Author: lenhardt.7

Text Review – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Kelly Lenhardt

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

In the film, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, eight-year-old Bruno moves with his family to the German countryside, due to his father’s – a soldier – recent promotion. However, Bruno finds himself rather lonely, and quite literally jumps out windows to befriend his neighbor, who is trapped behind a barbed wire fence, Shmuel. Instantly, Shmuel and Bruno get along, as they are each other’s only company in a world they do not understand. Is the story told through the innocent eyes of Bruno, as he discovers not only Shmuel’s true identity but his own families, as well as the injustices occurring in his own backyard, to seemingly his own kind.

Due to their innocence and young age, Bruno and Shmuel are able to ignore the labels placed on each other by Nazi rule, and instead see themselves as their true identities, young boys with a desire to play. They are ignorant to the world of injustices occurring daily. In the beginning of the movie, Bruno is kept in the dark by his family of the ongoing devastation only miles away. Instead, he is told it is a farm, but begins to question that notion after meeting Shmuel. While Bruno is unsure if seeing Shmuel is safe or not due to their differing identities and the power of the Nazi’s reign, he decides to keep visiting him anyway. Even though Bruno’s own father is a Nazi soldier, he is able to realize the work he is doing is unjust and form his own opinions. Although Bruno and Shmuel are of very different cultural backgrounds and hold differing identities, they are able to play together as any ordinary children would. The injustice and imbalance of power between the Nazis and Jews do not exist in their universe, as time with together is an escape from the frightening real world.

Although the film primarily tells the story through Bruno’s eyes, it also includes the real-life cruelty the Nazis displayed toward the Jews. Nazis exerted all of their power over the Jews and began placing them in camps, in order to have total control of them. Here, we can relate this to Hegel’s Master Slave Dialect. The Nazis take on the role of Master, thus forcing the Jew to be the Slave. These terms are able to be applied literally here, as the Nazis torture and imprison the Jew for no rhyme or reason. This injustice is an inevitable struggle between the two as Hitler reigns.

Overall, this movie provokes the viewer to not only ask questions but do their own research on the topic as well. While watching, I was intrigued deeper into the ordinary Germans during the Holocaust and wondering if they knew the extent of the ongoing horror. By playing on the pathos side, this film appeals to a wider audience and inspires conversations of the injustice of the Holocaust, by depicting the horrific events scene-by-scene. This movie tells the sad story of two boys from very different cultural backgrounds becoming friends and defying all current political and social odds to conquer the injustice that plagues the adult.

Yo Is This… Kelly Lenhardt

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Native Americans

Introduction

Over 15,000 years ago Native Americans traveled and settled on what is now known as America. Since their arrival, Native Americans have been subjected to genocide, dislocation, and abuse at the hands of the white man. The Native Americans and white settlers’ history contain hundreds of stories that end only in bloodshed or relocation. Now, over 6.7 million Native Americans reside in the United States, yet only a quarter of that number actively live on reservations. Those who do not live on reservations often experience a sense of longing to reconnect with their Native American culture and heritage. Unfortunately, many do not experience a connection with their ancestors, and as the once respected elders continue to pass, their culture disappears with them.

Decline of Native American population, specifically in California

The Third World

Decrepit, dirty, and broken-down are just a few adjectives to describe the current state of Native American reservations. Conditions on these government-sanctioned reserves are so unbearable that they are “comparable to the Third World” (May 5, 2004, Gallup Independent). The “Third World” is not a new term, as Aijaz Ahmad’s essay delves into the danger of placing such a critical label on an affected area. These reservations have previously been referred to as their own Third World country due to the lack of development and critical underfunding. By classifying reservations and the Native Americans who inhabit them as “Third World”, their culture and identity is erased, and instead replaced with a single term that aims to tell the whole story. There is great danger in a single story, as told by Adichie, and in order to expose the truth of Native Americans and how they are forced to live, their entire situation as a whole must be assessed, taking into consideration the deep-rooted trauma passed down from generation to generation. Native Americans instead are defined by their rich and unique culture, and by diminishing them to the systematic injustice of their failing reservations, careers, and families, their identity as humans is being overlooked.

