Dances With Wolves Part Two

       The change from Lieutenant Dunbar to Dances With Wolves is something very special and something to draw your attention and make you feel for Dances With Wolves. The movie starts out with the scene of Lieutenant Dunbar and the Chris pose which means to be sacrificed or make a sacrifice. Right off the bat you can tell Lieutenant Dunbar is unhappy and needing a change. This change ended up become a member of the Sioux nation. Along the journey and the transformation Dunbar realizes and learns how beautiful the Sioux and there culture was. The U.S Army was always painting an image in Dunbar's head that all Indians were enemies and worthless in a sense. Once Dunbar got out on the plains and the deserted base he was able to form a relationship with the Sioux. This relationship grew each and every day through trade and simple acts of kindness which drew the Sioux Nation's attention. They realized that Dunbar was no ordinary soldier. This led to a strong relationship where Dunbar gained the Sioux's trust and vice versa. One really important scene is when Dunbar dances around the fire as if the Sioux Nation would during a ceremony. What once used to seem savage and bizarre to Dunbar was now natural and part of him. This is when he really fulfilled his transformation. The Sioux became a part of Dunbar and when the U.S came to abandoned base Dunbar chose the Sioux over the Army because he saw and realized what the Army was doing was wrong and wanted to live out the Sioux lifestyle. The end of the movie is really important to because the scene with Wind In His Hair telling Dances With Wolves he will always be his brother shows the bond and affect Dunbar had on the Sioux Nation. He was now a Sioux with a Sioux wife and no longer a U.S soldier.

Dances With Wolves and his wife Stands With A Fist. Dances With Wolves dressing as a Sioux

Iconic picture of Dances With Wolves and Two Socks 

      

       Another really important part of the film is the deeper meanings intertwined with it and the outcomes it brought as well. Some tribes were upset with this film specifically the Pawnee who were portrayed as the bad guys for Hollywood's needs. One of the biggest parts of the movie is the use of pathos. A major important scene is when Two Socks is shot by the U.S Soldiers for no reason at all. It shows the disregard for life and the useless and senseless pain and killing due to a lack of awareness and ignorance. The U.S Soldiers were brutal at times especially with the Indians and thats something that will haunt our nation Military for ever. As stated earlier another example of pathos is when Dunbar dances around the fire as if a Sioux tribe would which shows he's changed comlpetely. No longer sees the Sioux ways as savage but beautiful. All together though the film was able to show a glimpse of the beauty of Indian culture and allowed people to see that the Indians were only violent in order to protect there land or there tribe. The communication block made the connection between the indians and the U.S Army impossible in a sense and that led to increased fighting. The film brought back Indian culture and gave them some credit in history and doesn't allow ignorant people to bash Indian lifestyles anymore. 

Pathos was a big part of this film

The growing relationship between Dunbar and Two Socks

Dances With Wolves Week One

     Dances With Wolves the movie does a really good job of giving people an idea of native life but anybody who knows the ways of Native American life has some problems with the film. One thing the film does well is showing the relationship between the Sioux and The U.S Army as well as the Pawnee. The only issue is that the film portrays the Pawnee as horrible savage people which isn't true but it was necessary in order for the film to have a "bad guy". Something really interesting and probably one of the biggest parts of the movie as well as during this time was the communication block between the Indians and the "white people". With no communication nothing could be worked out or settled. Also made trade difficult and without knowing what each side is saying it often led to a stronger misunderstanding and fear for the other side which led to more bloodshed. The movie shows this fear and misunderstanding when Dunbar first encounters the Sioux Indians and vice versa. The relationship was built through signs of gratitude and the willingness on both sides to learn more about each other. Lieutenant Dunbar the Sioux sugar and coffe beans which might not seem like much but the Sioux had never been exposed to these things and they enjoyed them. Something to think about though is that at this time that sugar Dunbar gave to the Sioux came from black slave labor which doesn't seem right at all. Communication is so key and when you cant communicate which others let alone your enemy your bound for hard times. You can also tell how frustrated the Sioux were as well as Dunbar with continually trying to say or explain something but it going no where. Not only in the movie but during this time period the communication block was the biggest issue for Indians and the White people.

