Showing posts with label cultural diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cultural diversity. Show all posts

12 November 2023

November is Native American Heritage Month (Part 2)

November is Native American Heritage Month. 

I did not do a DNA test but accepted my mother's word as fact. She said we had Native American roots as well as African-Americans. More specifically she said our roots were Cherokee. I did not do any additional genealogy research or ask Henry Louis Gates Jr. to verify my roots. But I did watch a documentary about the Cherokee Indians and realized that many things my late mother said, lined up with the information presented in the documentary. 

Of course, the fact that my mother and her sisters and brothers (my aunts and uncles) looked more like Native Americans than they did like African-Americans, gave me no reason to doubt the truthfulness of my mom's word. In other words, she had no reason to make it up! At any rate, just like I celebrate and honor Black History Month, I celebrate and honor Native American Heritage Month. Can't deny my roots!




Found on Scoop.it - Soceity & Culture

November was proclaimed Native American Heritage Month in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush. But it took over seventy years to get here.

Original Source: Penny White , YAHOO Contributor Network; voices.yahoo.com * * *
 
Treathyl Fox's insight:
"Currently there are 562 tribal governments in the United States recognized by the federal government. Each tribe can form its own government and enforces its own laws, establishes its own taxes and regulates its own activities." That's interesting. So if this can be accomplished in America, other countries with tribal communities ( "Afghanistan's tribal groups" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1658073.stm ) should just copy the Native Americans. Sounds easy enough!
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first Nat...
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte was the 1st Native American woman to become a physician in the USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Martha Gradolf, contemporary Ho-Chunk...
English: Martha Gradolf, contemporary Ho-Chunk weaver, displayed a rush pouch in progress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)








11 November 2023

November is Native American Heritage Month (Part 1)

November is Native American Heritage Month, but my honor and respect for our nation's first peoples is something that I am mindful of all the time.  Although I know next to nothing about my own Native American heritage since I was raised as a Negro/Colored/Black American, it's a part of my DNA that can not be denied.  By the time we became African-Americans, I was an adult. :)  


Image credit: Hand drawn native american dream catcher, beads and feathers
© Photographer: Bluelela | Agency: Dreamstime.com



https://www.pinterest.com/cmoneyspinner/native-americans/
Pinterest is a wonderful invention for organizing and collecting topics of specific interest.  To try to learn more about Native Americans and their contributions, I created a pinboard and started gathering information.  Been collecting for several years.




Additionally, for 2016, shared my thoughts about the celebration of the contributions of the first nations to the history of America and the building of this nation at myLot.com:

http://www.mylot.com/post/2997150/november-is-native-american-heritage-month


Adding on to these thoughts, opinions, and perspectives published at myLot with my other remarks and comments shared elsewhere on the web.  May I say that in my attempt to find information about Native American heritage on the Internet, I found a lot of current events that are not pretty!  Sharing the info because you can't say you appreciate the contributions of a people and then turn a blind eye to events that are adversely impacting those people.    


Happy Native American Heritage Month
and God Bless America!










“...  The horse was brought to the Native Americans by way of the Spanish Conquistadores. Horses completely changed the way of life for the American Indians. ...”  The Comanches learned how to use horses so well ... read the rest of the story.

Please Don't Shoot the Horses Ever Again!  









Interesting Fact and Observation:
"Currently there are 562 tribal governments in the United States recognized by the federal government. Each tribe can form its own government and enforces its own laws, establishes its own taxes and regulates its own activities." That's interesting. So if this can be accomplished in America, other countries with tribal communities ( "Afghanistan's tribal groups" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1658073.stm ) should just copy the Native Americans. Sounds easy enough! _ _ _ APOLOGIES!!! The quote was extracted from an article published via YAHOO Voices. That site shut down and the article shared was unpublished. UPDATE: November 3, 2014




16 February 2022

What is a Universal Language of Light?

Sharing a link to an article written by a fellow freelance writer

What is a Universal Language of Light?



  • Quote extracted from the article: “Modern research confirms the most ancient form of Hebrew to be a natural language; the alphabetic forms emerging from the phosphate flare patterns of the brain.”