Trauma

Historical Trauma – “how the effects of collective injuries such as genocide and discrimination can linger for generations.”

Since the beginning, Native Americans have been subjected to many types of abuse, leading to the passing down of historical trauma throughout the generations. One such instance occurred in local boarding schools, where Native children were sent away from their families and instead raised in the “white man’s ways” and taught to repress their culture. This led to Native American culture and traditions to be silenced from that generation onward, as their heritage was something to be shamed for and hidden, instead of celebrated. Many of those with Native American heritage reported daily reflections and thoughts on the brutal loss of language, culture, and community they and past ancestors have experienced. These constant ruminations cause a decline in mental health, causing stress, grief, anxiety, and depression, which only worsen with age. Historical trauma is a tremendous contributor to the abundance of mental health issues Native Americans experience on a daily basis.

Reservation Life

In order to preserve their diminishing culture, Native Americans live on government sanctioned reservations. One particular forgotten residence is Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, famous for the Wounded Knee Massacre, where over three hundred Native Americans were mercilessly killed by US soldiers.

These reservations are victims of gang violence, extreme poverty, and an unusually high suicide rate and high-school dropout rate. Describing the danger, he experiences daily, a local resident stated “People are fighting each other, shooting each other, someone’s getting beat up every other night.”

The youth are the ones suffering the most on the reservations. Many have lost a sense of identity and culture and have resorted to joining gangs as a means of belonging. Even more battle with mental health, often struggling with addiction causing family issues and an early grave.

Aftermath of Wounded Knee Massacre

A Native teen with the remainder of his family: victims of addiction, suicide, and poor health

Violence against Women and Children

Native American women are more likely to experience abuse such as rape, stalking, and domestic violence. Particularly, on reservations, women are murdered at a rate which is ten times more than the nation’s average. These women are extremely vulnerable and usually suffering from poverty, making them the perfect candidates for sex trafficking. An estimated 40 percent of trafficking victims are of Native American heritage. However, Native American women and children receive little publication and protection from their doom of becoming trafficked. Failure to document these cases is due to lack of enforcement and protocol of laws and regulations by police and medical systems.

Dakota Pipeline

Since the initiation of the project in 2014, the Dakota Access Pipeline has been a highly debated controversial topic in the United States, with Native Americans fighting to keep their sacred land, while the government plans an oil pipe directly through the reservation.  The pipeline was initially proposed to transport over 500,000 barrels worth of oil underground from North Dakota to Illinois. With the pipeline built, the business of fracking would have the opportunity to flourish, providing jobs and oil to those in need. While this pipeline may be beneficial to the economy and big business, other environmental and social factors must be taken into account. For example, since the pipeline is built underneath the Missouri River, it has the potential to infiltrate the drinking water, which is primarily used by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The pipeline would also directly cut through a known and inhabited Native American reservation and sacred burial sites. Construction of the pipeline was soon initiated, cutting through over 1,000 miles of communities, reservations, farms, and natural habitats. However, once construction started to creep towards the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, protests began and further development of the pipeline was halted. Natives argue that they were never consulted about the potential pipeline, and instead were ignored by the government when first questioning the project. Fed up, Native Americans and environmentalists banded together in order to attempt to halt any further construction and demolition to the already fragile land, and Native American reservation. In fitting fashion, one of the first protests were initiated by Native Americans riding in on horseback, and quickly establishing a “spiritual camp”, urging other protestors to join them at their site. Soon after, many camps emerged with a peak of an estimated 10,000 people, seeking to lend their support and fight against one of the many injustices Native Americans face. Due to the large influx of civilians joining the Native Americans, protests began to escalate.

