Iroquois Culture
In order to fully understand and appreciate a culture different from one's own, one must first have a grasp on ethnocentrism and how it can change thoughts and viewpoints. Ethnocentrism is a term used when someone is judging a culture's ethics or way of life based upon his or her own belief structure or cultural values. Granted, being ethnocentric is not necessarily something to be ashamed of; everyone does it as a part of human nature. What one must realize, however, is that it can change one's viewpoint to the point where another culture's practices may seem barbaric. Ethnocentrism cannot be avoided. One simply must be aware that it happens and reflect upon it when it does occur. A few other problem areas occur when one uses particular concepts to address a culture, such as "development" and "advanced culture." In the case of Iroquois culture, U.S. citizens may be inclined to judge the Iroquois as an advanced culture, since they could farm the land and had a form of government structure between the cultures (keep in mind that the term Iroquois describes a group of tribes, not any particular one). But one can see that the term "advanced culture" comes from an ethnocentric standpoint. One might also
Did they believe in a "soul?" This can lead to more confusion when one looks at the "death dances" the Iroquois held. The settlers also brought with them diseases that the Iroquois had never been exposed to. So the tribe would attack their enemy for vengeance. The Iroquois were never a particularly peaceful culture from the settler's standpoint. Many small battles arose, mostly vengeful acts. This division is also made because life for the Iroquois changed drastically after European contact. The loved one was replaced by either another member of the clan, or someone captured from another Iroquois clan. This idea makes one question the importance of identity in Iroquois culture. In these ritualistic ceremonies, the deceased were believed to actually return to the tribe and dance alongside the clan. Iroquois nations found themselves competing for the goods the settlers offered. However, it would also be much harder to study and understand a culture if it could not be compared in some way to one's own. The government structure served more as a guideline than law. It goes beyond the fact that European diseases had catastrophic effects on the Iroquois, and yet it can all be attributed to that fact. Diseases and epidemics take time to overcome, and it seems that neither culture was truly aware of the ultimate consequences of their actions and interaction, or the delicacy and time required to make it work out for both sides. What must be realized is that the study of ancient cultures would be more objective if ethnocentrism did not exist.
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Tradition Iroquois,
Iroquois Diseases,
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one's own,
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european settlers,
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diseases iroquois,
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Acceptance Essays
