Monday, October 20, 2014

Period SEVEN: American Authors Blog #1




PLEASE NOTE: As of 11/4/14, this blog has been completed and assessed for proficiency.  If you desire to add a comment or reply to this blog, please notify Mr. Dawursk so that you may receive credit for the assignment and be assessed for benchmark proficiencies.

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AA Blog #1 (PERIOD 7): Native American Experience / Exploration& Early Settlers




Directions:
  • First, answer in one comment THREE questions of your choice from the list of eight below.

  • Next, respond to at least ONE other classmate’s comment.

  • Put your complete first name and last name’s first initial at the end of your comment (e.g. Matthew D.)

  • Your comment and response blogs are
    due by
    11:00 AM - Thursday, October 30,2014.

  • Use complete sentences and appropriate spelling and grammar.  Suggestion:  Write your comment in MSWord first (free spell check) and paste it into the blog.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  1. Trickster tales endure, in part, simply because they are fun to read.  But they also often serve to teach a lesson or moral.  What does Coyote and the Buffalo teach or explain?  Support your answer with specific examples.

  2. In your opinion, what are the most important insights Momaday gains about his heritage during his pilgrimage from Yellowstone to his grandmother's grave in the story The Way to Rainy Mountain?  Support your opinion with evidence from the text.

  3. Teacher and scholar Kenneth M. Roemer has argued that “in The Way to Rainy Mountain, N. Scott Momaday links the survival of his people to their ability to remember, preserve and pass on stories.” Do you agree that a culture’s survival rests on this ability?  Explain, using evidence from the text to support your opinion.

  4.  Review your answers to the quiz about slavery we took in class (on page 83 in your textbook) before reading The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oldaudah Equiano.   What facts or details in his account most surprised you?  What did you learn that you may have answered incorrectly on the quiz?  

  5.  In 1775, just 14 years before writing his life story, Equiano bought slaves to work on his Central American plantation.  He explained his actions by saying he did what he could “to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy.”  Do you find this explanation consistent with the views of slavery put forth in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oldaudah Equiano?  Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

  6. Bradford’s word choice and his choice of details in his story Of Plymouth Plantation provide subtle clues to Puritan beliefs.  Reread Bardford’s account of the arrival at Cape Cod (lines 4-30). What does his description reveal about Puritan attitudes toward Nature?   

  7.  Review the terms of the treaty between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag (lines 142-154).  Notice which terms apply to both parties equally and which do not.  In your opinion, is the treaty fair?  Explain your answer

  8. How might a Wampanoag historian’s version of events differ from Bradford’s?  Choose an episode from Of Plymouth Plantation cite specific details that might change to reflect this different perspective.  Why?

19 comments:

  1. Hope Anderson
    hour:7

    1.The story the Coyote and the Buffalo it teaches us not to be greedy in life. In the story it says that the Buffalo gave the Coyote a cow and told him not to kill it just eat the fat off of it and rub sand over it so it can heal, but the coyote hungriness got the best of him he killed it but he wasn't the one to ate it other animals snuck and ate it, so the the coyote went back to the Buffalo and asked him for another cow, but he didn't give him one.

    6.in the story Plymouth Plantation Bradford reveals the Puritans attitude toward nature as being not very good. The winters are sharp, violent, it has cruel and fierce storms. Bradford had said "What could they see but a hideous and desolated wilderness full of wild beast and wild men".

    7.In the story Plymouth Plantation half of the treaty is fair, because its basically stating what you do unto others you should do to yourself. Treaties number 1,2 and 6 are not fair which is directed to one party in the treaty agreement.

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    1. Hope, thank you for being the first comment in the class. Do you think Bradford was angry with God for how nature "attacked" their new colony? Or did he just accept it as providence and an opportunity to grow?

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    2. I totally agree with you Hope, The Puritans views do show the attitude they had toward nature that they viewed it as not being good. Mr. D yes I do believe that this shows that Bradford was angry with God, I also believe it shows the lack of faith he held with him as well.

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    4. 1. The story of Coyote and the Buffalo seems to indeed have multiple morals. The first moral of this story seems to simply say be honest, and be you. Do not use false words, nor disguise yourself as something that you're not! Then there's the second moral , which if anything simply states not to be selfish! In better word choice, one must not be greedy, nor arrogant.
      5. In the story, of Plymouth Plantation, it seems as though the Puritans viewed nature, (and it's living inhabitants), as uncivilized, wild, filthy, and in need of their help, structure, and organization.
      6. I do not, nor could ever justify, yet alone agree with the belief that what Equiano did was right. Equiano performed hypocritical actions towards his own brethren. How can you end something that you partook in?

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  2. Heaven N.
    AAP: 7

    1.) The Coyote and the Buffalo teaches you a lot such as; in the first trick when the coyote asked his powers for ways to help him and trees were popping up, I learned that cleverness, and quick-thinking will help you survive. Another lesson happened at the end were the old woman tricks the coyote by taking the bones, this means that you can’t be naive in life. And killing the cow was greedy on his part because he was told to only eat the fat and the cow would produce more fat for him and as long as he didn’t kill her he would never go hungry again but he was tired of eating just fat, so when he asked for another one he was basically denied. So I learned that you shouldn’t be greedy in life.

