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Native American Attachment to Land

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The question that was originally asked read as follows, "In the Native American culture does attachment to tradition really serve the dreams and ambitions of young people? Are women free to pursue their dreams? When land is that important to your identity and imagination, what happens when you lose it?"

This is an interesting and rather provocative query that manages to condense three very important aspects of Native American culture that also happen to tie into the land.

First, it attempts to explore the relevance of cultural attachment in terms of social progress by way of the youth and how such an attachment influences their dreams and aspirations.

Secondly, it ponders the freedoms of women, especially with regards to how well they are socially equipped to pursue their own dreams. This is of particular relevance to the topic of land since Native American tribes derive a great deal of their cultural ethos from the land and women in this society often had a revered role as caretakers of the home, including rights of home ownership.

Thirdly, it enquires into the overall significance of land in maintaining social identity and culture, which upon discussion, can be argued as a vital ingredient and one without which certain tribes would not only lose their sense of orientation but even their will to continue living.

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Solution Summary

A discussion on the understanding of attachment to land and heritage in Native American culture and its impact on what most would describe as their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, especially in the context of the youth as well as the role of women and their ability to pursue their dreams. There's also a further discussion on the cultural and psychological impact of losing land of heritage when it is rather vital to the social identity of traditional Native American tribes.

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Traditional thinking and culture of the natives of the Americas--pre-colonisation--was heavily grounded in the land and was often a driving force behind the ambitions of the young through their cultural conditioning. The idea of heritage and especially land were often perceived as a gift from nature since concrete ideas of deities, culture and nature are closely linked across the gamut of Native American tribal practises. Land is often seen as a distinct opportunity and a privilege for its people to thrive on and develop their group identity; one could argue that land is their primary spiritual entitlement to life that shapes their social attitudes and ethos (Martin, 2001, p. 10).

Having that said, there's also practical constraints, because often the natural way of life for the people is so heavily reliant upon the land that ...

Solution provided by:
Kade Storm, MA
Education
  • MA, London Metropolitian University
  • BSc, London Metropolitan University & University of Derby
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