Scene from the movie showing the communication block. Using hand signals for communication

      One reason most of people familiar with Native American lifestyle have issues with this movie is because there is a ton of stereotypes. The people who have the biggest issue with this movie and rightfully so is the Pawnee. The Pawnee are represented as savage murders who are really only out for blood and not only White blood but Sioux blood. The Pawnee were known for being one of the more brutal tribes but the way they were portrayed in Dances With Wolfes was inaccurate and stereotypical but the film makers needed a bad guy. Another stereotype in the film was with the ceremony cenes and the Sioux tribe. The ceremonies are portrayed as savage but really there a really important part of Native life and is there way of celebrating and coming together. Not only in Dances With Wolfes but most ceremonies involving Indians are extremely stereotypical. Another stereotype in the film was the use of weapons by the Sioux and Pawnee. During this time the Indians has traded with the Spanish and had become efficient with guns and rifles. In the film the Sioux and Pawnee only use bow and arrow which was still used at this time but thats not all they had. People always associate Indians with bow and arrows and that only but they had guns too. Even though the film was accurate at times it was also very stereotypical which is why some people have problems with the film.

Picture from the film showing a Sioux Indian surprised by the pistol which he wouldn't have been during this time.

Picture from the film showing the Pawnee as savage and looking for blood.

Picture of Sioux Indian with a rifle which wasn't in the movie

Native Tribes Summary

Sioux Tribe:

    There are seven genera tribes that belong to the Sioux tribe: Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, Yanktonai. The Sioux people prided themselves on farming, hunting, and gathering. Things began to change for the greater in the 16^th century when they got access to horses and there diet became mainly buffalo because they were finally able to follow buffalo migration patterns. The Sioux tradition and culture maintains extremely consistent and rich. The Sioux and known for there distinguished looks; there hair is worn very long and most always black. The Sioux people are one of the most well known because of there history and past great leaders like Sioux chief Sitting Bull who was a holy man and one of the greatest Native Nations leaders there has ever been. Most well known for his leadership in the victory at Little Big Horn in 1876. The Sioux culture is filled with years of traditions. Powwows are extremely important to the people and they are held at the same time of each year and consist of dancing, singing, and tons of food and lots of eating, it’s a giant celebration. The Sioux also have tons of spiritual ceremonies like the keeping of the soul, sun dance, and the throwing of the ball. Wounded knee was another huge event that the Sioux were involved in. Wounded knee got major attention nationwide to the little town in South Dakota, which has one of largest Sioux populations. Something I learned that was really cool was the popularity of lacrosse in the Sioux community and the deep culture it contains. I play lacrosse and I’ve played against some kids that were from native tribes and knowing the importance of the game in the culture is really interesting. 

Location of the Sioux Tribes

Sitting Bull the most influential Sioux Leader the nation has ever had. 

The Battle of Wounded Knee where over 150 Sioux Indians were killed including women and children.

Sioux tribes hunting buffalo which became their main food source and the tribe was constantly on the move in order to follow the buffaloes migration patterns. 

Navajo Tribe:

   The Navajo Tribe extends into the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, covering over 27,000 square miles of unparalleled beauty. Dine Bikeyah or otherwise known as Navajoland which is the main area of land the Navajo own is larger than 10 of the 50 United States. The Navajo people learned weaving, how to make clothing, and art. By the 1600's the Navajo people had been able to start raising there own food, and making there own blankets, clothes etc. The Navajo lived in homes called hogans, which were made from wooden poles, tree bark, and mud. The hogans were always made to face east for the sunlight, they had both summer and winter hogans. A really important part of Navajo history was "The Long Walk" where Navajo Indians were being held as American prisoners. There were forced to walk 300 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico. Later the famous treaty of 1868 was signed giving them there own territory and freedom. The Navajo were mainly hunters and gatherers until they met the spanish and learned techniques on how to grow corn, beans, and squash. They eventually got into trade, trading blankets they made from wool, clothing, and cattle. The men were leaders, hunters, and the warriors and the women were the farmers; they tended the livestock, did most of the cooking, and took care of the children. That's how it is in almost every Native Indian tribe. The Navajo base there way life of the belief that the physical and spiritual world blend together. Almost everything on earth is alive and relative and that's why there land is so important to them. Within the Navajo lifestyle there are two main ceremonies; one is the blessing way, which keeps them on the path of happiness and wisdom. The second major ceremony is the enemy way, the enemy way is to discourage evil spirits. In modern time and today the Navajo reservation is the largest reservation in the United States, with over 200,000 people throughout 27,000 acres. The Navajo is closely related to the Apache tribe and most Navajo tribes are still living in their traditional territory today.

Location of the Navajo Tribe in the territory they possess. 

Famous Navajo chief Manuelito who was extremely influential of the advancement of the 

Navajo tribe and signed the Treaty of 1868 which allowed the Navajo to return to their ancestral homelands.

Peterson Zah, became Navajo Nation's first President in 1990

Seal of the Navajo Nation Government Tribe

This picture shows the Navajo culture and way alive is still very much alive.

Cherokee Tribe:

          The Cherokee Nation is one of the top five largest tribes to settle in the southeast portion of this country. Around the 1800's the Cherokee began to adopt the culture the white man brought to them. They began to dress more European, and even adopted some of there farming and building methods. In 1828, gold was discovered on Cherokee land which led to major problems for the Cherokee people. The Cherokee were forced out of there homes and there land. They were settled in Georgia for many years but were now forced to find a new place to settle. This incredibly long and dangerous journey is known as the Trail of Tears. Men, women, and children were forced to travel a span of a thousand miles and when the journey concluded about 4,000 cherokee lost their lives. Today the largest population of Cherokee live in the state of Oklahoma, where there are federal recognized Cherokee communities. After being forced to leave because of the gold the Cherokee began rebuilding. Building schools, communities, churches, newspapers, and businesses. Business began to thrive in the new Cherokee capital of Tahlequah. In 1839 and 1844 the Cherokee advocate, printed in both Cherokee and English, became the first newspaper in Indian territory and the first ever published in a Native American language. The was a huge step in the right direction for not just the Cherokee nation but all Native Americans. The Cherokee nation today is an active leader in education, housing, vocational training, business and economic development. Dont consider there land a reservation but rather a federally recognized, truly sovereign nation covering most of northeast Oklahoma.

Map showing the location of Cherokee territory. Past Territory in Georgia and current territory in Oklahoma.

Chief Bowl who in February1836, negotiated a treaty with Sam Houston in which the newly formed Republic Of Texas guaranteed the Cherokee possession of their land in east Texas. 

Bill John Baker the current Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

The seal of the Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee alphabet which was extremely influential

Apache Tribe:



        The Apache Indians came from the Alaskan region, Canada, and portions of the American Southwest. Eventually the tribe migrated further south into the U.S, and divided itself into two basic regions, with the Rio Grande river serving as the dividing line. The Apache mainly stayed nomadic meaning they were always traveling around and never settled in one specific place. The Apache used the buffalo for almost everything, food, clothing, and the buffalo is a huge part of there spiritual culture. Probably one of the most important things in Apache history the discovery and ability to learn how to ride horses. Migration and hunting was taken to a whole new level with the new ability to ride horses. Could travel vast distances in shorter amounts of time. The Apache did have weaknesses though and the Comanche tribe defeated the Apache and took there land causing the Apache to move from Kansas to New Mexico and Arizona. The Apache tribe was really focused on family and the importance of family. All Families lived in family units and remained extremely close. They lived in three types of houses, teepee's for those who lived in the plains, wickiup 8-foot frame of wood held together with yucca fibers, and Hogans which were common in almost all Indian tribes. Since the Apache were always on the move the men became proficient hunters. Before European influence the main weapon used by the hunters was a bow and arrow. There are still Apache tribes today, approximately 5,000 Apache Indians today. Apache tribes include the plains Apache (Oklahoma), the Lipan Apache (Texas), Western Apache (Arizona), Chiricahua Apache (Arizona/New Mexico), Jicarilla apache (New Mexico), and the Mescalero Apache(New Mexico). Still thriving and continuing there rich culture today.

