The reading “sharing one skin” by Jeannette Armstrong is about community as one. Sharing One Skin is how humans define themselves as separate from other things on earth, This talks about how the physical human body is one part of the person that exists beyond the skin as our human body parts. We survive with our language, our tradition, our culture, and the land. Sharing one skin is all about how we connect to the land, the world around us. How our skin shares with the ground, How our organs connect to the roots of the earth, Our hearts are the core of the earth. The reading is all about connection to our spiritual selves.” This refers to blood ties within a community and extends the instinct to protect our individual selves to all who share the same skin by land, blood, and love.”

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470.

The reading "Native American Identity" by Perry G. Horse he talks about the misfortunes of being native american. If it is your preference, in a modern white majority society. It seems to be a constant struggle in the world for us Native Americans as well as a constant order to survive in the world we are in today. I believe white privilege is a real problem here and for people of color to have to face it everyday in the world.

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470.

Museum of Indian Arts and Culture sponsoring Native fashion exhibit

The article “ Museum of Indian Arts and Culture sponsoring Native fashion exhibit” by Patti Jo King is talking about the difference between jewelry of native tribes before and after the mainstreams and how they are being used for fashion in contests and tourists around the world. In one section of the article the author talks about bow guards and the timelapse of the bow guards themselves. In today’s mainstream the acceptance builds on the history of native designers who tailor a client’s specific requirements and measurements. The creation of Indian wearable art for mainstream society and marketplace was a confirmation of tribal identity in the face of increasing pressures for different cultures, typically the dominant one. "This exhibit follows the exciting trend set by Native designers" said Patti Jo King. The art of bow guards was for men made out of leather worn by warriors crafted for the practical purpose of protecting their wrist from the snap of the bowstring as the arrow was released. Bow guards were also used for traditional ceremonies in some tribes around NM. Eventually these leather bands became silver cuffs which are also known as “ketohs” which is a word for bow guards in the Navajo language. The ketohs were decorated with ornate silver work as they were also worn by men as jewelry during ceremonies, dances, and special occasions during the 1900’s A movement toward a greater awareness of cultural traditions became more pronounced in the 60’s. In 1962 the Institute of American Indian Arts opened in Santa Fe for Native Americans students to learn traditional arts and designs which most of today’s best known native designers were trained under the system of IAIA. Now in mainstream society the Bow Guards are now worn by both men and women.

Patti Jo King, “ Museum of Indian Arts and Culture sponsoring Native fashion exhibit”, Santa Fe, N.M. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 2018, pg. 22

World Myths and Legends in Art: Ketoh ( Wrist Guard)

The article “ World Myths and Legends in Art '' by Larayne Parrish talks about the legends and history of the wrist guard used by native americans for hunting and traditional use. Ketoh’s were originally leather straps worn by archers to protect their forearm from the snap of the bowstring when shooting an arrow in the 1800’s. By the 1870’s silver was commonly added to the leather to give the person who wore it more protection. The designs of these ketohs became more and more intricate as they evolved into the purely decorative form of jewelry they are today which could be traded.

LaRayne Parrish, "The Stylistic Development of Navajo Jewelry," in Southwest Indian Silver from the Doneghy Collection, ed. Louise Lincoln (Minneapolis: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1982), p. 34.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKw1p76RUzFE&t=17s

The video “ History of Ketohs” by Gemstones talks about the difference between the history of golds and silver is our turquoise and jewelry. During the 1800’s the ketohs were introduced by the navajo and were used for hunters when the arrow was let go it was protection for them so they would not get cut and also from the string so it would not snap them. In the late 1800’s silver was introduced to natives and the ketohs were now attached with silver for more fashion sense. In the mid 1900’s fashion was released to the big world following with not only men wearing it but women as well as fashion sense in turquoise jewelry.

" The History of Native American Jewelry." YouTube, uploaded by GemStones, 21 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKw1p76RUzFE&t=17s

Four Worlds and the importance of silver and turquoise

The YouTube video “Four worlds and the importance of silver and turquoise” by the channel Navajo Traditional Teachings talks about turquoise and how it is a gift from the “holy people'' and serves a matter of the “blue world”. The blue world is like Adam and Eve, the first two people but they didn’t do anything bad, instead they climbed all the way to the top from the world of darkness and brought light to everything around earth. According to Navajos the jewelry and silver they wear is a connection and a representation of the four worlds that are told through stories.

