Ethnographic Reaction Paper

Ethnographic Reaction Paper The Cheyenne people The Cheyenne people refer to the American Indians whose ancestral land lies on the western side of the Mississippi river. Economically they are pastoralists, hunters and gatherers. Socially, they live in villages while the community has clans, which separate the families.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnographic Reaction Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Politically, they have tribal councils, which ensure peace within the community. The next discussion summarizes the social, cultural, economic and political structures of the Cheyenne Indians, expounding on the impact of European exploration on their lifestyle. The Cheyenne Indians migrated to new places depending on their needs. For instance, economic affairs like trade and hunting, invasion of their land by the whites, and their nomadic lifestyle also propelled them to change their homesteads frequently (Hoebel 4). According to the anth ropological data, the Cheyenne Indians had different identification or names, which depended on the people they encountered. Some of the names used to refer to them include, Chaa, Shahiyena and Shahiela amongst others (Hoebel 2). Depending on the area of settlement, all the names had meanings. Initially, they migrated from their ancestral land for trading purposes. La Salle, a French explorer, was one of the men they relied on to initiate trading activities in their community. However, because of lack of tools used in shaving animal fur, they had to seek assistance from the European manufacturers. In addition to depending on the game meat, they also survived on wild rice from the nearby river, as well as fruits from the nearby forests. They constructed their houses using earth and barks of tree. On the other hand, some external forces like war with other communities or tribes like Ojibwa, Ute, Comanche, Kiowa and Chippewa encouraged them to, not only form military groups, but also a cquire horses and guns for defense purposes (Hoebel 8).Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Luckily, when the United States intervened on the territorial issue, it divided the Cheyenne Indians into two groups the Southern and Northern depending on their location. The Cheyenne Indians had so many cultural ceremonies like the renewal of the arrow, which takes four days to complete. The Cheyenne Indians had medicine men and chief priests who presided over most of the community rituals (Hoebel 20). The renewal of the sacred arrow promoted unity among the people, sanctified them and preached to the people to respect the norms of the community for their prosperity. Furthermore, it was to emphasize the unique powers and the superiority of the chief priests and the prophets in the community. Secondly, the sun dance is a symbol of purity or new world. The ritual takes about eight days . Each day has distinct ritual that people should perform. Some of the hallmarks in the ceremony include the multiplier, the erect horns and the sacred mountain. The third ceremony is the animal dance, which ensures the success of the hunting exercise, as well as victory during wars. The ceremony takes about four days. However, unlike the arrow renewal ceremony, women have a role to play during the ritual process. Socially, a family was a prominent structure in the culture. The conduct of girls and women was the centre of the family. Adolescent girls and boys did not associate to ensure purity among girls. Suitors could only approach girls but not seduce them. Therefore, there were strict rules and regulations concerning marriages and dowry was a mandatory practice. There was a division of families depending on their social status. Property ownership, the character of both the female and male people in the family and the ability to raid other communities are some of the features, wh ich categorized a composite family as either rich or poor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnographic Reaction Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There was Kinship in the family and the family traditions and norms, which the family had to abide by strictly. The men were the heads of the families and women had to be submissive. Women who deviated from the normal traditions had to face punishment through whipping or excommunication. There was a division of the families into Kindred, camps or bands depending on the number of people/primary or families present. Each division lays out rules on, which the members have to abide by. The kindred and camps form military personnel whose main role is to protect the community against external invasion. Some of the military structures included Elk, fox, shield and bowstring. The military groups had a different number of warriors with a certain role to play within the societ y. In addition, there was a tribal council, which presided over all the social, economic and political activities of the community. The council of chiefs solved both internal and external conflicts. They also ensured that peace prevailed in the community. The chiefs had certain virtues like generosity, solidarity and wise among others, which qualified them as leaders. Furthermore, the Cheyenne Indians had public laws, which assisted in solving the internal and externals conflicts. The laws ensured there was unity in the community by solving the internal problems. Most of the cases involved murder cases, marital problems, conflicts over property and behavioral. The law and justice structure allowed for reforming of the existing laws, enforcement of the society’s law and the use of military personnel and passing justice. There was a distinction on the roles of women and men and rarely misunderstandings ensued between the parties. Women were subsistence farmers who provided vege tables and other forms of grains while men were hunters and gatherers. The need for hunting ground always raised animosity between Cheyenne Indians and their neighbors. Consequently, the community instilled military tactics and bravery among its men to promote victory.