Comm Essay on Native Americans

The United States, “despite having an ethic that purports to value multiethnicity as integral to “the” national culture” (Stuckey & Morris,1999,) continues to struggle to promote the importance and cultural value of minority groups, such as the Native Americans. Culture is our way of living, it refers to the shared language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects that are passed down from one generation to the next, but when one culture fits the needs of the majority better, it becomes the dominant culture.

Native Americans have a long history of challenging the ideas of the dominant culture, but American ethnocentrism roots run deep. Any individual or country acting aggressive towards other cultures is referred to high ethnocentrism (Sindhu & Raj, 2017.) Native American’s culture has been plundered, scrutinized and condemned to benefit the dominant nation’s values and culture throughout history. Specific cases include the act of the dominant culture manipulating images of minorities as a means of commodifying, controlling, and, too often, destroying those culture by exaggerating differences, on the one hand, and by denying those differences on the other. (Stuckey & Morris,1999.)

However, the notion of ethnocentrism has the potential to solidify the crumbling foundation of Native American culture. The concept of low ethnocentrism, in “which serves as the basis for nationalistic pride and patriotism” (Arputha & Sindhu, 2016) can create a strong resistance to the dominant culture. The opportunity to educate and encourage accurate portrayals of what Native American culture represents can create a new understanding within the dominant culture.

When a government or dominant force can manipulate the notions of culture, who can stop them? Our topic proposal is to understand how ethnocentrism can both benefit and effect Native American culture and why preservation of minority culture is essential to the future.