    6.) From their hardships of long voyage and their settlement in Massachusetts, the Puritans felt that the nature was against humans. Bradford reveals that the Puritans’ view the nature as something negative because the nature didn’t support their voyage. They had to struggle facing great danger in the sea.

    7.) I think that the treaty was somewhat fair and unfair at the same time. I say it was unfair because it said if any of his did hurt to any of theirs, he should send the offender, that they might punish him and what made it fair was beacsue If any did unjustly war against him, they would aid him

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    Replies
    1. I agree with your comment about the Puritans feeling like nature was against them. They weren't used to being in those severe conditions. They felt like nature was against them because all of those bad things were happening to them while they were on this voyage and it wasn't fair to them.

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  3. Hour:7

    1. The story "Coyote and the Buffalo" teaches that you should not do things just for your benefit. For example, when the Buffalo was upset with the Coyote and was trying to attack him , the Coyote came up with the idea to make the Buffalo some new and improved horns, and the Buffalo accepted. The only reason Coyote offered to do this good deed was for his own well being, because he wanted to get on good terms with the Buffalo so he wouldn't kill him. It also teaches that you shouldn't be vain or greedy. When the Buffalo gave the coyote the cow he directly instructed him on how to keep the cow and only eat a slab of fat off and put sand on it so he could have meat forever. The Coyote did not listen and ended up killing the cow and that showed how he was greedy. Then he showed that he was vain when the old lady came along and offered to cook for him because she was a woman and that's what women do, and the coyote agreed with her and accepted. When he fell asleep the woman ran off with his meat. In the end he was left with nothing because the Buffalo would not give him another cow. If he wasn't so self-absorbed and cocky he would have been more fortunate.

    5. In the story "The interesting Narrative of the Life of Oldaudah Equiano", Equaino explains the voyage and how horrific and frightening it was. He gets in detail on how they were treated and the way they were viewed. I don't at all find him having slaves just 14 years before writing his story consistent with the views of slavery in the narrative. He talked about how when the slave buyers came the were so full of life and ready to buy slaves, and I find it ironic that he did the same thing as them. Maybe he wasn't eager to buy slaves like they were but he still did before. I think it was very hypocritical of him to talk about how wrong slaves were treated and how he made it seem like he didn't agree with slavery and the things that were going on but he had slaves in the past. Even though he said "he did what he could to comfort the poor creatures and render their conditions easy" , he still called them creatures and he bought them, and when you buy someone you treat them as property and not human beings. He contradicted himself when he wrote about the things slaves were put through because he had also put some slaves through similar things of that nature before so how could he write about it as if he were against it.

    7. In my opinion the treaty is not fair. One reason it isn't fair is because all of the terms weren't equally split for both sides. For example the first term states that the Wampanoag shouldn't do any harm to any of the colonists, but it doesn't say anything about the colonists not being able to harm any of the Wampanoag people. Another unfair term was the second one that said if someone from the Wampanoag does any hurt to the colonists the Wampanoag should send the offender so the colonists could punish them, but it doesn't say anything about if the colonists harm one of the Wampanoag people. The third term that isn't fair was the sixth one that said when the Wampanoag come to the Colonists they must leave their bow and arrows behind, but it didn't state anything about the colonists leaving their weapons behind. In a treaty everything should be equal , and whatever goes for one should go for the other, but that wasn't the case in this treaty so it wasn't fair for the Wampanoag.

    Myia V.

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    1. I agree 100% Myia , using someone to your advantage only hurts you in the end. The coyote got what he deserved .

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    2. Vanisha i agree with your comment using someone that only benefits you is wrong and its only going to get you so far until you face the consequences

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    3. I agree with your opinion on how the treaty was unfair. If they changed a few things like making the Colonists leaving their weapons behind as well as he Native Americans, then it would be fair.

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    4. Well written and thought out. Your comments reflect well on your understanding of the stories and the interpretive / analytical approach to critically evaluating them. Keep up the good work!

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  4. 1. The tale " Coyote and the Buffalo " teaches me that even when you become close to someone you will still have to be cautious about them. In the beginning of the tale the Coyote and the Buffalo were not so fond of each other. At first they were enemies, but the Coyote tried to settle things by making the Buffalo new horns. The Buffalo tried on his new horns and they were a great fit, so the Coyote and Buffalo became friends. The Buffalo brought the Coyote along on his journey, but eventually sent him on his way. The Buffalo sent the Coyote off with a cow to feast on when ever he got hungry. He gave the cow to him as a thanks for all the help and also gave him some sand so the wounds on the cows can heal after the Coyote takes some fat. The cow left with the Coyote, but the Coyote felt like the fat wasn't enough. The Coyote killed the cow, but he didn't get to fest on any meat or bones because different animals and a lady stole all his food. Basically this tale teaches me that being greedy can leave you in a bad position.