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although they had inferior weapons compared to their enemies, the Cheyenne soldiers always showed bravery because of the reward that lie ahead on any victorious battle out victorious. As earlier mentioned, the Cheyenne Indians had religious and ritual practices. They had religious men like the medicine men who presided over both traditional practices and prayers. All the cultural and religious practices were not only sacred but also practiced in sacred places like on certain mountains. The social and cultural practices spelled out the personality of both men and women. In the mid to late nineteenth century, the Americans explorers, traders and missionary invaded the Cheyenne Indians homestead, which led to changes in their lifestyle (Hoebel 119). The presence of whites and the mining of gold led to the outbreak of diseases like cholera. After the war, the Cheyenne Indians signed a treaty in 1851 with the whites. However, two years later, a war ensued and there was signing of the sec ond treaty in 1861 fort wise treaty (Hardorff 20). The treaties interfered with the social, economic and politics structures of the natives because they had to live under the rule of the Americans. Besides farming and education, they also had to adopt Christianity abandoning their culture. Their dressing styles and languages changed due to the invasion of the Americans. Personally, reading about the Cheyenne Indians has enlightened me on their traditional practices, lifestyle and political structures. Besides being the natives of the Western side of the Mississippi river, they are also among the important people in the American history. First, I have learned about the reasons for their migration from the ancestral lands and they include search for new hunting grounds, adventure and after external invasion from other communities. Economically, they relied on game meat, wild fruits, vegetables and wild rice for food. Second, the family is the most influential social structure among th e Cheyenne Indians and each family member had a unique role to play. Some of the cultural practices were also religious rites. The political structure includes the tribal council, law and justice and the military group. However, the invasion of the whites did not only interfere with their social, economic and political settings but also forced them to acquire new economic practices like blacksmith. Christianity took over their traditional rituals and religion. In the contemporary society, the Cheyenne Indians call themselves the morning star people and economically they have large depots of coal used for generation of electricity. Finally, through archaeology, the history of the Cheyenne Indians is clear to the contemporary world (Haviland et al. 10) as it is the case in the above discussion. Historically, the Cheyenne Indians are among the natives of the United States of America. Besides their nomadic lifestyle, the invasion of the whites into their homeland did not only disrupt th eir cultural heritage but also changed their economic, political and social features. However, in the contemporary society globalization has utterly interfered with their culture. Hardorff, Richard. Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight. Nebraska: University of  Nebraska Press, 1998. Print. Haviland, William, Harald, Prins, and Walrath, Dana. The Essence of Anthropology.  United State: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2009. Print. Hoebel, Adamson. The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains (Case Studies in  Cultural Anthropology. United States: Wadsworth Company, 1978. Print.

How to Write a Reflective Essay about Your Family

How to Write a Reflective Essay about Your Family Reflective Essay about Your Family How to start How to write the introduction How to compose body paragraphs How to finish the essay Tips on revision Outline sample Reflective essay about your family (Sample) The main purpose behind writing a reflective essay about one’s family is to acknowledge the efforts and help one has gained from their family members. In fact, such a paper is not a mere storytelling of events that have taken place in family contexts, neither is it a description of the personal attributes of each member. However, it should relate the significance of one’s relationship with their family and its positive impact on them, which could be illustrated through real examples from one’s own experience with family issues and situations. Such a paper reflects the role of family in life. So, below is a guide on how to write a perfect essay. How to start Jot down the immediate ideas that come to your mind about your family. Those notes will save you the effort of overthinking. Write down any significant event or situation that have fortified your ties with your family members. Yet, you could just write the ideas in the form of titles so that you expand upon them later on. While you are still mind-mapping your ideas about the topic, take note of the most important family members who you think have offered you a lot through your life. How to write introduction and thesis statement Once done with brainstorming, one could move on to the general introduction. Family falls under the umbrella of social relationships. So, it could be reasonable enough to start off with some lines about the importance of such relationships, mentioning neighborhood, friendship, until we get to family where we will land. The thesis statement is the immediate step that comes just after the general introduction. Here, I should decide about the characteristics I am going to shed light on for the reflection on my family. For example, financial help, moral support, and personal