GROWING UP NATIVE – CAROL GEDDES Define the following terms: Muskeg – A swamp or bog formed by an accumulation of sphagnum moss, leaves, and decayed matter resembling peat Aboriginal – First; original; indigenous; primitive; native Menial – Of or relating to work or a job regarded as servile Indigenous – Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment Insidious – Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner Holistic – Concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation into parts 1. The dominant impression Geddes creates of life for children growing up in northern native communities is that there is a great feeling of acceptance and security. It was typical for the community to respond to children. b. This way of life is greatly dissimilar to the way of life that children in large urban areas grow up in. Children in urban areas tend to live in isolation where there is less security and community collaboration to aid a certain individual or group.
The level of acceptance is lower in city like vicinities where cliques are developed and formed to offend those of less social status and power. 2. Some of the negative influences the dominant white culture had on native people were unimaginable racism and discrimination. The natives were constantly put down and were not appreciated by their intelligence and ingenuity. 3. The function of the conclusion is to allow the reader to recognize the importance of knowing your identity and where you stand in the midst of a multicultural and somewhat racist community.
This appears at the end rather than the beginning of the essay because it further stresses upon the thesis, the significance of understanding yourself in a society of racial stereotyping and discrimination. 4. The anecdotes she uses in paragraph 10 tells us that she was very well educated and she strictly followed her cultural rules and customs. The paragraph tells us in addition that the teacher was insensible and ignorant of cultural complexities. Another example of an anecdote that illustrates the clash between the two cultures is paragraph 15 where the non-natives make negative remarks about the aboriginal rights.