    4. When I think back on my quiz I took, and think about my answers for the section on " The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oldaudah Equiano " , I might have got one or two questions wrong. I recall the quiz asking a question along the lines of, " What was one of Equiano's biggest fear about being on the boat? ", and I personally didn't know the status. I finally went back and read the story over. I would have thought his biggest fear was being around people he didn't know, but it was actually the fact that the slave owners killed each others. I don't recall what took place, but he mentioned that it was brutal and one of the most fearful moments on the ship.

    5. In the story " The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oldaudah Equiano ", he explained the traumatizing moments he went through as being a slave on the ship. He went through a lot of hungry, hurt, and sadness. So I would think that if he was free he wouldn't own any slaves and would be totally against it, but I guess I was wrong. Even though he said, " to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy ", he still owned then. I feel like that's not making anything easy, you are as much in the wrong as any Caucasian owner. These people aren't free, and you also called them " Creatures " as if they are not human. I absolutely don't like the fact he owned slaves, but now I kind of get the feeling that it was karma that made him a slave. You do wrong and wrong will come to you.

    Vanisha W.N.

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  5. Nadjah Hasan

    A.A.H:7

    1. There are so many lessons to learn from this story. What I learned is that greed and temptation can lead to more than just a stomach ache. The Coyote and the buffalo both were "friends" for the wrong reasons. One lesson in this story that could have benefit either or was be careful of the ones you're so quick to call your friends, both were so eager to make amends with one another they didn't stop to think. Their are still many lessons and morals or the story, but the main one I got was "don't let your eyes be bigger than your belly."

    2.The most important insights Momaday gains about his heritage during his pilgrimage from Yellowstone to his grandmothers grave are stories to last a lifetime, memories of his grandmother, and a story of the journey to tell. Momaday explains in most of the story how he remembers his grandmother and the impact she had on him. This story really explains how important family is and remembering your roots is something to look into.

    3. The teacher Kenneth M. Roemer states that Momaday links the survival of his people to their ability to remember, preserve and pass on stories. I do agree with what he says but I also feel like it has nothing to do with the ability and more to do with interest. People who are interested in certain stories feel the need to pass it on and that is the same with this. The survival of cultural is linked to the interest that the people provide.

    Nadjah H.

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  6. Alexandria .d
    A.A hour 7

    1.)coyote actually showed the characteristic of greediness. The coyote is recognized as a flay character , the reason why is because he showed one characteristic.For example the coyote attempted to eat the baby cow that buffalo gave him as an thank you . After the buffalo told him not eat it all at once , be he was being greedy . With him being greedy he lost all of his dinner. the buffalo is an round dynamic character. For example the buffalo stopped chasing after coyote , after coyote kicked the dead buffalo skulls . Also buffalo gave a coyote a gift as an thank you , but coyote was to greedy and ruined a nice gift .

    2.The most important insights Momaday gains about his heritage during his pilgrimage from Yellowstone to his grandmothers grave are stories to last a lifetime, memories of his grandmother, and a story of the journey to tell. Momaday explains in most of the story how he remembers his grandmother and the impact she had on him. This story really explains how important family is and remembering your roots is something to look into.


    6.) From their hardships of long voyage and their settlement in Massachusetts, the Puritans felt that the nature was against humans. Bradford reveals that the Puritans’ view the nature as something negative because the nature didn’t support their voyage. They had to struggle facing great danger in the sea.

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  7. I agree with your coyote. The greediness was one big characteristic I looked passed.

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  8. 6.) In Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford stated how the trip was awful on the ocean.
    “…they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weatherbeaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair to, to seek for succor.” This shows they do not appreciate nature, only manmade things or places.
    “…hideous and desolate wilderness…” He described it as a place that only savages would live in, like it wasn’t good enough for him or any other Puritan to live in.

    7.) The treaty between the Native Americans and Puritans consisted of 6 “rules” that everyone must abide by. Some of these are fair and equal, such as the third one, “That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his.” On the other hand, it stated, “That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his.” That could mean that the Europeans could still have their weapons, but the Native Americans couldn’t. I think that this treaty is somewhat fair, but there are a few things that should change so that everything goes both ways, not only towards Native Americans.

    8.) If a Wampanoag were to tell this story, many things would be different than the way Bradford told it. There wouldn’t be any mention of Christianity or the Puritan religion at all. It would not include how nature is disgusting. It also would not include how the Native Americans were uncivilized people. Everyone has a different perspective on everything, and the Puritans looked at it as God provided them with this land, but on the other side the Native Americans did not think that it was a good thing they were there.

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  9. As of 11/4/14, this blog has been completed and assessed for proficiency. If you desire to add a comment or reply to this blog, please notify Mr. Dawursk so that you may receive credit for the assignment and be assessed for benchmark proficiencies.

    ReplyDelete
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