Native protestors arriving on horseback

Highly militarized police force was brought to the campsites, with violence quickly ensuing. Within a few months, over 400 arrests had been made. Police came armed with tanks, riot gear, rubber bullets and tear gas. All and more of these dangerous weapons were used on the peaceful protesters, with many left wounded and having to seek medical attention soon after the clashes. However, protesters attempted to retaliate, with many starting fires, launching homemade bombs, blocking roads, and one woman firing several shots at police. Native Americans responded by claiming the government was silencing them and their request to respect their land and natural environment. Still, the government made no effort to resolve the issues, and instead continued to send more troops and warfare until the havoc died down. On top of the demonstrations, many law suits have been filed against the company responsible for the pipeline and the US Army Corps of Engineers, who are responsible for the initiation of the project.

With the ongoing protests, construction was halted temporarily, yet was ignited again by the signature of President Trump on a document which expedited the review and approval process in order to continue construction on the pipeline. Since President Trump’s endorsement of the pipeline, not much progress has been made. The pipeline project is still up in the air, and with the looming election, there is no telling what will become of the multi-billion-dollar project in the future.

The Dakota Pipeline case is a prime current example of Native American land being taken away. History is being repeated and once again, Native Americans are receiving the short end of the stick from the government. However, with the help of thousands of others who wish to make change, the Native Americans were able to be heard and at the very least, temporarily halt construction of the pipeline.

Police violence towards protestors

Conclusion

Native Americans are a victim to the systematic injustice of white man’s need for money and power. For years, the US has pushed Native Americans off of their own soil and repeatedly mistreated them. Due to this, Native Americans have developed various mental illnesses and continue to pass on trauma to their children. Their story continues to evolve as the Native American population diminishes and more fall victim to their unspoken fate every day. Violence, suicide, and addiction plague the Native American community, stifling their voice and letting their once rich culture and traditions fade away. Native Americans continue to experience these injustices on a daily basis, and little to no government assistance has been provided. Great efforts must be made in order to make right with Native Americans after they have been treated poorly for so long.

 

Citations

  • “Dakota Pipeline: What’s behind the Controversy?” BBC News, BBC, 7 Feb. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37863955.
  • Hope, Native. Native American Life Today – Native Hope, pages.nativehope.org/native-american-life-today.
  • Posted Monday 12th September 2016 /, and 2016Text by Matthew Williams Photography © Matthew Williams Posted Monday 12th September. “What Life on a Native American Reservation Really Looks Like.” Huck Magazine, 12 Sept. 2016, www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/photography-2/native-american-reservation-pine-ridge-photography/.
  • PowWows.com, About. “Native American Issues Today: Current Problems & Struggles 2020.” PowWows.com, 6 Nov. 2020, www.powwows.com/issues-and-problems-facing-native-americans-today/.
  • Worland, Justin. “Dakota Access Pipeline: What to Know About the Controversy.” Time, Time, 28 Oct. 2016, time.com/4548566/dakota-access-pipeline-standing-rock-sioux/.

 

 

Diary of Systematic Injustice Showcase – Kelly Lenhardt

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School Dress Code

Clothing is a way to express yourself. It is an art form through which humans are able to display their personality and build a career on. But many schools attempt to limit their student’s creativity and basic self-expression with a racist and sexist dress code. When girls are singled out of their male classmates due to their everyday clothing, it creates a toxic environment for young women. Although it can be taken too far, dress codes are a systematic injustice unfairly targeting young women and especially black women for their individuality and expression. One example of this unfair dress code is the “finger-tip policy”, which I myself have had to adhere to not long ago. Pubescent girls often have a difficult time finding clothing that fits their ever-growing bodies. Families that struggle with income are also a victim to this rule, as some cannot afford a new pair of shorts for every inch their child grows.

