This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
PERIOD 7 - "WHITE MAN'S IMAGE"
We watched the film, In the White Man's Image - please post your thoughts about the film and make sure to comment on at least one other student's post.
15 comments:
Annie Meaney
said...
I thought that the white people trying to take over the native americans culture was very wrong. I did not like how they tried to change their religion, make them look like white people, and make them do things that most white Americans do like going to school. Trying to form them into the american culture instead of accepting their differences was an offensive and selfish thing to do.
I agree with what Annie said. It is very wrong and unfair to try and assimilate the native americans into the white/european culture. Invading their homelands and shipping them to far away locations where they will be forced to abandon all traces of their past lives, and forced into speaking a new language, and living in a completely new location and among an entirely new group of people who exercise complete authority is rediculous. Assimilating the "savages" in the manner that the film described is heartless and extremely wrong.
Just imagine if a group of strangers came into your home, had taken you away from your family and friends and kept you as a prisoner in another country...It was wrong of the white/European people to force the Native Americans to become a part of the white culture. I agree with Annie and Sam. it was unfair for the Americans to force their way of life onto these Indians and completely change their identity.
Not only was it wrong for the whites to completely take over the Native American culture, but they had the choice to do so. It bothered me that the whites felt that they were so much greater than this race of people. Also that they were so easily compelled to just trample every aspect of the Native's lives. I agree with Sam that it was wrong and heartless for them to do all those horrible things. Especially since they had the choice to do so, and they didn't even think twice about it.
I thought the film was very poignant. It showed us a part of our past that most people like to forget. The movie showed just how unfair we were in our treatment of the Native Americans and I completely with Annie that what happened was both offensive and selfish.
I thought that the attempt to "Americanize" the Indians was not only unfair but also fundamentally impossible. The Indians were born and grew up with their own, individual identities. The white people, despite their efforts, could not possibly alter these identities to exactly what they wanted. There would always be some remnants of their past culture. I also agree with Sam Plummer that this attempt was morally wrong. Forcing someone to change against their desires is an unfair request.
I believe the attempt of the white civilization to alter the identities of the Native Americans displays the lack of concern of the whites for anyone who is culturally different from themselves. The Native Americans had been living their own way of life across America far before the whites came to the continent, and their belief that they could change a culture that had been around far longer than their own shows the lack of concern for the natives. I also agree with Sarah that this is a part of American history that many people don’t want to remember, because it portrays the white civilization as terrible people.
Trying to Americanize Native Americans is wrong because they wore born Native Americans and always will be. It is not fair to try and change them in to behaving like average “Americans.” Native Americans were living their own lives perfectly fine until the white man came along and decided that they needed to change to be more like the whit people. Their was nothing wrong with the way Native Americans were living their lives to begin with and then the whites came along and thought that they needed to change. I agree with Sam Plummer also because it is not right to try and change someone just because they are not like you. Just because someone is different doesn’t mean that they are wrong for acting the way they do.
The take over of Native American land and culture was wrong in every sense of the word. The American government could have handled this in a civil and respectful manner, but they chose to "Americanize" the natives in the most cruel and unusual way. I agree with Sam in that the relocation and forced assimilation of the Natives was rediculous, it amazes me how such an atrocity was committed by our own government.
I thought that the film was a very important piece of our history that I beleive is not talked about a lot. I also beleive that what happened was wrong and uncessary.
I agree with Robbie that what we did was wrong in every way.
I believe that it was wrong for the whites to try and Americanize the Native Americans. Not only was it immoral it was also nearly impossible due to the fact the Native Americans had such a rich culture that was very different from white culture. I agree with mike that trying to assimilate these two races was wrong and impossible.
I was pretty enraged at this film and at the man who thought he should 'kill the indian' and then turn him into something completely different and all against their will, ripping them from familiar faces, and changing the Native American's to look like white men. If cutting someone's hair was a sign of mourning, of death in their eyes, then why would anyone do that to them against their will? I think it is truly astonishing the lengths that some men will go to, just to try and make others like them. And I agree completely with Corinne when she pointed out that this choice was all on the white men. I suppose it never occurred to them to ask what the Native Americans wanted, or to fulfill their wish of going home and being left to live a life they could choose.