improvement. How to compose body paragraphs You should make a decision about the order of your ideas if you would like them to be distributed by order of importance. For example, if you would like to start with the financial support that your family has offered you, then you should put that element in the first body paragraph. Do not forget to illustrate your ideas with examples, which could draw on the events and names you have already thought about while brainstorming. Unless you have only one important family member, do not restrict your ideas only to the significance of one member, otherwise, you would fall into a mere description. Events where your family was there for you are important as a proof of how crucial one’s family is. But, the focus should not be solely on the events or you will be only recounting family events and adventures. Be at the center of attention in your reflective essay. That is to say, you should perceive the role of your family in making you who you are today. You should always refer to yourself to maintain the thread of ideas. How to finish the essay State the main elements of the body in a concise way without getting into details. All the main ideas of the body, which also make up the thesis statement, should be present briefly in the conclusion. Make sure that you do not expand too much upon the ideas you summarized in the conclusion. If your aim is to hold sway over the reader, then you could make a call to action, such as a proposition to keep strong ties with family members, especially with parents, and to take care of them because they are of great importance to one’s life. Tips on revision Grammatical revision is indispensable. It should be done with scrutinizing eyes so that you make sure that your essay is grammatically correct. Contextual revision is of equal importance, thus, it is advisable to make sure that the ideas about your family are all contextually relevant- mere recounting of events may create a descriptive context. Formatting should also be revised. It is something that you could do as you go, but a final touch is always necessary to avoid incongruity, especially if you are using a specific style such as the APA. Outline sample Introduction General background Thesis statement: specific elements Body Paragraph 1 (Financial assistance): importance of the role of parents Paragraph 2 (Moral support): the significance of my sister’s efforts Paragraph 3 (Personal development): the contribution of all family members Conclusion Brief summary of main ideas Call to action. Reflective essay about your family (Sample) No one can deny that having a family is a gift. It might not be the truth that all the people live with their family members or see them daily, yet it still has a positive impact to even hear their voice or meet them every now and then. My family is the source of my happiness and self-realization. Family has countless benefits in one’s life. If I am to talk about my family, I think that there is no getting away from acknowledging their financial support, moral help, and their efforts for my continuous personal improvement. My family members, mainly my parents, have always been there for me when I needed them. Actually, I always remember how they provided me with enough money to buy my necessary needs and to pay for my college fees. I have never felt that I am inferior to my friends; whenever we went out, I always had enough money to pay for what I ordered. It is something that I appreciated on the part of my parents. They always wanted me to look good, so my mother used to insist that I buy new clothes and accessories. Shopping with my parents is fun. They always brought me more than I really needed. My parents have always supported me financially even at their expense. I still remember when my mother refused to buy a new pair of shoes for her just to buy me a leather jacket that I liked so much. When I think about the moral support that I have got from my family, I feel indebted to my sister, in particular. She is only 2 years younger than me, but she is wise and intelligent. She has always shown me the right way when I am clueless. She gave me hugs when I felt down and advised me once I had no idea where I was heading to. The emotions and psychological comfort my sister gives me are amazingly special, as they motivate me to study and make the best out of any situation and opportunity.Years ago, we used to share the same room, so we spent great moments. Having a sister like her is the best gift I have ever had. When I feel lonely, I just call her, and she never hesitates to visit me and make me smile. She is so close to me; her presence in my life is indispensable. All of my family members have contributed to the continuous improvements in my life. I should admit that thanks to them, I have acquired the ability to use visualization. My mother has always talked to me about how she sees me in the future. She pictured me as a successful person in her mind, which is the image that I have adopted from her. It motivated me to work harder on my dreams and attain my educational and professional goals to realize that mental picture of success. Apart from that, my siblings have given me valuable pieces of advice that helped orient me when I was in two minds about something. I am proud to be part of such an amazingly fabulous family that provides me with wisdom, joy, and understanding. My father has always told me his opinion on my personal choices; I appreciate his valuable advice because it helped me shape my personality in a correct way. By and large, family is the backbone of one’s life, as far as I am concerned. When your family is there for you, you could get support at the financial, moral, and personal levels. Only through difficult moments of life one could come to terms with how important having a family is. Simply put, family is priceless; one should never cut ties with their parents and relatives.