(NOTE:  Link to an archived copy.  The article was unpublished.) 
This is my first time learning, hearing or reading about a “Universal Language of Light”. The research results do make you wonder. However, I am convinced that God invented all human languages because I believe the biblical account of the tower of Babel. If Genesis 11 is true, then any human language is a “language of The Light”.

  • The article also contains an interesting question: “Is DNA the next Internet?”
It seems that Russian scientists have made some claims. Next? I’m not trying to split hairs or “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”, but DNA was here first! Just sayin’. This article is fascinating!!


Love in 44 Languages

What is a Universal Language of Light?

Some call it the Language of Consciousness or the living language of light. Many people worldwide are now re-discovering this ancient Language that lies at the heart of so many spiritual traditions. Modern research confirms the most ancient form of Hebrew to be a natural language; the alphabetic forms emerging from the phosphate flare patterns of the brain.

*** Related Posts:





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18 March 2021

Religions of the World: What Do Muslims Believe About Angels?

Many of us in Western civilizations have somewhat of a familiarity with what the Bible teaches about angels, such as the scene depicted in the image below of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  But what do Muslims believe?

“Belief in angels is one of the six articles of faith in Islam, and all Muslims must accept their existence. The Qur’an emphasizes this in the following verse: 'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers.' (Qur’an 2:285). Although angels are part of the unseen and therefore mysterious, the Qur’an and hadith offer some insight into the creation of angels, their attributes, and their purpose."  (Quote Source: via What Do Muslims Believe About Angels? | suite.io)
  • Learn the basic teachings of Islam regarding angels, their creation, and their attributes.

* * This article discusses:

  • What Are Angels?

  • Why Were Angels Created?

  • How Many Angels Are There? Where Do Angels Live?

  • What Do Angels Look Like? Do Angels Have Wings?

  • How Big Are Angels?

  • Are Angels Male or Female?

  • Angels Can Take the Form of Humans


* * More Reading on Islamic Beliefs

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
  • Angels in Islam (Al-Malaikah) – Learn the names and duties of angels mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith.
  • What Do Muslims Believe? – An overview of the basic beliefs of Muslims, also called the six articles of faith.
  • Satan in Islam Compared to Satan in Christianity – Learn how Muslims’ belief about the devil differs from that of Christians.

* Muslims invoke Allah’s blessings on the Prophet Muhammad whenever his name is mentioned.
All articles were written by Christine Benlafquih, a Morocco-based writer who covers varied topics including religion, food, health and culture.


**BLOG PUBLISHER’S COMMENT: 
I used to contribute articles to this site and like to share contributions made by fellow freelance writers such as this one. Writers for Suite101.com are often professionals who publish articles on a wide range of topics from current political issues to ancient history, health, food, entertainment, religion and more. It takes no effort to search the database and find articles on just about anything.  Info extracted from the Suite.io articles can likely be found at this site:  Islam Religion - Articles



Image Credit:
Carl Heinrich Bloch: Angel comforts Jesus before his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane
Source: Wikimedia Commons


* * * Additional reading?
( #giftabook - Public libraries often operate on limited budgets. If you purchase a book, after reading it, please consider donating to your local library.)


16 April 2020

Texas Cultural Diversity: The Czech Culture of Texas | hubpages.com

Texas is a huge state with a lot of history and color. Many are familiar with the flavor of this great state and often write very interesting articles about the different cities, like this one written by fellow freelance writer Wesman Todd Shaw.

Texas USA is also a place of HUGE ethnic and cultural diversity. ... »




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Texas Round Up 
~ My Blog Posts About Texas















Cmoneyspinner's HomeBiz Projects's board ALL THINGS TEXAS! on Pinterest







23 January 2020

Society and Culture: The Olympics is Proof of Peace in Diversity

Doves have come to be known as a recognized universal symbol for peace in many cultures.  



The releasing of doves was done first at the 1896 Olympics held in Athens, Greece


It was only fitting that the 100th Anniversary of this tradition be highlighted at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA, USA.  Atlanta, as most students of American history know, was the Confederate Center in Georgia where several engagements of the Civil War were fought.  But that was the 60s (1861-65).  


One decade, we’re fighting like cats and dogs with each other, hooping and hollering about secession; and just 30 years later we are off to Greece, and the United States, emphasis on the word “united” was representing!  


