Native American Perceptions of Self
Native American Perceptions of Self
Hello world! In early November of last year, I attended the Society for Ethnomusicology’s Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.. The conference was fueled by engaging and challenging conversations of society, race, and intersectionality, all examined through a mutual lens of music. It goes without saying that the majority of the attendees were forward-thinking, progressive individuals all involved in academia. On the final night of the conference there were several receptions hosted by various universities in attendance. I found myself speaking to a professor from another university who was interested in my research regarding traditional Navajo music. It was at some point within this dialogue that the professor inquired about my ethnicity. Often described as racially ambiguous, I was used to this question and frankly didn’t think anything of it. Shortly after responding with a rehearsed “half French, half Choctaw”, the woman looked at me and casually said “Really? You don’t look Native American”.
Many thoughts flooded my mind after that conversation, although what continued to remain with me was the question of how I perceive myself and how all Native Americans perceive themselves in American society today. What does it mean to be Native American? Is there a place for one such as myself to occupy this identity that it so critical to who I am? Furthermore, in a society that is so uneducated in the traditions and culture of its indigenous population, can a Native American student in higher education successfully seek out validation in their cultural identity? Questions such as these are constantly on my mind. I have yet to fully settle on a single topic for this blog, however I intend to approach the aforementioned question as an overarching theme throughout the semester. I hope to investigate culture, Native American and outsider perceptions of that culture, and other topics such as Native peoples in higher education.
Currently, my independent research examines change within traditional Navajo music. Utilizing the field of ethnomusicology, I approach music as a social process in order to better understand what music means to its practicitioners and their audiences. My research aims to show that western culture has had a profound impact upon the culture of indigenous peoples, particularly the Navajo. Although the Native American community is one of the smallest of any racial demographic in the United States today, I believe that these topics are vital to understand if we are to become an inclusive and welcoming society. I intend to use this blog as the impetus of further study regarding not only Native American culture, but the people themselves. This blog will be the tool for acquiring a greater knowledge of the personal aspect of my own work and ideally, I will be able to translate what I complete in this course into my research. My hope is that this post will introduce some of these ideas as I will continue to dig deeper in the coming weeks.
