Rike At Dreamer´s Rock
Donnerstag, 10. Mai 2012
conclusion
Before reading the book I wrote of being afraid to know the future. I thought that it could be very frightening! The protagonist Michael supports my point when he talks to Rusty who wants to know his future: "This information will affect your life, maybe negatively in this crucial and formative stage. I don´t think it´s advisable at the moment." (p. 41, line 4-5) If we know our future we might start to influence it. Depending on how satisfied we are with it. Not knowing the future is way better than knowing it. I want to be surprised by the positve things and not worry about the cradles I have to overcome!
dead culture
In "Toronto at Dreamer´s Rock" many ancient traditions are mentioned. The boy from the future is living these traditions while the boy from the present is torn between these traditions and modern technologies and temptations. The boy from the future still knows these traditions but in his period of time he is one of the few people still practicing them. People of his period of time, like his girlfriend, judge him for admiring traditions and history in general. They completely lost these traditions. Like Michael points out himself: " We have completely lost our culture. It´s all been explained away or forgotten or just walked away from (...) and dreamers rock is a tourist attration." (p. 38, line 17-19) Enlightment has lead to the loss of culture and factual knowledge became more important than skills you need your hands for. Children no longer learn from and in the nature but in school.
These lost traditons mentioned in "Toronto at Dreamer´s Rock" are:
- fighting with other clans and being a warrior
I think the title of the book gives a hint on the change of importance. Nowadays the city Toronto is more familiar to people than dreamer´s rock. We would consider Toronto to be a more important place and therefore say: "Dreamer´s Rock at Toronto". Cities have a bigger influence on us than nauture but in the past this was different. The title indicates this by placing dreamer´s rock second and by doing so making it the landmark.
These lost traditons mentioned in "Toronto at Dreamer´s Rock" are:
- Dream quests
- Fasting alone in the bush for one week
- climbing dreamers rock
- names having a purpose or a meaning and therefore give the people power
- indian language
- storytelling
- chanting
- hunting
- fishing
- sweatlodges
- clans like Mohawk, Iroquois, Nodwheg, Odawa, Ojibway
- praying to the Great Spirit
- picking and eating sweetgrass
I think the title of the book gives a hint on the change of importance. Nowadays the city Toronto is more familiar to people than dreamer´s rock. We would consider Toronto to be a more important place and therefore say: "Dreamer´s Rock at Toronto". Cities have a bigger influence on us than nauture but in the past this was different. The title indicates this by placing dreamer´s rock second and by doing so making it the landmark.
Mittwoch, 9. Mai 2012
Pocahontas and Winnetou
In the media there is a very stereotyped picture of native Americans presented. Their live is adventurous, they have a close bond to nature and are always dressed in fringed buckskin clothes. Prominent examples for native Americans in the madia are Pocahontas and Winnetou. Pocahontas is friends with animals and for Winnetou life is a fight for justice and peace. This fight is fought with the "silberbüchse" on the back of his horse Itschi. In both cases the conflict between the native Americans an the white people comming to their land is presented. Pocahontas, the daughter of a clan´s chief, is even based on a true event.
But neither the period of time were Rusty lives in nore Keesics´ period are ever reflected on in movies. A guy like Keesic has to worry about having enough food to eat and he would rather have a racoon as a hat than as a friend.
But neither the period of time were Rusty lives in nore Keesics´ period are ever reflected on in movies. A guy like Keesic has to worry about having enough food to eat and he would rather have a racoon as a hat than as a friend.
Samstag, 5. Mai 2012
Where have all the native Americans gone??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCMi4ERw-d0
I know it is a german song but I thought of it immediately! I loved this song when I was younger! The boy of the present "Rusty" represents a native American with a walkman, his jeans jacket on, drinking beer all the time. The boy from the future, Michael, calls the period Rusty lives in "Alcoholic Era". This is what happened when the Indians forgot about their traditions, like dream quests, and were tainted by the influence of the white men. They could not handle the clash of tradition and progress...Rusty: "Sometimes I don´t know if I should go into a sweatlodge or a liquor store. They tear me apart. I don´t fit in." (p. 34, line 13-15)
My first impression after 23 pages is perfectly represented by this song!!
