MAST

2009-10-01T12:27:00.001-07:00

Throughout history, indigenous groups have relied on hunting, herding, and fishing in order to support and feed themselves and their families. The type of environment that these groups habitate directly affects which type of lifestyle will produce the best results for their economy, For example, indigenous groups in the the Northwestern United States could rely solely on the abundant amount of fish that are so easily accessible in this region. This caused a very stable sedentary lifestyle that is much different than the nomadic culture of a hunter-gather society. The inhabitants of this area still benefit from this resource but as society changes and the population density of the region increases large corporations eventually start to take over the small family based ones.. This causes mixed subsistence cash-economies. This can occur when commercial industries look past the rights of the indigenous people and use the land for their own purposes. Obviously, the natives to the area feel they have certain rights to the resources because their ancestors have been using the land for generations and this may negatively affect a certain groups view on the world. A corporation, or even a government, will want to make profit off the land at the expense of these natives.

For example, the indigenous people of the Arctic are experiencing this situation first hand. As more people move to this region the demand for resources such as fish and wildlife increases. As the demand increases large companies see an opportunity for profit and the problem begins. Indigenous subsistence harvesting rights will be altered and the traditional values and cultures of this people will eventually be lost in the expanding urban sprawl. Permanent human settlements have already started to replace the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Arctic people and boundaries are being set by the government as opposed to families and tribes. A “cash economy” is now taking the place of the hunter-gather type of lifestyle that occurred in this region before the increase in population. The technological environment of this area also plays an important role in the adaption to this new type of lifestyle. The technologies of modern day harvesting and hunting are expensive and hard to acquire in remote areas in the Arctic. This causes the indigenous people to need to make more money if they want to compete in the changing environment. This situation forces some natives into part-time work in areas like tourism and commercial fishing. In theses mixed economies hunting, herding, gathering, and fishing become activities done in order to support your family with money made selling these items as opposed to using the items yourself.

Mixed subsistence cash environments can cause the indigenous people to view the world in two ways. The first is probably a very bitter and resentful view of the governments and new cultures that are overtaking their ancestral traditions. They're essentially losing resources, land, and rights that were passed down through generations. Boundaries are being set up by governments and the locals are prohibited from using hunting grounds or resources that they had grown accustomed to. However, there is another way that this situation can be viewed. For example, as the population increases more money is put into the economy. This could possibly lead to a higher quality of life for some of the natives. As opposed to hunting just for your tribe or family, now indigenous groups are hunting and fishing commercially, making a profit, and still bringing home native foods in order to keep the culture alive. This may be a situation where some rights are taken away but the culture remains in place and locales are making more money for themselves and their families. Some native families that never had the ability or resources to hunt and fish can now buy food at a store and be able to feed the family. The Arctic natives that adapted positively to this new economic situation may feel that this change is a good thing and, thus, have a more positive world view.

People must adapt to their environment in order to efficiently get the most use of its resources. The environment of a society also directly affects that societies culture. For example, foragers have very flexible land ownership rights because it benefits them to allow many people to use the land. The ties with family extended family and friends allow them to have access to more land in case one particular area is has a drought or has sparse natural resources. Land ownership is not determined by money or status but by ancestors and family. This causes the culture of a foraging society, like the Ju/‘hoansi, to be very sharing and egalitarian because there is very little benefit for these people to only look after themselves. The land rights of the Arctic people went from these loosely governed family rights to very strict government ruled property in some areas.

