Post #2 (By Victor C.)

Something about learning the emotional journeys of others within the indigenous community, although stories passed down through generations, adds a huge emotional factor to how history is being told. Hearing the stories of emergence of some tribes felt magical to listen to in a way. I could imagine this being told to children, and will inspire them to carry on the lineage of the tribes they are within. In fact- according to the Hopi emergence story video, the narrator states that the elders of her tribe would tell this to the children; she even describes that she had been told the same story in her own childhood. I could only assume that all three of the emergence videos exist because all three narrators have been told these stories at children and are more than proud to pass that down to later generations as well as for others to understand a huge part of the culture for some, if not most, native tribes.

Also reading and hearing of the downfalls and the torture of certain tribes gives off a feeling of heartbreak and despair because of how scary it is to imagine how hard it would be to have your community broken apart by force. This also breaks my heart as well. I don’t remember the specifics, but I do remember, in the earlier days of when Spain or the English were colonizing Native Americans, they used various torture methods to eradicate innocent tribes. No man, woman, child, or two spirited person was spared in massacres like that.

This weeks sources and studying taught me of the beginnings of some tribes and how the stories of them continue on to this day. This week also taught me some of the mysteries that surround the disappearances of some tribes and the fear and sadness that surround those remaining in those communities that still tell what they know, if not much. Hearing these stories and their histories opened my eyes to many things, and this helps me hope for the best when I embark on my own quest to find more about my own ancestry.