Yes, there is some improvement, but there is still apparently a serious
problem with hooligans trespassing and vandalizing burial grounds (AKA
cemeteries) and local law enforcement apparently ignoring the problems. The
issues with a Mr. Plucker who set about to wipe out all Native Virginian
heritages in the early part of the 20th century has come up frequently on
the list. Current laws cannot be trusted to be lasting. Further,
romanticizing Pocahontas is still going on .... No 12-year-old would have
the body that Disney gave her! Just today Pocahontas came up in a class
discussion, since she is one of the Famous Americans that SOLs prescribe to
be taught to kindergartners, and once again I told the children not to take
the movie seriously since it should have been a movie about a girl just a
bit older than they, not the story of a full-blown woman. The truth would
have made a much more interesting movie. Romanticizing destroys truth and
breeds disdain.
Anne
At 01:35 PM 2/20/02 -0400, David Kiracofe wrote:
>That's right -- the issue is one of respect for others' sense of
>sanctity. In the 19th century, Virginians often romanticized the native
>peoples who lived in the area at the time of the first settlement:
>especially Pocahontas and Powhatan. Even Opechancanough was praised for
>his devotion to the land. But the creators of the romantic images were
>doing so at a time when the natives had been safely dispossessed (indeed,
>were being dispossessed throughout the eastern half of the country), were
>denied citizenship, and were unable to press legal challenge to the loss
>of their lands -- sacred or otherwise. Today, recent federal laws give
>native communities much more to work with for regaining land or limiting
>certain development.
>
>David Kiracofe
>College of Charleston
>
> On Tue, 19 Feb 2002 18:42:14 -0500 Anne Pemberton wrote:
>
> > I've been following this interesting thread and with the latest post what
> > comes to mind is the frequent vandalism and desecration of "sacred
> > soil" if
> > that soil is sacred to Native Virginians. When I've attended Pow Wows over
> > near West Point, I've heard complains of frequent trespassing and
> > vandalism
> > by locals. Seems if the concept of "sacred soil" has historical
> > significance, it should be extended to everyone's "sacred soil".
> >
> > Anne
> >
> > At 11:38 AM 2/19/02 -0400, David Kiracofe wrote:
> > >Virginians began designating sacred soil early in the 19th century as
> > >part of the development of American nationalism. Jamestown was "sacred"
> > >as the birthplace of America -- it had the remains of the church tower
> > >and the ancient graveyard as visual points of reference. Travellers
> > >visiting the site expressed a kind of "awe" and reverence for the place.
> > >Virginia was also "sacred" as the birthplace of George Washington, etc.
> > >This kind of nationalism was particularly competitive with other
> > >nationalist versions of the American story -- most notably of New
> > >England's "Pilgrim fathers" who were already being lauded and publicized
> > >as the "true" founders of America.
> > >
> > >Designating space as sacred was also part of the romantic impulse -- the
> > >same impulse that manifested itself in the "cult of southern chivalry"
> > >(complete with jousting) -- that sought distinctiveness on which to base
> > >character and identity. The federal soldiers who bragged about invading
> > >Virginia's sacred soil knew they were hitting a nerve.
> > >
> > >David Kiracofe
> > >College of Charleston
> > >
> > >To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> > >at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> >
> > Anne Pemberton
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> > http://www.erols.com/stevepem
> > http://www.geocities.com/apembert45
> >
> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
>
>
>David Kiracofe
>
>To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
>at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
Anne Pemberton
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http://www.geocities.com/apembert45
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