Monday 11 October 2010

I Want to Make Changes- Sylvia Flute

I want you to consider the following questions

1. Describe the sort of prejudice Sylvia Flute meets as an Indian?
2. What does Sylvia think should be done to stop prejudice?
3. What does Sylvia mean when she says that people in general are not “doing well”?

And then I want you to discuss these ones in 'comments'

1. What kind of text is this?
2. How would you describe Sylvia´s way of speaking?
3. Why does she use the term “Native American” to describe herself?
4. What kind of reader is the text aimed at?
5. What kind of audience do you think the interviewer had in mind?
6. What would you say are the main points in the text?
7. What is the intention with the text?
8. Put into perspective i.e. discuss how you can relate this text to problems in society.

12 comments:

  1. The text “I Want to Make Changes” is an interview with a seventeen years old girl named Sylvia Flute. For this reason, the language in the text is very everyday like because it has not been rewritten, it is written as a transcription. She is an Indian and she belongs to the Sioux nation. This is why she refers to herself as a Native American. Her ancestors have lived in America for centuries, the Indians have a history that relate to the country in a much deeper way, than it does for everybody else living in the USA.
    She wants to make changes in her reservation. There are a lot of problems like abuse of drugs and alcohol. She is especially concerned about teenagers, who are left far too much on their own. That is why she wants primary to get in touch with her own people, to make them see the problem and proactive do something to make things better. Furthermore she also wants to address the rest of the American people, in order to make them want to learn more about the Indian culture. Clearly this is also an issue the interviewer wants to cover, however he also wants to know how an Indian teenager looks upon the American society as a whole. This question Sylvia Flute does not find very interesting. She does not care about politics, only if the talk is about the reservations own tribal council. She has no trust in the politicians in general; she only has faith in the tribal council politicians. Obviously the interviewer would have liked her to make some strong statements on the American society in general because this would have stated her as a must more sympathetic and clever person. In addition the substance of the interview would probably have appealed more to the average reader, if she had shown a little more perspective in her thoughts.

    Martin

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  2. 1) Sylvia tings it hard being Native American because people don’t accept her and her culture accepts they always judge her and stuff. They Sylvias´s mom people from New jersey ask her mom a bunch of questions about the reservation and South Dakota. When they found out that they don’t live in tipis or anything anymore, they are surprised! They thought the stuff was interesting If they were ih our shoes. Many of they respond ´´You really an Indian?'´´ like they never have heard about us before.

    2) “When the other races will know what we're going through.
    We need to let them know how we feel when this”
    stuff happens to us. It's not that complicated, just to come in and
    the Indian makes a seminar in Wounded Knee, but it only Indians, and all the Native
    American, who coms, no whit people.
    “ This one girl commerited that, 'If the whites want to know how we live.and how we grew
    up, how come I don't see none in here?' I think there is enough interest I just don't think
    there is enough effort: said Syvia”

    1) The text is an Interview whit Sylvia Flute who Is 17 years old and she belongs to the Lower Brule tribe the Sioux nation. She lives on a reservation in South Dakota near the blue Missouri river, with her parents and six siblings. A journalist ask her some question and describes Sylvia’s answer like we sit together with her, and tell us about, how it is to be a indene.
    1) Sylvia tings it hard being Native American because people don’t accept her and her culture accepts they always judge her and stuff. They Sylvias´s mom people from New jersey ask her mom a bunch of questions about the reservation and South Dakota. When they found out that they don’t live in tipis or anything anymore, they are surprised! They thought the stuff was interesting If they were ih our shoes. Many of they respond ´´You really an Indian?'´´ like they never have heard about us before.

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  3. 1. Describe the sort of prejudice Sylvia Flute meets as an Indian?

    Sylvia Flute meets prejudice because she is Native American. She feels like the people are judging her, and dosen't just accept her for how she is and how her culture is.
    People are very surprised about that Sylvia and the other native americans dosen't live in Tippies or travel by horsedrawn wagons anymore.

    2. What does Sylvia think should be done to stop prejudice?
    She think that they need to go aruond and talk, so the other races will know want they are going through. They need do let them know how they feel when all the bad stuff happens to them.
    She think that they should just come and see and listen to the native americans, then they would understand much better.
    They had kept a seminar where there was only indians and native americans. No white people had showen up.

    3. What does Sylvia mean when she says that people in general are not “doing well”?
    Sylvia thinks that people are not doing well because a lot of them are unemployed and they dosen't have anybody who works in their family. There are a lot of people on aid and getting help from the goverment, and Sylvia thinks that they need to lowered a lot. People need to get out and work more and earn their own money, Sylvia says.
    She thinks it is hard to find a job and that some people just are trying to stay sober, because there is a lot of alcohol around in the area.
    She wants to make some changes. :)

    1. What kind of text is this?
    This text is a transcribed interview with the 17 year old Sylvia Flute. Sylvia Flute belongs to the lower Brule tribe of the Sioux nation.

