> From: Robert J. Bradbury
> Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 1:08 PM
>
> as a threat to his cultural history. Native Americans are caught
> in a bind. They can live on a reservation where they can have their
> culture but have few economic opportunities or move away from the
> reservation, losing their culture but having more opportunities to
> educate themselves and prosper. Since he also teaches Native
> American history he can also cite chapter and verse where the
> government has run amok, abused power, broken promises, etc.
I think that it is a bind of their own creation. If a dedication to a particular culture or history is preventing a person from fully realizing his or her maximum potential (that is, through embracing our modern technological society), then that's a choice they'll have to make. But in a very real sense, such a person is trying to have the best of both worlds, and sometimes you just can't do that. If someone chooses to be a luddite, they shouldn't bemoan the fact that they don't have an ISDN line for their PC...
I would also ask why it is that aboriginal Americans who leave their reservations must necessarily lose touch with their culture? Irish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and a host of other "hyphenated Americans" have been able to flourish in modern society and enjoy all its benefits while still maintaining touch with their original culture. Admittedly, it's of a somewhat different nature than if they were still in Ireland or Japan or wherever, but it hardly need be completely eradicated.
Joseph 1 (joseph1@neosapiens.org)
Core Sphere Member - NeoSapiens Combine http://www.neosapiens.org
"NeoSapiens Awaken!"