Present Apache Location

        Chief Cochise famous Apache chief noted for courage, integrity, and military skill

One of the most recent historic Apache leaders recognized for excellent religious and military leadership

Typical Apache house which proves the Apache do not stay in one place for very long

Apache fiddle which was a big part part of there lifestyle and culture

Blackfoot Tribe:

       The Blackfoot Indians were originally nomadic American Indians that migrated from the Great Lakes regions to the Northwestern United States. After migrating to the U.S they lived in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in Montana and Idaho. There are four Blackfoot tribes, Blackfoot Siksika, Blood Kainai, Pikuni Peigan, and North Peigan Pikuni. Like most successful Indian tribes the Black foot were skilled hunters. After the White men started hunting buffalo in the 1800s almost 600 Blackfoot Indians starved to death because of the shortage of food. This shows the importance and reliance of the buffalo for the Blackfoot tribes. Each of the four tribes remain independent but all speak the same language called Algonquian. The Blackfoot Indians are very spiritual and believe strongly of supernatural powers. They believe that everything has a spirit, whether alive or inanimate and can be good or evil. This is why the culture, religion, and land is so important to most Indian tribes specifically the Blackfoot Indians. Something interesting about the Blackfoot tribe is that they are famous for confrontation. They were known for being hard to get along with and fought with neighboring tribes like the Kutenai and Sioux. The Blackfoot indians are still around today with the Blackfoot Siksika tribe being the main focus. 

Map of the Location of the four Blackfoot tribes

 Mountain Chief Ninastoko of the Blackfoot tribe

Chief Crowfoot the most influential Blackfoot Chief

Blackfoot warrior

Blackfoot tribe nation flag

Final Week Before Break

     This past week we finished The Laramie Project and turned in our papers. After finishing The Laramie Project we were introduced to our new project which is our pro vs. con debates and chose our partners.  The new project seems very intriguing and i'm sure the entire class wont have any issues arguing some of there topics. Topics like the drinking age in America, abortion, etc. these are all huge debates in our country and everybody has there own opinion that they feel strongly about. I chose milk with my partner Jackson because its something we wouldn't could both learn more about because it's an issue were both not that familiar with. With topics like alcohol and abortion you hear about them everyday and everybody already knows a ton about them but the issue of milk and if its really that healthy for you is rarely talked about or at least the majority of the population doesn't hear a lot about. Something you can learn more about and become a master of is more appealing to me then a topic i already know a lot about. Jackson is a smart kid and its another reason why we both chose milk because we think we can take an issue like milk and turn it into a serious and intense debate. Jackson has the task to debate why milk is bad for you, i'd day his job is more difficult than mine because based on the information i have right now i believe milk is healthy for you. Knowing each side of the debate, pro and con must be ten minutes each we have a quite a large task but it's going to be interesting to see what we find out and learn about milk. On my side of the debate there are a lot of pros to milk. The majority of the people in the U.S believe milk is very good for you. I grew up with my parents telling me milk made me stronger so of course i wanted to drink it.