Bow Guards (Ketoh) The art institute of Chicago

The article talks about the creation of the Ketohs and how they learned silversmithing from Hispanic artisans in NM. The Navajo smiths soon late Early Concho belts, bow guards, bracelets, necklaces, horse headstalls, and other items of silver jewelry display massive forms and simple ornamentation. By the 1900’s turquoise was being used more and more and some turquoise was being imported from china and India. As they continued the Navajos become more elegant with their pieces of greater complexity of the design and the details.

Turquoise, Water, Sky

“Turquoise, Water, Sky”, by Cindra Kline is an article in many different ways of the bow guards. One of the paragraphs talks about the many meanings of the bow guards. According to Cindra Kline the turquoise has multiple meanings for the admires including health, protection, sustenance, success, serenity, good hunting, friendship, fertility, wealth, joy, and blessings. The first “modern” discovery in the United States of Turquoise was accounted as green not blue. In 1858 a mine called “cerillos mine” in New Mexico founded the turquoise and one man by the name of W.P. Blake said it is used in necklaces by Native Americans.

“The Inuit knowledge vanishing with the ice”

“The inuit knowledge vanishing with the ice” by Chris Baraniuk is about the inuit people and how they are one of many natives communities who are facing a major loss in their culture because of the ice that is melting due to climate change, ever since the ice started melting away so has their culture and traditions because the inuit people do most of their traditions in or on the ice. One tradition that is done yearly is hunting, apparently due to the climate change the inuit’s prey has been changing their migration patterns. As known the inuit people are known for surviving in harsh conditions. A member of the inuit community named Natasha Simonee said, “Everything we do involves the ocean and sea ice, which is highly affected by climate change.” Climate change changes life for people especially the ones who are very traditionally and culturally involved with the ice or the cold.

“Once the villages are gone, the culture is gone”

The article “once the village is gone, the people are gone” by Ian Johnson is about how modernization is taking over tribes and pueblo’s in China. In the year 2000 China had a whopping 3.7 million villages and since then in 2010 the number dropped to 2.6 million villages and everyday the count is going down with 300 villages gone each day. The reason this is happening is because of urbanization from the government and makes the villagers move with no choice at all. China’s leadership is focused on urbanization and economic growth, destroying villages and their culture revealing a deeper bias into their culture.

“To save culture after the pandemic, we need to look beyond london”

An article by Abigail Pogson named “To save culture after the pandemic, we need to look beyond london” is about london trying to regain their culture after the covid pandemic due to the loss of large gatherings and social distancing during the pandemic. Protecting their cultural industries played an important role during the covid-19 surge and support for protecting the culture was very overwhelming. “Cultural activity is integral to our national life” Our culture is how people express themselves as human beings to our communities and to individuals. Culture also plays a big part in contributing to economic prosperity and knowing the education for eachothers social lives ahead of us to pass down from generation to generation.

“The Inuit knowledge vanishing with the ice”

“The inuit knowledge vanishing with the ice” by Chris Baraniuk is about the inuit people and how they are one of many natives communities who are facing a major loss in their culture because of the ice that is melting due to climate change, ever since the ice started melting away so has their culture and traditions because the inuit people do most of their traditions in or on the ice. One tradition that is done yearly is hunting, apparently due to the climate change the inuit’s prey has been changing their migration patterns. As known the inuit people are known for surviving in harsh conditions. A member of the inuit community named Natasha Simonee said, “Everything we do involves the ocean and sea ice, which is highly affected by climate change.” Climate change changes life for people especially the ones who are very traditionally and culturally involved with the ice or the cold.

“Once the villages are gone, the culture is gone”

The article “once the village is gone, the people are gone” by Ian Johnson is about how modernization is taking over tribes and pueblo’s in China. In the year 2000 China had a whopping 3.7 million villages and since then in 2010 the number dropped to 2.6 million villages and everyday the count is going down with 300 villages gone each day. The reason this is happening is because of urbanization from the government and makes the villagers move with no choice at all. China’s leadership is focused on urbanization and economic growth, destroying villages and their culture revealing a deeper bias into their culture.

“To save culture after the pandemic, we need to look beyond london”

An article by Abigail Pogson named “To save culture after the pandemic, we need to look beyond london” is about london trying to regain their culture after the covid pandemic due to the loss of large gatherings and social distancing during the pandemic. Protecting their cultural industries played an important role during the covid-19 surge and support for protecting the culture was very overwhelming. “Cultural activity is integral to our national life” Our culture is how people express themselves as human beings to our communities and to individuals. Culture also plays a big part in contributing to economic prosperity and knowing the education for eachothers social lives ahead of us to pass down from generation to generation.