The first pillar of AGS
|
Summer Assignment - English, September
The summer between my Sophomore and Junior year I completed three SOAPSTone analyses of Native American articles I researched myself. From climate change to the mapping of their genomes -to the governmental response to these- the articles pushed me to investigate and delve into the situations and lifestyles of this minority. I had never before investigated Native Americans, and I soon came to the understanding that their past is intricately connected to their future. I learned that the government has a kind of tradition to keep cutting Native land smaller and smaller, I learned about the genetic evidence of interaction and civilization well before the arrival of Columbus, most importantly- I learned that Natives should begin to be more widely recognized for their role in the America we live in today. The more I investigated about governmental policies and harsh effects climate change has on their way of life, the deeper I delved into understanding and recognizing where they come from. This summer assignment connects to my overarching question because it shows how American development was only made possible through some type of historical injustice towards Native Americans tribes. Since their interaction, the government has continuously broken promises to the ethnic group, and many died in the past centuries due to this very reason. These articles I investigated overall supported the idea that this collision of cultures did have some negative effects on American identity. |
The Mission - English, October
The Mission, Dir. Roland Joffe. Performances by Jeremy Irons, Robert DiNiro. Warner Brothers. 1986. In English, we watched 'The Mission," and completed a film guide as the movie played in which we answered some historical and literary questions. The movie, set in South America during the 17th century, identified and delved into Spanish colonization and missionary methods used to both Christianize and subdue the Native tribes such as the Guarani. It also exposes the harsh treatment natives experienced at the mercy of European Imperialism. This film and its analysis fits within the Pillar of Investigate the World because after watching it, I felt more informed of the world around me and the history behind it. This source addresses my overarching question in that it explicitly shows the collision of Western and Native cultures, and how this interaction impacted both groups. The Natives experienced loss of life and cultural traditions, while some of the Jesuit priests and Spanish colonizers of the film fought for the rights of the group and were personally impacted by the rush of new traditions. While this collision of cultures wasn't perhaps positive, it did result in the exchange of ideas and in the bridging of two world hemispheres for ages to come.
|
Columbian Exchange Notes - History, September
In United States History, we read about the Columbian Exchange- one known for the exchange of people, goods and ideas between Europe and the American continent. In doing so, we wrote notes about what each side contributed to each other, and the effects of the exchange in the lives and demographics of each continent. This handout fits within the pillar of Investigate the World, as me and my peers researched the exchange and explored its effects on the populations. Through the assignment, I also learned new things such as the introduction of the horse to the Natives in the Great Plains, or the spread of disease which killed an estimated 90% of Native Americans. Furthermore, the handout supported the concept of this pillar in that it pushed me and others to become intellectually curious about the exchange, whose effects are so frequently forgotten in the modern world. This source addresses my overarching question in that it explains this collision of cultures, and the both short term and long term effects it has had in American identity. While in the short term it ended many lives, looking back one can observe a pattern of historical amnesia in the US population, who chooses to either ignore or not investigate the sometimes devastating effects of colonization.
|
River Rafting with Lui- Interconnectedness of All Things and Da Vinci's Golden Ratio- Mathematics, April
In New Mexico, we had the opportunity to river raft with Lui, a Native American who had offered river rafting trips for about 25 years. We also visited the Museum of Natural History, where we saw a Da Vinci exhibit explaining his life's accomplishments. During the river rafting, he explained how Da Vinci's golden ratio is present in many aspects of nature all around us. For example, the veins in one's hands are like the rivers of the world. The shape of knuckles in a human fist represent the mountains surrounding us. Finally, and most importantly, a fist from the side has the shape of the golden ratio. Mathematically, the ratio states that two quantities are in "the golden ratio" if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. This visit to the museum and river rafting activity fits within the pillar of Investigate The World as I learned and inquired about a natural phenomenon of the world around me, that can also be scientifically and mathematically explained. This source addresses my overarching question in that it shows how many Native American values, such as the Interconnectedness of All Things, have been preserved even after the collision of cultures throughout the years. It shows how natives such as Lui still see value in nature and the environment in ways many modern Americans can't.
|
Hegde, Pratik. “Golden Ratio : What It Is .” Prototypr, Prototypr, 28 Dec. 2017, blog.prototypr.io/golden-ratio-what-it-is-and-why-should-you-use-it-in-design-7c3f43bcf98.
|
“Indigenous People Sunrise Ceremony.” Alcatraz Cruises, 22 Nov. 2017, www.alcatrazcruises.com/programs-and-events/annual-events/indigenous-people-sunrise-ceremony/.
|
To the Great White Father and All His People- History, March
In History, I read "To The Great White Father" by American Indians, wrote and answered two questions, and later participated in a Socratic discussion about life in the 1960's in America with people in my class. The letter, written in the late 1960's, presented a detailed argument of why Native Americans held rights to the island, and the various correlations between the Alcatraz prison and the United States. Natives, in this proposal, point out that "as determined by the white man's standards" the land is very suitable for Natives to live in as "the population has always been held as prisoners," and when other nations came to the gates of the United States they would "be reminded of the true history of this nation". This letter fits within the pillar of Investigate the World because I learned about the true sentiments and emotions of Natives at the time towards the government through a very restrained yet accurate description of life in the U.S. Furthermore, the article supported the concept of this pillar in that we investigated an event in history by reading the letter, and later on I investigated what happened to the land and the decisions the US government took thereafter. This source addresses my overarching question in that it shows how the collision of these two cultures brought a lesser standard of living and role in society for Native tribes. It also shows how American identity from the time period was influenced by this interaction, which restricted the rights and liberties of the minority and lowered them to a standard of less-than, not others, but people.
|