Hopefully the Arctic natives will be able to preserve their cultural rights and traditions in the future and the urban development will be able to co-exist with these indigenous people. There should be a mutual respect for the rights of these people and the resources that they have been using for centuries. As the population of the world grows it is inevitable that the Arctic land will see more visitors, tourists , and people looking to live there year round. The economy will change, and is changing, as the commercial corporations and developments begin to pop up in the Arctic but the goal should be to prevent this ancient culture from being completely erased by modern society.

worldviews Essay

2009-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Worldviews Essay

People with differing world views definitely have a different perspective on reality because their environment effects them differently. For example, a person growing up in poverty that has to work hard for their money will see money differently than a rich person who never had to worry about financial issues. An individuals environment, surroundings, and values will be different due to the hardships and issues that they face. Topics such as marriage and divorce can mean drastically different things to different individuals depending on their cultural and religious upbringing. I believe that human behavior is strongly influenced by family and friends at a young age. Families pass on certain heritages and cultures that affect a persons view on the world. For example, if a child is raised by a very Catholic family chances are the child will develop into a Catholic and perceive the world through the eyes of this religion. This isn't always the case, of course, but I believe that in most instances this is the most influential factor in determining a persons world view.

Another example of differing perceptions of reality are the Amish. This culture is vastly different than the “normal” western culture and this is primarily due to family heritage. The views that they share are passed down from one generation to the next and causes them to live their life much differently than the majority of the United States. This can be said for cultures all around the world. I believe that it is naive to think that people all perceive the same reality solely on the fact that they are the same species. Tribes in New Guinea that have never even seen a T.V. probably don’t think that catching the next episode of their favorite show is a very important issue. However, many Americans coordinate their lives by a T.V Guide. This vastly different perception of reality is obvious in almost all cultures in the world. However, different political parties have different views but I’m not sure if they view “reality” differently. I believe that this is a situation where it is not a certain view of reality that is the difference but how we live and and work in this reality that these two parties differ in. The nature vs. nurture is relevant in this topic because I believe that a person is not born with a certain world view but develops one over the course of their life by the people and situations that they come into contact with. For example, if you take two identical twins in raise them in completely different environments I believe that they will have very different personalities and views of the world. Their perspective on reality will also be drastically different.

It is perfectly obvious to me that people with differing world views perceive reality in different ways. The examples are endless but it is important to respect these different perspectives even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. Keeping an open mind in dealing with different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups will cause an individual to be more accepting of the different perspectives of people around the world.

Bio

2009-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons for my return to Galveston and decision to come to Texas A&M in Galveston. I was born and raised on the island and graduated from Ball High School in 2004. After two years at Galveston College I decided Austin was the best place to be for an aspiring musician. I have been playing guitar for the past 14 years and felt that Galveston was not the best place to achieve any kind of musical success. I moved to Austin in 2006 and started attending St. Edwards University. The classes were interesting but unfortunately classes like Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Theology didn't transfer well to A&M. At this time, however, I had no intentions of coming back to Galveston as I was in the music capital of Texas and was enjoying every bit of it. It didn’t take long to find a good working band and we started playing all over the place in downtown Austin. Needless to say as the band started playing more gigs I attended school less often. After 1 year at St. Edwards I left school and started working at a bar. My job was to wake up at 4 a.m. seven days a week and clean the bar so that it is ready to open at 11. This job sounded easy but it was the hardest most disgusting work I’ve ever had to do. Most nights I went straight from a gig to work then to band practice. After about 8 months of this rigorous routine I decided that maybe school isn’t such a bad idea and promptly moved back to the island. It was probably all for the best because after being back for about 2 months Hurricane Ike hit and my mothers’ house went underwater so it was good to be here to help her get things back together.

I never thought I would ever attend Texas A&M solely because everyone else in my entire family graduated from here and I wanted to try something different. My initial goal after returning to Galveston was to enroll at TAMUG for a semester in order to get back into school then transfer somewhere else. However, after the spring semester and working for Mrs. Lupe all summer I realized that the teachers and subjects taught at A&M are very unique and that it is not at all how I initially assumed it would be. It also makes no sense to keep transferring around the state because of the hours that will be lost. I plan on graduating from Texas A&M within a few years and then finding a job that not only pays well but is rewarding personally as well. I’m currently playing in three bands and never been happier with other the musicians or the music were writing so I guess I underestimated the talent that is here on the Island. I didn’t realize how much I missed the beach until I left it for awhile but it is definitely good to be back.