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Cabeza de Vaca's Castaways, 2004.
Summary and analysis of Cabeza de Vaca's account of the 1528-1536 exploration of North America by Europeans.
1,434 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a summary of the experiences of Alvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca when he came to North America to seek his fortune. It then discusses the transformation of character Cabeza de Vaca undergoes as he spends more and more time with the Native Americans and comes to see them as human beings with value, rather than just uncivilized natives. Cabeza de Vaca's enlightenment is contrasted with the behavior of Hernan Cortes, another Spanish explorer, whose only interest in the Mexican natives, if he was not killing them, was how they could help him further his own ends.
From the Paper
"It is not only the story that we tell that matters but also the way in which we tell it, as we learn from Cabeza de Vaca's Castaways, which was his telling of the 1528-1536 exploration of North America by Europeans. Alvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca had come to the new world to seek his fortune; what he found was far more valuable than the gold that inspired so many Spaniards to come to the New World: Enlightenment. As treasurer of Spanish expedition determined to claim for the throne of Spain a vast tract of land that today spreads across Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, he went with no intent of acknowledging the claims of the indigenous peoples to their land or their wealth. But when he and a few other men were shipwrecked and, seeking their own survival, underwent a long and arduous journey westward, where they would meet up with Hernan Cortes."
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The Assimilation of Native Cultures, 2002.
This paper is a personal essay, which discusses the benefits of assimilation of native and Caucasian cultures into the American mainstream culture.
915 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 0 sources, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper contends that members of the native culture themselves benefit most from their assimilation into the mainstream, and the mainstream society also benefits. The author bases his argument on his first-hand experience with the assimilation of a Navajo family living on a New Mexico Reservation. The paper points out that, for the Caucasian cultures in America, true and complete assimilation takes at least several generations and may not even be entirely possible.
From the Paper
"What constitutes a benefit? Admittedly, there is some room for subjectivity here, but something obtained by an individual or group that advances its progress toward whatever goals it has or the removal of an obstruction to those goals could be considered benefits. Some of these benefits could be characterized as availability of food, healthcare, education, wealth, influence, status, artistic achievement, freedom from prejudice, etc. How these things endure from one generation to the next could also be considered a benefit. Benefits can also be prioritized according to a scale of needs and wants, i.e., acquisition of food and shelter are higher priority than say acquiring a country club membership or a famous set of Kachina dolls."
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Bering Strait Theory, 2002.
An overview and discussion of the Bering Strait Theory regarding the origins of Native American immigration.
1,459 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a detailed examination of the Bering Strait Theory. The author of this paper explores the various theories about the Bering Strait and the belief that the Native Americans came across it during a migration out of Asia. The writer argues that the Bering Strait Theory has several conflicting elements, making it a questionable theory.
From the Paper
"As science continues to evolve there are many questions about mankind that are coming to light and being answered. One of the most pressing questions in recent history has been the question of migration and different races and cultures settling in various areas of the world. Historians, scientists, and others have been putting together facts as they are being discovered, and many of those facts point to the possibility that the theories society has accepted in the past may have been untrue. One theory that has been scrutinized lately has been the Bering Strait Theory. The Bering Strait theory contends that the Native Americans actually started out as Asians and migrated across the strait many years ago. Currently there are people who have begun to challenge the Bering Strait theory, claiming that the time lines and other evidence do not add up."
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Freedom of Religion, 2002.
This paper presents the argument that religious freedom in America is, in reality, just a myth perpetuated for generations.
2,273 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper uses the experiences of two historical figures in early America, Bartolome de las Casas and Anne Bradstreet, to reject the notion of the right to religious freedom in America. Bartoleme de las Casas, while more humane than other Spaniards of his time, still represented the dominant philosophy of Spain during early America, that religious freedom meant the freedom to convert others to one's own religion. Bradstreet is described as belonging to a community, typical of the Puritan era, that rejected the rights of others who chose to believe differently.
From the Paper
"Bradstreet does not discuss the issue of freedom of religion in her poems but seems rather to live that freedom herself. She determines meaning by contemplation rather than by repeating lessons learned from some authority, for instance. She concentrates most on her family rather than on God and religious issues. She contrasts in this regard with Edwards, who gives all his concentration to religious matters and who judges everything in the community on the basis of how it accords with his religious beliefs."
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"The Last of the Mohicans", 2002.
A literary review of James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a brief overview of the book "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper. The paper pays special attention to the role of women and how they were treated in those days, as well as their contribution to warfare as compared to present times. "The Last of the Mohicans" takes place in the midst of the French-Indian war. It focuses on one battle in a war that lasted for many years. This was the last and most important conflict over French and British possessions in North America.
From the Paper
"This book depicts the battle of Fort William Henry and adds the fictional kidnapping of two sisters Cora and Alice who are also the main female characters of this book. It is an account of two opposing tribes; the Delawares and the Hurons. The Hurons (Magua's tribe) are depicted as an extension of Magua himself. They are ambitious to take down the foresters, thereby avenging the warriors they have lost."
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Four Functions of Myth, 2002.
Discusses four functions of myth pertaining to the Native American Hopi culture.
2,270 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses and analyzes the topic of the functions of myth, as defined by author Joseph Campbell in his book, "The Power of Myth". Specifically, it explains Campbell's four functions of myth and show how they are demonstrated in Native American Hopi culture. The Hopis of Northern Arizona epitomize the four functions of myth in their culture and society. Their society is based on myth, religion and spiritual celebration and they have held on to these myths when many other tribes have turned away from their spiritual and mythical past. The paper shows that the Hopi's myths relate to the earth, the natural world surrounding them and their dependence on this natural world for their survival. They understand the importance of myth in a healthy society and, because of this, they have one of the longest surviving Native American societies in the Southwest desert.
From the Paper
"The priests in the ceremony carry the snakes in their mouths as they circle a central plaza in the village where the ceremony is performed. After several groups of priests make their way around the plaza with the snakes, the snakes are gathered up by "snake gatherers," and carried out into the desert below the mesas, where they are released. If the dance is performed correctly, the Hopis believe it will bring rain (O'Kane 196-205). The Snake Dance is an excellent example of myth in its purest form, as it is the physical acting out of only one of the most important and vital Hopi myths. The myth relates directly to the health and well being of the community, and celebrates the wonder of the rain and the snakes and their relationship to the natural (and unnatural) world. It is their belief the snakes can communicate with the spirits who will send the rain, and to make the spirits happy, they must use just the right snakes, and then send them home (their release in the desert) to carry their message."
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