Because, in the end, all that we all really do want is … world peace. 
















13 January 2020

What Does Shivat Haminim Mean?

Found this precious gem shared by a fellow freelance writer at HUBPages.com, an online writing community where many of the writers are experts or have such a passion that they speak with such thorough knowledge on a subject that you would dub them an "authority" on the matter.

"For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey;" (Deuteronomy 8:7-8)

The fruits and grains mentioned in this scripture are called the seven species (shivat haminim). In Israel, they have special status.

Seven Species. Fruits and Vegetables of Holy Land

As many times as I have read this scripture, it's now seen in a new light. That's one of the joys of reading the Bible. Sacred mysteries are constantly revealed.


Seven Species of the Land of Israel
Seven Species of the Land of Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)



07 January 2020

Society and Culture: When is a Minority Group a Problem?

Sweden: Jews are not a “problem”, as long as there’s only a few of them ...” (Source)

Odd quote to start off an article with. ( My opinion. )


But if you don't believe or don't read the Bible, then perhaps the statement is logical. (???)  When the Jews multiplied in Egypt they weren't a problem then, until the Pharoah who did not know of and/or did not choose to remember Joseph, decided that the Israelites were a "problem".  Other than the fact that they were having a lot of babies and lived in the Land of Goshen.  That was their home.  They weren't trying to spread themselves out because there wasn't enough room.  They were settled and weren't exactly messing with anybody! They weren't trying to overthrow the ruler and set up a new government or anything.


So what is written in the Exodus, is that like - the product of a great imagination?


Let's say the Exodus from Egypt account is fictional. You know if you watch the "wandering Jews" or the " diaspora " (hope that term is used properly), wherever they move to, they usually just settle down and live quietly, do business, observe their religious customs, practices, and traditions. Whether there are millions or just a "minority", they don't create the impression they came to take over! It seems like the only land they are ever willing to fight over is Palestine


The rest of the earth? Jews be like - Whatever!

It's just an observation. Please correct me if you see flaws.


* * * * *
Image credit: "Jews praying in a synagogue on Yom Kippur."



Related or Similar links from around the web:
The Real Exodus: End of Israel
Israel Palestine Conflict In A Nutshell
Ted Cruz Woos Jews (4-17-2015)


Originally published at personapaper.com on Jan 2, 2016.

02 January 2020

Jazz, America's Original Art Form ~ Cool Tweets for Where to Find Great Jazz!

"Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world."
- Ahmad Alaadeen















***

* * * Do you know of any other sites where great jazz can be found?  Leave a comment.

05 February 2019

Chinese New Year Symbols of Prosperity : Flowers

Chinese New Year 2019 is February 5th.

(Post updated every year.)

  • Chinese New Year 2015 is February 19th.

  • Chinese New Year 2016 is February 8th.

  • Chinese New Year 2017 is January 28th.

  • Chinese New Year 2018 is February 16th.


Flowers are an important part of the decorations for the Chinese New Year celebration. The plum blossoms (image below) and water narcissus are two of the most popular flower symbols of prosperity. Plum blossom is the national flower of The Republic of China. 


Plum blossoms symbolize hope and courage.



Image credit: By wang leon from Nanjing, China (0603mr21) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons


Water narcissus is used to symbolize good luck, fortune, prosperity. 

There are other flowers associated with the New Year: chrysanthemum, sunflower, pussy willow, and red azalea.

Learn what they represent in Chinese culture and tradition.






Chinese New Year Symbols of Prosperity (Part 2)

Adding on additional content from my post from 2015, when the new year was celebrated on February 19th . Here is a little more info about the cultural traditions and symbols of prosperity. Last year the spotlight was on flowers as an important part of the decorations for the Chinese New Year celebration.




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That's Perfect® Chinese Good Fortune 18"x18" Decorative Silk Throw Pillow Cover




24 October 2018

Modron, The Autumn Equinox ~ The Beginner’s Guide To The Wheel Of The Year (Reblog)

Found this post via the Authentic Blogger Group on Facebook. When the link was shared the image was a cornucopia. Grabbed my attention right away. Great intro to Celtic festivals and love the art!
* * *


     The Wheel Of The Year calendar comprises four Celtic fire festivals interspersed with two solstice and two equinox celebrations.  September’s Equinox denotes the height of the Autumn season.
     The Autumn Equinox is named variably as Modron (Mother Goddess) or Mabon (Divine Son) – deities from Welsh Mythology who can be found in The Legends Of King Arthur.
     Modron is a harvest and fertility goddess who shares characteristics with the Roman Ceres.  On the agricultural calendar Lughnasadh (August) is The First Harvest (grains and cereals) and The Autumn Equinox (September) is The Second Harvest (fruits and vegetables). ...