    2. How would you describe Sylvia´s way of speaking?
    The language that Sylvia is jusing is colloquial and/or non-standard.

    3. Why does she use the term “Native American” to describe herself?
    I think that Sylvia uses the term "Native american" to do a better describtion of herself. She wants to tell us that she is both, and that she wants to preserve her Native culture, and on the same time she wants to be a little bit like other americans girls. The biggest value of beeing an american citizen is the freecom to speech, she thinks.

    4. What kind of reader is the text aimed at?
    I think that the text could be aimed at anybody. It is good for all of us, to learn a little bit more about other peoples traditions and cultures.

    5. What kind of audience do you think the interviewer had in mind?
    Maybe other teenage girls. Like i said before it is good to learn about other traditions og cultures, and maybe american teenage girls dosen't know how good they actually have it.

    6. What would you say are the main points in the text?
    South Dakota - Favorite cultural traditions - Being a citizen of the Sioux nation - Prejudice - Helps to stop prejudice - The major alcoholproblem - The federal government

    7. What is the intention with the text?
    I think that the intension with the text is to show us how a young Native american girl thinks and lives, and wich problems and culturel traditions they are deling with.

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  4. 1. Describe the sort of prejudice Sylvia Flute meets as an Indian?
    Sylvia Flutes thinks that there is prejudice around because people just don't accept her and her cultures. They don't know how it feels when they say bad stuff about them, Sylvia says.
    People think that they are still living in tipies and travels around by horse drawn wagons, but they don't do any of does things anymore.

    2. What does Sylvia think should be done to stop prejudice?
    Sylvia thinks that they should go around and talk, so the other races will know what they are going trough.
    They need to let them know how they feel. She says that it is not that complicated, and that they should just come and see and listen.
    Once they had a seminar and there were only indians and native americans there. No white people had shown up.

    3. What does Sylvia mean when she says that people in general are not “doing well”?
    Sylvia thinks that people are not doing well because a lot of them are unemployed, and nobody in their family is working.
    There are a lot of people on aid and getting different kinds of help from the government, and she thinks that it needs to be lowered a lot. More people need to go out a get a job, and earn their own money. She thinks that many people takes to much advantage.
    Sylvia explains that it is very hard to find a job in the area, and some people are just trying to stay sober, because there is so much alcohol around.


    1. What kind of text is this?
    This text is a transcribed interview with the 17 year old Sylvia Flute. Sylvia Flute belongs to the lower Brule tribe of the Sioux nation.

    2. How would you describe Sylvia´s way of speaking?
    The language that Sylvia is using is colloquial and/or non-standard.

    3. Why does she use the term “Native American” to describe herself?
    I think that Sylvia uses the term "Native ameican" to do a better description of herself.
    She wants to preserve her native culture, and in the same time she wants to be a little bit like the other american girls.
    Sylvia thinks that the best value of being an american citizen is the freedom to speech.

    4. What kind of reader is the text aimed at?
    I think that the text could be aimed at anybody. It would be good for all of us to learn a little bit more, about other people's traditions and cultures.

    5. What kind of audience do you think the interviewer had in mind?
    Maybe the audience could be other american teenage girls. Like i said before it is good for all people to learn a little bit more about different cultures, and maybe american teenage girls doesn't know how lucky they are.

    6. What would you say are the main points in the text?
    South Dakota - The favorite cultural tradition - Being a citizen of the Sioux nation - Prejudice - Help to stop prejudice - The major alcohol problem - The federal government

    7. What is the intention with the text?
    I think that the intension with the text is to show us how a young teenage native american girl lives, and understands the values and different cultures.

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  5. Sorry i posted the same on the blog twice. I am not very good at computers. :)

    Have a nice holiday... :)

    Maria

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  6. Comparing this story to the society/real life in Denmark!

    The Native Americans, although they were the founders and rulers of USA, they are now by many considered to be outcast or foreigners. They are considered to be different and are now a days a vast minority.

    You can on some level compare The Native Americans to the foreigners in Denmark. Luckily is it getting better by the year on how foreigners integrate in Denmark and now foreigners are no longer considered to be so different from you and I.
    But it was not so many years ago that most of us would not get involved with people who did not fit our definition of a danish person.

    Unfortunately there are still some who have not adapted to the modern integration between countries and still consider outcomers to be different. And that is why i think some foreigners can relate to being a Native American.