PURWo sind all die Indianer hin'?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
Dieses alte Bild aus der Kinderzeit
zeigt alle Brüder vom Stamm der Gerechtigkeit
Wir waren bunt bemalt und mit wildem Schrei
stand jeder stolze Krieger den Schwachen bei
zeigt alle Brüder vom Stamm der Gerechtigkeit
Wir waren bunt bemalt und mit wildem Schrei
stand jeder stolze Krieger den Schwachen bei
Unser Ehrenwort war heilig
nur ein Bleichgesicht betrog
und es waren gute Jahre
bis der erste sich belog
nur ein Bleichgesicht betrog
und es waren gute Jahre
bis der erste sich belog
(Refrain)
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
Der "Kleine Büffel" spielt heute Boß
er zog mit Papi´s Firma das große Los
"Geschmeidige Natter" sortiert die Post
und in seiner Freizeit sagt er meistens "Prost"
er zog mit Papi´s Firma das große Los
"Geschmeidige Natter" sortiert die Post
und in seiner Freizeit sagt er meistens "Prost"
Und die Friedenspfeife baumelt über´m Videogerät
wieviel Träume dürfen platzen,
ohne daß man sich verrät?
wieviel Träume dürfen platzen,
ohne daß man sich verrät?
(Refrain)
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
Es gib noch ein paar wenige vom Stamme der Schoschonen
die finden sich, erkennen sich am Blick
und deren gute Taten kann man nur durch Freundschaft belohnen
Sie nehmen ein versprechen nie zurück
Und die Friedenspfeife baumelt über´m Videogerät
wieviel Träume dürfen platzen,
ohne daß man sich verrät?
wieviel Träume dürfen platzen,
ohne daß man sich verrät?
(Refrain)
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
Wo sind all die Indianer hin?
wann verlor das große Ziel den Sinn?
So wie Chingachgook für das Guten stehn
als letzter Mohikaner unter Geiern nach dem Rechten sehn
I know it is a german song but I thought of it immediately! I loved this song when I was younger! The boy of the present "Rusty" represents a native American with a walkman, his jeans jacket on, drinking beer all the time. The boy from the future, Michael, calls the period Rusty lives in "Alcoholic Era". This is what happened when the Indians forgot about their traditions, like dream quests, and were tainted by the influence of the white men. They could not handle the clash of tradition and progress...Rusty: "Sometimes I don´t know if I should go into a sweatlodge or a liquor store. They tear me apart. I don´t fit in." (p. 34, line 13-15)
unboxing
Why does it take so long to send a book from Berlin?! Yesterday I finally received "Toronto at Dreamers Rock" by Drew Hayden Taylor! Is must be a very short story because the book is really thin. I even have an edition with background information on the author and additional texts which is meant for EFL students on secondary level! No wonder because students always have to deal with drama at that time..I still remember acting out "Iphigenie of Tauris" in old bed sheets in my parents garden! But "Toronto At Dreamers Rock" seems a lot more catching. From the cover I learn that it is about three native American boys from different periods of time. So it propably covers cultural and personal aspects. That is good because the identification with the characters helps to access the cultural dimension! I also like the idea of people from different periods of time getting together. I imagine myself meeting someone from the middle ages and someone who lives in the future. There would be so many questions to ask. It would be like history comming to life! When I go through the narrow streets of Lueneburg I sometimes try to imagine the smell of rotten food and barns, the sound of too many people and the hooves of the horses drawning carriages on cobblestone. Talking to a contemporary witness must be an enlightening experience. I don´t really know if I would like to know the future though..this can be very scary! But I might learn what it could be like once I start reading "Toronto at Dreamers Rock."
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