Americans is weather or not the government was right in what they did. Some may say that the government did the right thing by making the Native Americans assimilate and move to reservation lands because otherwise, our newly growing country wouldn't have been able to grow as fast as immigration, and the economy was moving. I don think what the government did was right at all. The native americans were there first and shouldn't have been told what to do. The fact that Americans of that time were that selfish and ignorant to think that they could wipe out native Americans and just make them like white people is just shocking.
I agree with Ethan. He had an interesting observation about how the children who were brought up in this Americanization process seemed interested and okay with it while the older men may do anything they could to protest the process. This is depriving the children out of their actual culture and getting rid of thier identity one price at a time.
i was absent that day
I agree with Ashly that this movie was a good portrayal of the relationship between the Native Americans and Americans through history, which is sa to say. I also relate to her when she's says she feels guilty about it
I was absent that day.
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