Originally posted on Lily Wight:
     Updated 23/09/2014

https://foxnet2017.tumblr.com/post/179401786901/halloween-in-ireland-the-history-of-this-celtic

https://foxnet2017.tumblr.com/post/179401854041/wheel-of-the-year-the-eight-pagan-holidays


11 October 2018

Book Recommendation : Women in History : Razia Sultana of India (Reblog)

EXCERPT:  " ...Razia ascended the throne of Delhi at the age of 31. During her four-year reign from 1236, silver coins issued in her name bore her official title "Jalauddin" but she referred to herself as "lmadatun Niwan", which meant the Great Woman. Razia Sultana dressed like a man and rode an elephant through Delhi with her face unveiled....

Legends surrounding Razia have made her popular in Indian culture; the 1983 Urdu film Razia Sultan is a fictionalized account of her life, as is Rafiq Zakaria's novel, Razia: Queen "

Women Who Ruled: Razia Sultana of India 


Image Source: Wikimedia Commons


Media_http4bpblogspot_ggdfx
**COMMENT: If you want to learn about women in history, this is the best blog ever!! Not only is it visually attractive and appealing, but the posts - so informative, intriguing and fascinating - will never disappoint you.


Book below not mentioned at the blog post, but suggested if interested in other women like Razia, the Queen of India.  It's a picture book suggested for ages 5 and up.  I'm older than 5 which puts me in the "and up" group of readers.  Picture books are wonderful quick reads and are just like a primer on a particular topic.  They usually have great illustrations and the non-fiction books present the info like a quick summary.  It whets your appetite and if you choose to do further research, you can search for books in the Juvenile/Young Adults section of the library for a more mature advanced reading level.
 
 

19 January 2018

Can an Ethiopian Change His Skin ...?

An insult that is not understood is a pointless insult.

Would you believe there is such as thing as a random insult generator? Played with the generator at The Insult Project and decided to copy this one below for my blog post.  Checked this site Jan 19, 2018, and it no longer exists.


People don't dislike you because you're revolting. I mean you are astonishingly revolting, that's just not why people dislike you.”

* * *


Was watching a Denzel Washington movie and there was a brief intense exchange of words between Mr. Washington's character and another character who was playing a support role. Possibly not the exact quote but the character scoffs and says: “You better watch out or I just might call you an Ethiopian!” Mr. Washington's character's defensive reaction and response was: “You know you're probably stupid enough to think that's an insult!”


Huh? What?? (???) Didn't get it! My limited exposure to Ethiopia and experience with Ethiopians left a void in my mind. Could not comprehend the meaning of the dialogue at all. (O.o) Dismissed it and finished watching the movie, The Siege.


Was doing research about one of the Jewish prophets in the Old Testament and came across this scripture:


Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

(Jeremiah 13: 23)


Let's place this quote in context.

  • Which Ethiopia are we talking about??


There is a modern day Ethiopia and there is an Ethiopia which is a land that existed during ancient times. Since it's a scriptural reference, we're going to go with the latter.


Modern Ethiopia is located in the horn of East Africa. Ancient Ethiopia, also known as Cush, was located to the south of Egypt. Cush is the Hebrew name. Ethiopia is the Greek name. (FYI. The Egypt in the Bible and the nation that exists today are both the same.)


Ethiopia translated into English mean “burnt face”. The Ethiopian people we see today are known for their smooth beautiful practically flawless chocolate brown skin. There's no reason why a talented photographer couldn't make a small fortune traversing the country taking pictures of the “humans of Ethiopia”. Evidently, the people who lived in the land called Ethiopia, the in the Bible, also had really nice skin!


So!! Uuuhhh … back to square one! My brain is still registering blanks!


Imagine you get into a heated argument with someone.