        There are a lot of nutritional pros to milk. Milk contains almost every nutrient a growing child needs including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, etc. Like i said before milk helps you grow and with your overall development. Milk also helps with blood flow which prevents things like strokes which can be deadly. It can help the overall health of your heart and who wouldn't want that. Most of the pros of milk are all nutritional which is a good topic to argue for because health is a serious topic for everybody. Milk aslo boost vitamin D greatly which is a really good thing because Vitamin D can lower your risk of getting cancer. Cancer is such a prominent thing in the U.S now and knowing milk can reduce your chances of getting it is something i can use to my advantage in my debate. Milk also increases higher levels of bone mass which creates stronger bones in young people. Milk is really appealing to parents because they want there kids to stay healthy and safe and have stronger bones like my parents did. It will be hard to argue against milk when there are so many pros for everyone who drinks it.

Why Matthew Shepard's Murder Wasn't A Hate Crime

Jack Atteridg

Ms. Menough P.2

November 18th, 2014

                  The actions of human beings will never be sure and the media, as well as literature has attempted to understand these actions through The Laramie Project, The Book Of Matt, and the ABC News 20/20 Report. The Matthew Shepard case has the ability to draw different viewpoints and everyone has different views on morality and this case allows them to express there own view and there own opinion on what happened the night of October 12th, 1998. Shepard’s murder being a hate crime is heavily questioned in Stephen Jimenez book The Book Of Matt and there’s a lot of evidence showing Shepard’s murder was not because he was gay. The murder of Matthew Shepard was not a hate crime because of the Evidence in The Book Of Matt, the biases in the Laramie community, and the cultural media explosion that occurred in Laramie after Shepard’s Death.

           In Stephen Jimenez The Book Of Matt, is endless accounts and witnesses that prove Shepard wasn’t killed because he was gay. Shepard and his killer Aaron McKinney were not strangers, they knew each other. Shepard and McKinney had been seen numerous times together around town. They weren’t best friends but certainly not strangers. Laramie is such a small town almost everybody knows of everybody or has seen them around town. Shepard and McKinney being in the same places a lot of the time isn’t a coincidence. “Aaron had been to gay bars and, you know, had been around gay guys and was very comfortable with that”(Jimenez). McKinney had been seen numerous times at several gay bars, not in Laramie though because there are no gay bars in Laramie. McKinney and Shepard were both into the the rapidly growing drug scene in Laramie at the time. The main drug being Methamphetamine. “ Well, first of all, i learned that Matthew had become a user of meth(Jimenez). Knowing both McKinney and Shepard were involved in drugs brings up more suspicion and probability that they weren’t strangers. During the time of Shepard’s murder McKinney had been up for days on meth. “ Well, Aaron McKinney had been a meth dealer for three years prior to the crime”(Jimenez). Not only was Aaron using but he was also dealing and Matthew knew that. When Matthew moved from Denver to Laramie he wanted to leave the drug scene behind but when he got involved he probably got introduced to McKinney. The drug has the ability to take over the mind and take away one’s judgement. That night on October 12th, 1998 McKinney was craving the drug more than ever and clearly would of done anything to maintain his high. McKinney knew Shepard could of had drugs on him from previous knowledge and chose to rob Shepard because of that. There’s also a ton of proof that McKinney could of in fact been bisexual. Doc O’connor a limousine driver in the Laramie area has driven both McKinney and Shepard and knows them both fairly well. O’connor said that he and McKinney had a sexual threesome with another woman. McKinney being so willing shows he’s not that homophobic at all. O’connor has even said that McKinney could very likely be bisexual from all the encounters he had or heard about with McKinney. The Book Of Matt is filled with proof that McKinney and Shepard knew each other and were into a lot of the same things including sex.

