Emily Woltkamp

Native American Culture

Compare and Contrast
October 13, 2014
Natives vs ris!
"urin# t!e 1$20%s, my #reat #randparents moved to t!e &nited 'tates (rom reland
brin#in# t!eir culture and traditions )it! t!em* Alt!ou#! reland !as a celtic lan#ua#e, )e only
spoke En#lis!* Our ori#ins )ere primarily in(luenced by t!e An#lo+Normans, En#lis!, and t!e
'cottis! )!ere as t!e Natives are descended (rom Celtic, Nordic, or C!inese travelers* n t!e
be#innin# )e )ere under t!e ,re!on la) until it )as c!an#ed to manorial la)* -anorial la) is
)!ere t!e .ord o( t!e -anor !ad /urisdiction over matters dealin# )it! people o( t!e manor or
o)ned t!e land* 0!e Natives !o)ever !ave a political aut!ority to !elp #uarantee an internal
order and divide con(lictin# political loyalties*
n reland, you eit!er believed in C!ristianity or 1rotestantism and my (amily believes in
C!ristianity and t!e 2oly 0rinity* Alt!ou#! t!e Natives don%t believe in t!e !oly trinity t!ey do
believe in a !i#!er po)er* Every culture !as a reli#ion t!at t!ey (ollo) because it #ives t!em a
sense o( security and somet!in# to (all back on, i( ever t!ey are in trouble*
n my culture )e tend to eat potatoes in everyt!in# includin# soup, !ot do#s, pancakes,
pies, etc* Alt!ou#! potatoes did not !ave its ori#ins in reland, t!ey are (ound in lots o( our (oods*
Early on in our culture many people ate native berries, nuts, knot#rass, and #oose(oot* A lot o(
!oney can be (ound as )ell in t!inks like mead* n our early culture cattle )as considered a si#n
o( )ealt! and status amon# men*
0!ere are t!ree !olidays t!at )e celebrate t!at are celebrated all around t!e )orld
includin# 't* 1atrick%s "ay, 2allo)een, and t!e 12t! o( 3uly* We celebrate 't* 1atrick%s "ay as a
C!ristian !oliday reco#ni4in# saint 1atrick, t!e patron saint o( reland* 2e took t!e s!amrock and
tau#!t t!e !oly trinity )it! t!e t!ree lea(s* Anot!er !oliday, ,i#ids "ay on 5ebruary 1, is anot!er
reli#ious observance superimposed at t!e be#innin# o( t!e sprin#*
Natives celebrate !olidays and traditions but t!ey center around nature, t!e spiritual
)orld, or ancestors* 'ome o( t!eir popular !olidays celebrate t!e sun, t!e rain or t!e crops
needed to sustain li(e* &nlike our !olidays t!at (ocus on one day, many Natives !olidays last over
a )eek* Also most Natives don%t celebrate birt!days but celebrate t!e bi# milestones t!at take
place durin# a person%s li(e suc! as t!eir (irst steps, becomin# an adult, #ettin# married or
becomin# a parent*
n my culture )e value literature and music* -ost (amous )ritin#s (rom reland are
)ritten in En#lis!* 6ou can also (ind music in almost every !ouse!old datin# back to t!e 1700s*
( you didn%t learn music t!en someone else in your (amily )ould kno) !o) to play* 0!e Natives
also love t!eir music and use it to tell stories and le#ends o( t!eir people* A lot o( our (amilies
!ave stories t!at !ave been passed do)n (rom #eneration to #eneration and t!is is !o) )e kno)
t!e !istory o( our ancestors*
As )e raise our c!ildren, )e bot! believe t!at t!e ultimate value #iven to c!ildren is sel(+
con(idence, tran8uility, and emotional security* We #ive our c!ildren a sense o( belon#in# in t!e
(amily because it !elps t!e c!ild !ave a sense o( )ort! and love* 0!e Natives and t!e ris! !ave a
lot o( di((erences but so does every ot!er culture* We need to stop lookin# at t!e Natives as less
t!an people and /ust reco#ni4e t!em as anot!er #roup* Also, t!ink )e need to start lookin# more
at )!at makes us t!e same rat!er t!an everyt!in# t!at makes us di((erent because t!en )e )ill
never be e8ual*