In the Orvil Red Feather section, there's an interesting exchange between Orvil and Loother (Orange 131). Orvil is trying to explain the importance of carrying on Native traditions like singing and dancing so that they are not forgotten. Loother then brings up the point of just creating their own new traditions. Orvil counters with the idea new traditions cannot be as good as historical ones, just like inventing a new food cannot compare with an authentic Indian taco.
My prompt, then, is why is it important or not important to keep cultural traditions alive? Does maintaining old traditions matter more than forming new ones? How do characters in There There attempt to do both of these things?
Personally, I believe that it is incredibly important to keep cultural traditions in some forms alive. Nowadays we live in a much more connected and globalized world, yet at the same time everyone comes from different backgrounds and different cultures. Keeping cultural traditions alive provides people with the opportunity to both expand their own points of view and can lead to greater respect for each community and their culture. In addition, these different perspectives from cultures might be entirely a new way of thinking about something that could really help us understand a particular problem in a certain way. If we all came from the same background or forced our culture on other people then there is less of a chance that we will be able to get this “outside perspective.” I think that maintaining old traditions matters just as much as forming new ones. Traditions, in a sense, explain our different history and backgrounds and help give us a sense of identity in an ever changing world. At the same time though, it would do us no good to always be stuck in the past, everything is constantly evolving that we are forced to change. This change doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, it’s keeping the balance between innovation and tradition that is really the key to establishing one’s identity. One character who takes it upon himself to do both of these things is Dene, when he chooses to take a tradition of telling stories to one another and sort of evolves it into the modern era by asking those of Native descent to share their story on film. There are many things that can be learned from both the past and the present, and we need to find and form some sort of balance.
ReplyDeleteI think a central theme of the novel, that is definitely explored in this scene, is figuring out how to strike a balance between honoring old traditions and creating new ones. I don't think one matters more than the other, and Orange tries to show that it is important to find how to maintain these old traditions and add in more. One example of this that sticks out to me is the allusion to "A Tribe Called Red." Here, Edwin talks about how this music group has the perfect balance between the tradition drums and chanting, and modern day electronic music. I think this can be extended to a lot of characters throughout the novel, where they keep parts of traditions, and change/expand upon other parts in order to fit within the modern world.
ReplyDeleteHey Heather! Wow, that's a really thought-provoking question. I believe that in There There, many of the characters demonstrate their wish to continue the traditions of their ancestors. At the same time, the characters have accepted many aspects of modernity as they use screens of any kind, updated transportation systems, etc. Essentially, every character is trying to honor old traditions while creating new ones. I don't think that one is better than the other, as Orange emphasizes. One example I can think of is when Dene Oxendene shares stories of Natives' lives while encouraging Natives to share their stories on film. This incorporates a traditional aspect of story-sharing while using a modern amenity to broadcast it.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting prompt, Heather! I think that both are extremely important. Maintaining traditions is important for staying in touch with roots and connecting to your family's history. Creating new traditions is a way to add to the story being shared when traditions are carried out.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather! I really like this prompt! I think maintaining cultural traditions alive is important because it serves as an anchor for people. Since we have so much technology and things are really easy and accessible to us, we can forget the value of taking time to actively participate in traditions. I also think that sometimes past traditions can get in the way of new traditions, so it's important to be intentional about what you choose to spend time on.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great prompt, and thank you for bringing our attention back to this conversation between Orvil and Loother. I also thought it was a very important conversation, and certainly a very precocious one for the 12 and 14 year old boys. As with most things the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. For instance, Orvil's excitement about the Powwow dancing and regalia is obviously touching and important, however modern aspects in the book such as the "A Tribe Called Red" references (including a song literally called Stadium Powwow) are just as noteworthy.
ReplyDeleteI think old traditions connect us to our past and connect us together in the present. If everyone in a large community carries on old traditions, then you gain a sense of togetherness that might not be obtained if those traditions were changed on a smaller scale. However, I think new traditions are just as important. As times change, so should traditions to fit the times.
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