![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniIt's cold, and it's going to get colder. So there.
In other news, Kinzel and I switched what we have of our respective projects; I just finished emailing the first 25,900 words of Sword of Orion to its fond editor, and am now going to curl up in a chair and read about Indian abductions of adults between 1750 and 1870, firsthand accounts, written by the people themselves. The book on child abductions in Texas in the 1860s and 1870s was ultimately a little disappointing, as the author could only infer why and how the captive children assimilated so easily into Indian culture -- and had no insight into why they found re-assimilating into their birth so difficult. There is, however, a pretty good bibliography, including at least two books written by former captives, so all is not lost.
In other news, Kinzel and I switched what we have of our respective projects; I just finished emailing the first 25,900 words of Sword of Orion to its fond editor, and am now going to curl up in a chair and read about Indian abductions of adults between 1750 and 1870, firsthand accounts, written by the people themselves. The book on child abductions in Texas in the 1860s and 1870s was ultimately a little disappointing, as the author could only infer why and how the captive children assimilated so easily into Indian culture -- and had no insight into why they found re-assimilating into their birth so difficult. There is, however, a pretty good bibliography, including at least two books written by former captives, so all is not lost.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 03:47 pm (UTC)There may be a couple of reasons here--the first being that they may have simply found Native cultures to be more to their liking. For instance, women enjoy more status in Indian cultures; in several tribal cultures, women hold the economic power, while men hold the military and/or political power. The Clan Mothers of the Northern Woods tribes come to mind here--or Navajo culture, where inheritance is passed through the matrilineal side [although this factor does _not_ apply to all tribes!] Whereas, at the time, the Judeo-Christian viewpoint related women to a subservient role--maybe this is a case of 'how you gonna keep 'em on the farm after they've seen Paree' scenario.
As for children--here my theory won't hold so much water [except that, in virtually all Native cultures, children were far more nurtured and endured far less physical disclipline than their American counterparts]. Or it could simply be a case of subconsciously resisting further change.
Then, there's the external factor--after all, when the captives returned, I get the impression that they were expected to not be 'right' somehow. As in, we need to reeducate them...maybe they're having such a hard time reacculturating because they have been convinced that it is hard...kind of like reverse psychology.
One thing for certain, if I had a choice between living in the Navajo or the American world in the 1800s, I'd choose Navajo every time! [being a female, that is...]