Blog #5- The Ethics of Courage

[travel_bug86]

After some quick research I have found that Taiaiake Alfred is an author, educator and activist, who is commited to Indigenous peoples' dignity, freedom and nationhood. Reading this article is the first time I have heard of the Onkwehonwe, also known as Onkwehonwe-Neha, and have found that the first part of the word references the Mohawk name for

Comments

[jeeptrick]

I also felt like I was being given a lecture on anti-racsism, and boy was it sobering. I agree with you that violence travels in a vicious cycle that never seems to end, and I think that Alfred did a very good job of making sure his audience knew it was not his intention to promote violence. Unfortunately, I do think that racial prejudice is still strong in many parts of the world today but, like many, hope it sees an end in the future.
I think the only reason we as society have become so judgemental towards other races and cultures is fear. The fear that someone holds a completely different viewon life and "what it all means" scares many people to the extreme: hatred and intolerance.

[english150blog]

I thought it was interesting that Alfred mentioned that some of the first nations people wanted to fight back with violence. I think what Alfred was trying to say from that comment is that violence does not resolve anything in makes things worse as you mentioned above. So in order to preserve the culture they have to give up there culture. what i mean by that is "the pen is mightier then the sword. If the first nations go to school to learn about "white" politics then they can fight to keep there culture.But they also give up part of there culture doing this? Is it possible to keep the first nations culture going in todays world if first nations have to give up their culture in order to to keep it?

[english150blog]

I thought it was interesting that Alfred mentioned that some of the first nations people wanted to fight back with violence. I think what Alfred was trying to say from that comment is that violence does not resolve anything it makes things worse as you mentioned above. So in order to preserve the culture they have to give up their culture. what I mean by that is "the pen is mightier then the sword. If the first nations go to school to learn about "white" politics then they can fight to keep there culture.But they also give up part of there culture doing this? Is it possible to keep the first nations culture going in todays world if first nations have to give up their culture in order to to keep it?