15 comments:
I thought that the white people trying to take over the native americans culture was very wrong. I did not like how they tried to change their religion, make them look like white people, and make them do things that most white Americans do like going to school. Trying to form them into the american culture instead of accepting their differences was an offensive and selfish thing to do.
I agree with what Annie said. It is very wrong and unfair to try and assimilate the native americans into the white/european culture. Invading their homelands and shipping them to far away locations where they will be forced to abandon all traces of their past lives, and forced into speaking a new language, and living in a completely new location and among an entirely new group of people who exercise complete authority is rediculous. Assimilating the "savages" in the manner that the film described is heartless and extremely wrong.
Just imagine if a group of strangers came into your home, had taken you away from your family and friends and kept you as a prisoner in another country...It was wrong of the white/European people to force the Native Americans to become a part of the white culture. I agree with Annie and Sam. it was unfair for the Americans to force their way of life onto these Indians and completely change their identity.
Not only was it wrong for the whites to completely take over the Native American culture, but they had the choice to do so. It bothered me that the whites felt that they were so much greater than this race of people. Also that they were so easily compelled to just trample every aspect of the Native's lives. I agree with Sam that it was wrong and heartless for them to do all those horrible things. Especially since they had the choice to do so, and they didn't even think twice about it.
I thought the film was very poignant. It showed us a part of our past that most people like to forget. The movie showed just how unfair we were in our treatment of the Native Americans and I completely with Annie that what happened was both offensive and selfish.
I was absent for this one.
I thought that the attempt to "Americanize" the Indians was not only unfair but also fundamentally impossible. The Indians were born and grew up with their own, individual identities. The white people, despite their efforts, could not possibly alter these identities to exactly what they wanted. There would always be some remnants of their past culture. I also agree with Sam Plummer that this attempt was morally wrong. Forcing someone to change against their desires is an unfair request.
I believe the attempt of the white civilization to alter the identities of the Native Americans displays the lack of concern of the whites for anyone who is culturally different from themselves. The Native Americans had been living their own way of life across America far before the whites came to the continent, and their belief that they could change a culture that had been around far longer than their own shows the lack of concern for the natives. I also agree with Sarah that this is a part of American history that many people don’t want to remember, because it portrays the white civilization as terrible people.
Trying to Americanize Native Americans is wrong because they wore born Native Americans and always will be. It is not fair to try and change them in to behaving like average “Americans.” Native Americans were living their own lives perfectly fine until the white man came along and decided that they needed to change to be more like the whit people. Their was nothing wrong with the way Native Americans were living their lives to begin with and then the whites came along and thought that they needed to change. I agree with Sam Plummer also because it is not right to try and change someone just because they are not like you. Just because someone is different doesn’t mean that they are wrong for acting the way they do.
The take over of Native American land and culture was wrong in every sense of the word. The American government could have handled this in a civil and respectful manner, but they chose to "Americanize" the natives in the most cruel and unusual way. I agree with Sam in that the relocation and forced assimilation of the Natives was rediculous, it amazes me how such an atrocity was committed by our own government.
I thought that the film was a very important piece of our history that I beleive is not talked about a lot. I also beleive that what happened was wrong and uncessary.
I agree with Robbie that what we did was wrong in every way.
I believe that it was wrong for the whites to try and Americanize the Native Americans. Not only was it immoral it was also nearly impossible due to the fact the Native Americans had such a rich culture that was very different from white culture.
I agree with mike that trying to assimilate these two races was wrong and impossible.
I was pretty enraged at this film and at the man who thought he should 'kill the indian' and then turn him into something completely different and all against their will, ripping them from familiar faces, and changing the Native American's to look like white men. If cutting someone's hair was a sign of mourning, of death in their eyes, then why would anyone do that to them against their will? I think it is truly astonishing the lengths that some men will go to, just to try and make others like them. And I agree completely with Corinne when she pointed out that this choice was all on the white men. I suppose it never occurred to them to ask what the Native Americans wanted, or to fulfill their wish of going home and being left to live a life they could choose.
I was not in class for this film, I was in guidance.
I was absent for this film.
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