Pete Eidenbach
Posted June 17, 2008 by admin
Hi everyone!
This is my general blog where I will keep you and the world updated about my projects, classes, opinions, and events.
My other pages include:
Indra’s Catch, by Demogoras the Navigator which contains the best peices (or fish) in the virtual sea. Originally, Indra’s was posted in the now defunct NMSUA newsletter. I will add these old (but updated) links as an archive and alert you to new web sites that I find on my perambulations.
Tiopete’s Lodge, my virtual faculty office, contains course pages, essays, and free PDF publications.
The Virtual Register of Historic Places in Second Life provides lists and slurls for virtual World Heritage Sites, National Historic Landmarks, National Register of Historic Places, and Second Life Landmarks which existed or still exist in the virtual world of Second Life where, this past Fall semester, I taught my Introduction to Historic Preservation (ANTH 118 at NMSUA).
New Mexico History, a companion page to my WebCT class, which will post links to all the online resources used in the class, all free!!
Comments
Great new site, Tiopete! Your plans sound great for this site. I have my blog set up over at my webspace: http://nmsua.edu/jkammer/ but it is more a traditional blog. Your Lodge is a great idea and I have told you before that I just love your Indra’s Net Catch–a great resource!
Jenna
Greetings!
Inspired by your work, I have included my reflections on Turtle Island.
Thank you for all your terrific resources!
Sharon
Pow Wow Circle (Turtle Island) 29, 198, 24
(Sharon/Summer)
I personally chose Turtle Island (Pow Wow Circle) as a
Field Trip location because of its historical value and
the cultural significance to where most of us currently
live in New Mexico and, of course, is the home of New
Mexico State University and its branch locations.
Wanda, (Dolph) our instructor, also mentioned this site
in one of our online or class discussions as a place that
Tiopete (Pete Eidenbach) had mentioned as a place of
cultural importance.
Native American culture is the foundation upon which
we all make meaning of our landscape, customs, arts,
crafts, stories, traditions and hopefully, develop
intercultural competence. To develop intercultural
competence there must not only be an understanding of
the traditions of a culture, but an appreciation of how
particular traditions came into existence and influence
or don’t influence culture today. An intercultural
understanding comes from a study of a culture within
an historical context and in relation to others.
Reflections and Photos of Second Life Field Trip by Sharon DiLeo
March 1, 2009
An open dialogue among many is what is necessary to
develop intercultural competence; something that I
think is absent today and reflects a tendency of those of
Native American Pueblos or Tribes to resist outsiders
and the ways of a more contemporary world. Staying
within one’s culture and resisting those from the
outside has served to protect and preserve Native
American culture, but has also perpetuated divisiveness
among different cultures. This is very understandable
given the brutal history of many Native Americans, but
fails to address the need to adapt to a world that
inevitably changes regardless of how insular a culture
remains.
A move toward cooperation and collaboration
within and outside cultures is a progressive trend that
is slowly being considered without the threat of
eclipsing one’s culture. Both can benefit from the
cultural gifts of different cultures.
I personally think that conflict can effectively be
addressed by creating open forums from which we can
all learn from one another regardless of all differences.
We have much to learn from Native American Culture
(and vice a versa) and I think that many of our society
ills can be addressed by embracing much of what our
Native American friends have practiced over time.
This visit provided me with a wonderful opportunity to
slow down and think about what we have lost by
Reflections and Photos of Second Life Field Trip by Sharon DiLeo
March 1, 2009
dismissing the lessons of Native Americans. At first, I
wanted to quickly survey the Island so as to get a broad
view of what it offered thus making it easier for me to
narrow my focus upon one area. A symptom, I am afraid
of the speed at which our contemporary world moves in
concert with all that technological advances have
provided. Notwithstanding our ability to physically
relocate far from our cultural roots; as in changing our
geographical location contributes significantly to this
milieu.
It was not however possible for me to fly about quickly
as Turtle Island did not allow flying. I knew right away
what that meant; I must take in the sites slowly by
walking the land that has given birth to all of us; from
all of our different cultures. Most notably, I came upon
areas where when clicked, I was given a note card with
a Native Americans story. The first one that I collected
was at the area around the Canoe Rides and another
was at the Dream Catcher just outside Pow Wow Circle.
The first story was the Raven and the Man about why
men could not fly as they are not intended to fly as
oppose to Ravens who do fly since it is their nature.
The second story was The Passing of the Rose that
discusses the tradition of dancing in Native American
culture. These stories provided great meaning to how
Native Americans regard and respect nature. Implicit in
the tradition of storytelling are messages that help to
Reflections and Photos of Second Life Field Trip by Sharon DiLeo
March 1, 2009
guide listeners through life as they attempt to deal with
conflicts of nature, tradition, and others.
I find it interesting that while technology can offer great
opportunities, that Native Americans, might just view
the use of technology as contradictory to its culture.
Technology and all its applications has helped all of us
to reach beyond the familiar into areas that we would
not have ever been able to explore without its use.
However, with these technological and far‐reaching
capabilities, it also lends itself to speeding up the pace
of life to a degree that removes one from nature;
something, I think that most Native Americans would
passionately oppose and consider an evil of the modern
world.
A visit to Turtle Island was fascinating as it showcased
many things that are relative to Native American
culture. The landscape was sculpted of red rock and
resembled the areas seen around the Colorado, New
Mexico and Utah borders. It also reminded me of the
area around Abiquiu, New Mexico; lending itself to the
Navahos.
An old trading post housed stores that showcased
pottery, rugs, wood carved furniture, and southwestern
apparel. There were also weaving studios and areas
where one could watch potters at work at their craft.
Characteristic of the ways in which Native Americans
Reflections and Photos of Second Life Field Trip by Sharon DiLeo
March 1, 2009
were able to survive the harsh ways of the West were
seen in bearskin rugs as evidence of their keen hunting
skills along with a place where visitor could go on
fishing expeditions. Implicit is the fact that food must
be hunted or caught and was not easily come by as it is
today.
There places where visitors could pick up fry bread,
smudge sticks and others things characteristic of the
Native American culture.
I unfortunately did not get pictures of our class dancing
together at Pow Wow Circle. I was unaware until our
class visit that there was Native American Music to
which we all danced.
Summer
Hi Pete!
I was looking for some news about the Nekem 7 Hungarian Community and I find your landmark. Thank you very much.
Today is the one year anniversary of Nekem 7 (01/09/2009).
I would like to invite you to the birthday party at 10 a.m.PSD (19:00 CET)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Imagination/236/72/22
Nora Koltai (in SL )