Todays lecture - Differentiation and the Native Americans

I found Professor Lane’s lecture today very interesting and it brought up a number of issues that I think are continually forgotten on a daily basis. For example, to me it highlighted the fact that we continually stereotype and categorize, and I think that these days it is almost so common, that we take it for granted and forget it has occurred. I have never really thought about the amount of generalization that we actually do make in daily life, and I agree that in that sense the majority of things that were are taught about may not be complete truths. I think that we often take things as fact when actually something we are told is only an opinion, and I think that humans as a whole are not very good at accepting a diverse range of options. If we think about religion in this sense we can see that diversity is not liked, and often causes conflict on not just a local scale, but also a global one as well. I think that this stems from the fact that we are so closed-minded, and we often find it much easier to accept one solution rather than trying to explore and interpret multiple options. This is why we are often so stubborn when it comes to the religious practises we follow, and even though these practises or followings may not be entirely logical, they hold more meaning to us if we have full unquestioned belief in them.
Alongside this, I also think religion is a subject we are told not to question, and this is why we are so against diversity, as we have been socialized to believe in one single version of events. As our religions tell us we can’t question, we have to accept it as the only option, as if we start to associate with others, it is seen that we are going against our basic beliefs. Personally, I therefore think that in order for us to break down the religious divides and conflicts that prevail in our society, we are going to need to be socialized in a more objective way, and be told that it is okay to question and explore other ideas. In this sense I totally agree with Dr. Lane’s point that we don’t like to be wrong, and again I see that we are going to need to change this fundamental that wrong is not acceptable, in order for us to gain some benefit in the long run.

I do think that over time however that the religious barriers and stereotyping in society will start to reduce. I don’t think that religion plays such a large role in the lives of American citizens as it once did, and therefore at some point in the future I see that diversity of religion will become more acceptable, and individuals will not be judged so harshly on the beliefs that they hold. Although we accept that many religions exist, I still think we forget how each of these separate religions changes so much, and I don’t think in general we really understand that the lives of the members within them can be so different. When looking into the Native American experience, I came across a website that discussed the diversity within this specific religion itself. The article on the website http://www.allsands.com/religious/nativeamerican_xqu_gn.htm briefly detailed how diverse this one single religion is, and how different members hold varying beliefs and engage in different practises, depending on where they were raised. I think that we often forget that a worldview exists, and as a result of this we need to remember how religions have transitioned over time. Therefore, when it comes to stereotyping and classifying certain individuals, we must look at the practises that are commonly upheld in world today, rather than the beliefs that we held in the ancient past. For example, many consider Native American practises to include rituals and spirits, and as a result we judge the individuals in this category to support these acts. However, the vast majority who consider themselves Native Americans today, do not go around openly celebrating mythology with song and dance. Therefore, it is an aspect of the past that should not be attached to those living in this day and age, and I think that to be stereotyped in this way is illogical and incorrect. Therefore as a result of this I can again see where Dr Lane is coming from when he says that we need to understand and accept diversity more readily, and I accept his argument that this ultimately comes down to our proximity to the issue and whether we have empathized and accepted that other options to our own beliefs do actually exist.