Many girls are targeted due to their evolving body, and are expected to cover-up

Due to these rules, girls are being taken out of class and even suspended for what they wear. This hinders girls learning and takes away their class time. A school has a duty to teach and actively engage their students. With a strict dress code, many are not given the same opportunities to learn, and are singled out and the victim of bias by their administrators and superiors. Another example of an unfair dress code, particularly relating to people of color, is school administration reigning authority over the culture-rooted hairstyles many tend to wear. Box braids, dreadlocks, and even the natural afro has been discriminated against in schools, with many students facing possible suspension if unwilling to comply. These hairstyles are not only part of the African American identity, but are easy and protective styles for their particular hair type. A specific instance occurred just north of Boston, where two twin girls were written up, and subsequently banned from participating in school wide extracurriculars, such as clubs, team sports, and even prom. This harsh punishment was simply due to the fact their hair was done in the style of box braids, with extensions throughout. Preventing these girls from being alongside their peers due to their hairstyle creates a toxic environment that teaches young African Americans that they must change in order to fit in, and even adhere to the rules.

The twins who were punished for their (pictured) hairstyles

We can relate this issue to Ortiz-Cofer’s “My Body”. Ortiz-Cofer discusses how her body was sexualized from a young age and constantly under scrutiny by adults in her life. The same is happening but in the context of a school, where girls are being victimized and objectified by adults. Targeting young people of color due to their self-expression is a systematic injustice we can trace back even to Cofer’s past experiences. By telling girls they are dressed “too provocatively” or their natural hair is a “distraction”, they are being sexualized and shamed by adults. These adults base their rules and regulations often times on their own beliefs, or the old-school modesty system that is begging for change   Dress codes are an old school system that unfairly targets girls and minorities, and reformation must be made internally to fix the systematic sexism and racism inside of educational institutions. Schools must learn to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s differences, and encourage their young impressionable students instead of doing the opposite.

Source Articles:

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/07/17/534448313/when-black-hair-violates-the-dress-code

https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/when-school-dress-codes-discriminate#:~:text=Student%20dress%20codes%20continue%20to%20unfairly%20target%20girls%20and%20students%20of%20color.&text=These%20things%20are%20distracting%20to,a%20form%20of%20victim%2Dblaming

Image Source:

https://www.hhstoday.com/opinion/2016/09/14/dress-code-trials/

Context Research Presentation – Week 5, Kelly Lenhardt

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This week we will read Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”. We are transported back in time to post-colonial Nigeria. This novel illustrates the hardships of being a member of the Igbo Tribe and tells a story of conflict based around a respected Nigerian tribesman, Okonkwo. Here, we will delve into the history of the Igbo Tribe and their culture of respect and traditions they carry on to this day.

The Igbo’s first introduction to a world outside of their own in Nigeria was through the transatlantic slave trade. Due to this, their people have spread world-wide, many ending up in the US, Jamaica, and Europe. Religion is extremely important to the Igbo, as it tells the story of how they came to be. The Igbo people refer to the divine figure Eri as their creator; they believe he was sent from heaven in order to begin civilization. Traditional Igbo have faith in a supreme god, referred to as Chukwu, who remains a higher power. They also have many minor gods, who are thought of as friends and foes who assist the tribespeople in their times of need. However, the majority of the Igbo have now converted to Christianity yet still tie their roots back to their tribe.

Igbo Cuisine - Bitterleaf Yam Porridge

Igbo Cuisine – Bitterleaf Yam Porridge

Igbo culture tends to center around the creativity of the people with such traditions as: their own music and dance, instruments, clothing, and cuisine. One of the biggest celebrations is that of Iri Ji, or the New Yam Festival. This festival takes place in early August and celebrates the beginning of the yam harvest season. New, fresh yams are welcomed while ones from the previous harvest are eaten in full by the Igbo. The ceremony is kicked off by an initial sacrifice of the yam to their gods and any passed relatives. Then, the Igbo swarm to the buffet, where they are encouraged to stuff themselves full of yams and other traditional dishes.  Afterward, lively music and drumming is started as the masqueraded spirits begin to dance.

Traditional Igbo Mmanwu – or Masquerade

This is just a taste of the rich history of the Igbo. They are a resilient people who continue to progress in society while staying connected to their traditions and culture.

Works Cited CRP