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  7. Understanding
    People think that Indians like Sylvia Flute lives in tipis and travel on horses.
    Sylvia wants people to see, that just because they are Indians it does not mean that they live like they did back in the day. She wants people to see that they live like all other Americans, they just have more traditions.
    The Native Americans are not doing well because of the high number of unemployment. That the young kids have nothing to do, so they start drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

    Analysis
    The text is an interview. If you read the text out loud you can sort of hear that she is in her teenage years. The tone is young. But she still tries to sound mature.
    I think the text is aimed at young people, to make them realize that there is a problem in that community, but also for the other American teenagers to make the realize that not everything to have been taught about the Native Americans is up to date.
    The main points is about the problems the Native Americans have in their community about drug abuse, alcohol, unemployment, but also to have dreams about making changes, to get an education so that you can help society.

    Perspective
    In some ways this story about Native Americans can be compared to the way Danish people looked at the people from Greenland. The Danes are/were prejudices about them, and accuses them of being alcoholic and not up to date in society.

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  8. 1)This material is a transcribed interview. It is Sylvias take on the being a Native American.
    2)Sylvias way of speaking is easy to understand and uncomplicated. She is trying to get her point across with the answers.
    3)She uses the term "Native American" to describe herself because she is proud of her ancient heritage as a Native American. It is a definite strong link between her and America, the land she lives in. White America's heritage is not so old and is traced back to Europe for the most part.
    4) This article is aimed at young white Americans. It informs, in an easy to understand way, a Native Indians point of view.
    5)School children, as the questions are short and to the point and there are many discussion points, which American kids could talk about. Eg. Compare how a Native American lives to the way they live - similarities, differences, etc.
    6)The main points of the text are the culture of the Sioux nation, the problems they have and the need to pass on their way of life to the next generation.
    7)For Americans to listen to and maybe meet some Native Americans without any preconceptions and to highlight the issues & problems they have.
    8) Agree with Julie on this one. You could actually relate this to the whole of South & Central America too. Eg. Southern Chile's native Indians also have a huge Alcohol problem & high unemployment, but maybe the grim weather has an influence too!
    Also high unemployment can lead to dependency on Alcohol/drugs. Low self esteem, boredom & lots of time on your hands hmmmmm..... solution get pissed/stoned!

    20 October 2010 04:12

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  9. Consideration questions:
    1.Sylvia experiences ignorance as a type of prejudice. Eg. "They (American white people)were suprised that we don't live in tipis anymore". Preconceptions of Native Indians due to ignorance.
    2. Sylvia thinks that the Americans should look at things from the native Indian perspective. Eg."If they were in our shoes, then they would know how we felt whenever they say stuff to us". They should also listen to what the native indians have to say and maybe come along to a seminar.
    3. There is alot of unemployment and alcohol & drug dependency.

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  10. Indians are not accepted for who they are and are always judged. Some people think that Indians still live in tipis and travel by horsedrawn wagons.
    In order to stop the prejudice Sylvia thinks the Indians should go out and talk about their way of living and culture. They did organize seminars but no white people showed up.
    There is a lot of unemployment amongst the Indians which leads to alcohol and drug problems in many of the reservations.

    The article is an interview with Sylvia Flute, who is a teenage girl. It is a transcribed interview and the language is very informal, which makes it easy to read. She describes herself as Native American because they are the indigenous people of North America.
    I think the article is aimed at other American teenagers, as it is a transcribed interview with short questions and colloguial language. It is written to give us an insight in the Indian culture and traditions. It also informs about how their life on reservations is with unemployment and alcohol problems. And the article tells us about Sylvia's future plan to improve life on the reservations.

    Many years ago the Native Americans were 'brought to civilization' by the white settlers, it hasn't done them any good though. The result (hundreds of years later) is high unemployment and drugs & alcohol problems. On the other side of the world, in Australia,(almost) the same thing happened to the Aboriginals with the same result.

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  11. You have found a lot of interesting things concerning the article, and being quite right about them too. But what is the aim with the article? Is it to inform, to discuss, or simply to prove people´s prejudice wrong? What measures do you think should be taken in order to deal with some of the major problems of society: the use of alcohol, drug abuse, homelessness?

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  12. 1) Sylvia Flute meets alot of prejudice as an Native American. People think that Indians still lives in tippies and travels on horses. They are still not accepted in America.
    2)She wisches that more people would come to the seminar in Wounded Knee to learn more about the way of living for the natives.
    3) She uses the term Native American because she is proud to be one.
    4) The text is aimed at all the American people because they have to learne more about The Native Americans.
    5) I think that the audience could be school´s.
    6) The main points in the text are culture-prejudice-alcoholproblems-traditions-tribal council-and the Natives.
    7) The intention with the text is to show the way the young native Americans live and the problems they have to deal with.

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