          The Laramie community is one of the most biased and single-minded communities this country had in 1998. Laramie is such a secluded town that the views and the people don’t change. “ And they brought me into their room and told me that if i did that scene, that they would not come to see me in the competition. Because they believed that it is wrong-that homosexuality is wrong”(Jedediah Schultz, pg 10). Jedediah’s parents wouldn’t come to his theater competition because they believe the theater crowd and culture comes off as homosexual. The people are brought up in a very old culture. Skin color, sexuality, race, etc. is so important to these people and the majority of the community is beyond judgemental. When the Laramie community found out about Shepard’s murder they jumped right to a hate crime because discrimination and violence against gays isn’t something out of the ordinary in Laramie, Wyoming. “ President Bill Clinton condemned it as a hate crime”(Rachel Martin, Host). Even the President of the United States believed this murder was a hate crime. McKinney had a bad boy reputation too and easily made sense to the Laramie community that McKinney would beat and rob someone who was gay. Most people didn’t know the truth about McKinney and Shepard though. It was the perfect scenario for a hate crime; two thugs with bad reputation in Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson singling out a gay person to abuse and rob in Matthew Shepard. It’s the ideal hate crime in one of the most probable place for someone to be singled out because they were gay in Laramie. “ As far as the gay issue, i don’t give a damn one way or the other as long as they don’t bother me”(Marge Murray, pg 15). Even the people who don’t mind the gay community in Laramie like Marge want them to keep there distance. It’s extremely hard to be gay in Laramie. It’s especially hard to argue when the killer himself McKinney reported that he killed him because he was gay and even told his girlfriend at the time to tell the police the same thing. He wanted everyone to know that he killed Shepard because he was gay. Right of the bat is extremely suspicious. At the time of the murder everybody was too afraid to step out and say anything about the case. Nobody wanted to be the person to say that maybe this wasn’t because he was gay but something else. It was a hectic time and you had to just listen in and follow along.

        The explosion of the media in in Laramie is one of the most monumental news explosions to ever occur in this country. There had never been anything like this before in Wyoming history let alone Laramie. “ So i was talking to my sister on the phone and thats when the whole story came up on channel 5 news and it was just like ba-boom”(Trish Stegar, pg 40). The community was shocked and didn’t know how to respond. The attraction this story got is what allowed people to start exploring into other conclusions about why Matthew was really killed. If Matthew wasn’t gay this media explosion wouldn’t have occurred and that’s one thing that really drew the Westboro Baptist Church to Laramie. “ But this murder is different, because the fags are bringing us out here trying to make Matthew Shepard into a poster boy for the gay lifestyle”(Reverend Fred Phelps, pg 76). All the attention was both positive and negative. Without the attention the case got things like The Book Of Matt would of never been created. The attention and the media allowed people to gather their own theories and opinions on why Shepard was killed. People started to realize that this murder could very likely not be a hate crime. “ In my opinion, and based on all the research and investigation i’ve done, it’s that Aaron McKinney wanted the drugs and the money that he believed that Matthew Shepard was in possession of that night. And Aaron assaulted four males in a 24-hour period. One of them was against a gay male, and the other three were against straight males but somehow, we can isolate this and say it was an anti-gay hate crime”(Jimenez). McKinney had nothing against gays, Shepard and McKinney knew each other, the meth induced rage McKinney was in during the murder, all these things show you that this murder was not a hate crime.

       With all the evidence provided it’s easy to see that Shepard’s murder wasn’t a hate crime. Once the story got more attention and people began opening up to other scenarios people began to understand the deeper truth in this case. Matthew Shepard was into drugs and the Laramie drug scene, so was Aaron McKinney and that’s how they knew each other. This murder was drug related and had nothing to do with Shepard being gay. How can a murder be a hate crime when the murderer himself had nothing against gays? A robbery gone wrong influenced by McKinney’s meth-induced rage and craving for the drug is why Matthew Shepard was murdered.

Works Cited

'Book Of Matt': An Alternative Motive Behind The Infamous Murder."NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.

Kaufman, Moisés. The Laramie Project. New York: Vintage, 2001. Print.

Abc News 20/20 Special Matthew Shepard. N.d.

"Npr 10 Years Later Matthew Shepard." Interview. n.d.: n. pag. Print.

Jimenez, Stephen. The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths About the Murder of Matthew Shepard. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.