A melding of minds where representatives from different indigenous groups from around the globe met on a panel and in the audience to discuss issues pertinent to their groups. This event was managed by the Global Indigenous Group, of which I am a member.

Seminole, Ainu and indigenous Indian concerns were brought up by the panelists, and one conversation that was struck was particularly stand out to me.  A Seminole elder in the audience asked for the opinion of the Seminole panelists on the recent efforts to translate the Seminole language to preserve and share with Seminole and non-Seminole people. Like many indigenous languages,  each successive generation is less well-versed than the last. My initial reaction was to agree with what Miss Florida Seminole Cheyenne Kippenberger responded--that she saw this as beneficial, as the project could be an invaluable reference for younger Seminoles who gravitate towards learning or refining their native fluency. The elder had a different perspective that had never occurrred to me: that some languages should not be translated to begin with, because they are sacred. Sharing and distributing languages lends them to becoming temporary fads and distorted.

Language is said to give a glimpse at the worldview of the people who use it.  In knowing a people's worldview you could presumably know more about the people, and that in and of itself makes language integral to a culture. What people do with a language is difficult to manage, but this conversation helped me reflect on an instance of pan-indigenism. With countless native groups on a global scale, naturally what works for one group will not necesarilly be beneficial to  another. This experience has helped me curb the initial reflex to assume understanding of cultural issues, and also highlights how imperative reference to indigenous perspective and voices is, especially when the issue at hand concerns them.

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This course falls under the Philosophy Department but extends far beyond pontification. Our relationship to our environment and how we define why and how the environment is valuable to humans shapes the many ways in which we approach the distribution, use, and marketing of natural resources. The curriculum focused on several theories regarding our responsibility and management of natural resources (and indeed, what 'natural' even really means), whch we  applied to current events. This course challenged and solidifed my position in the need to improve environmental resource management and also pushed me to debate my claims in clear and thoughtful class discussions.  

This was a course I took on a whim to intersperse something different during a semester replete with organic chemistry and physics classes, but I acquired so much more than I had intended. The curriculum had highlights of the major religions, their origins, and cultural connotations on the people of today. I gleaned a much more in-depth yet overarching understanding of common religious and spiritual ideologies than I could have from cursory studies. As people do not divorce themselves from their ideologies, I consider it important to have an understanding of different perspectives as this informs individual behavior and lifestyle. Religious and spiritual beliefs also become incredibly relevant in the healthcare field and is increasingly being considered in helping developing integrative treatment plans that meet patients' mental and emotional needs in addition to the physical.  Morever, I inadvertently received a healthy dose of science--biopsychology, specifically-- as the chemical effects and mechanisms of varied spiritual practices and substances were examined throughout the course.

A key project for this course was the analysis of a myth or story in a culture and to draw parallels between the core values and  practices of the people to whom the legend belongs. I focused my paper on a creation myth in the culture of the Sami, a people that span the frigid regions of northern Europe. I deduce that the creation myth explains how the lands came to be cold ("lost the sun")  and how the people came to depend on the reindeer, who dually provides food and clothing.

In this course, we examined literature from women of different cultures and compared their stories and experiences to feminist theories. The obstacles imposed on women by societal structures and institutions manifest in different chanllenges for every woman, but underlying themes are apparent when compared. This course forced me to evaluate in-depth what societal expectations are imposed on women and to see both how starkly and how subtle some of these discriminations are entrenched across cultures. 

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A class requirement was a group presentation on women's issues in specific countries, and my group was assigned the task for Guatemala. Disparities in health, economic, and social treatment quickly became alarmingly apparent as the group conducted more research. Women in Guatemala, and indigenous women in particular, are highly prone to experiencing violent crime, being dismissed in governemnt roles, and are subject to widespread health issues that are normally easily treated. For further information, view the PowerPoint our group created below.