The person snarls at you angrily and warns:
“You better get out of my face! You … you … you Ethiopian!!” 

You puff up with righteous indignation and shout back:
“Yeah! That's right! I got nice skin!! HATER!!”


(??) Where would this argument go?? (??)



There is a famous world-class chef from Ethiopia. There was a young woman, born in Ethiopia, who was crowned Miss Israel in a beauty pageant. Madonna adopted a baby or babies from Ethiopia. (That's what I heard.)


Opening this topic up for discussion hoping someone can shed some light on it.

WHY would it be an insult

 to call someone an Ethiopian?





14 January 2018

The Welcoming Culture of the Bedouin Peoples

Bedouin tribes have a central welcoming culture that is very open to visitors. They use this welcoming of guests to show their respect to God and welcome people into their homes through the uses of tea and coffee.
 
The Welcoming Culture of the Bedouin Peoples  By Brian J Thomas
» Read on »

Coffee Time
 Traditional Bedouin melodies. 




***




05 October 2017

Food History : Burger King Halloween Burgers Only in Japan

Food Fact:  Premium Kuro Burger: newly introduced for Halloween 2012


The debate about Who Invented the Burger has been ongoing for years and the claims are still unsettled. Answers.com is loaded with answers.  

Burgers are a favorite food around the world. But the image of the black burger is not really making me salivate.  May or may not on an official Andrew Zimmern’s list for bizarre foods.  Don’t know.  Didn’t check.  But – no offense intended – it made my list for ugliest food I’ve ever seen!  However, to celebrate the fun of Halloween, perhaps I could be persuaded to taste it … IF … someone bought me a round trip ticket to Japan. :)

Burger King Halloween Burgers –  BK’s Halloween menu, available only in Japan.  Westerners did not immediately warm up to the idea of a black burger.

http://firstwefeast.com/eat/2015/10/burger-king-new-halloween-burger-turns-poo-green

That was then.  This is now.

Perhaps the blog post title should be revised to
"Burger King Halloween Burgers Were Once Only in Japan"

It's 2017 and black food is becoming a trend.





glitter-graphics.com
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13 May 2016

The Story of Qu Yuan and the Duan Wu (Dragon Boat) Festival

My interest in this Chinese poet was sparked by a discussion initiated at myLot.com about the Dragon Boat Festival.

May is Asian-American Heritage Month in America.  

Even though Qu Yuan is not a notable Asian-American, it is a time to honor Asian culture along with the history and roots of this country's Asia-American citizens.  This event is celebrated around the United States.  Specifically, this 2,000-year-old Chinese festival has been celebrated for 18 years in Austin, Texas.

"Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month. But that's not May 5th. This holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar. ... The Chinese name of this holiday is Duan Wu Jie 端午节 or 'Double Five Holiday.' ..."  Read more.

Dragon Boat Festival






01 November 2015

Native American Contemporary Artist: Tony Abeyta

Tony Abeyta
Native American Painter; Born 1965


Original paintings are in public art galleries worldwide and American museums, such as the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C./New York City.


Tony Abeyta is of Navajo and Anglo-American descent, the son of the late Navajo painter Ha-So-De (Narciso Abeyta). He was raised in Gallup, New Mexico, a small town surrounded by the Zuni (Pueblo Native Americans) and Navajo reservation. Pursuing his educational aspirations provided him an opportunity to travel. He has studied at art institutions in Baltimore, Chicago, Maine, New York, France and Italy. Though much of his work is rooted in a complex Navajo culture, it also displays elements of a progressive cultural experience.


"I try to diversify as an artist and there are certainly many directions I take as a painter." - Tony Abeyta


"Tony creates a powerful range of contemporary and traditional paintings. He explores different mediums such as oil and monotype creating a variety of pieces including charcoal drawings, large scale oil and sand paintings, and abstract mixed media pieces incorporating encaustic wax, copper and printmaking. Please browse through his collections of recent works, contemporary art, traditional art, and prints."  Official Website

Tony Abeyta is accepted as one of the finest young contemporary painters today, as well as one of the most innovative Native American artists of his generation. I. For further biographical information, click on the link to above to his official website or the links supplied below:
* * *
http://bit.ly/2lCAhkM




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