The Search for the Lost American Indian Identity in Louis Owens’s Wolfsong

The problem of identity is a hot issue frequently talked about in many literary works.Especially,the identity problem or the search for identity can be seen as one of the major themes in the literary works written by ethnic writers.Louis Owens is a distinguished American Indian writer who has Choctaw,Cherokee,and Irish descent.In his debut work Wolfsong which was published in 1995,Louis Owens depicts the story about the protagonist Tom Joseph’s search for his lost American Indian identity.With deep knowledge and notion about American Indian culture and tradition,Owens reveals his worry about their own identity and precious culture and tradition which are disappearing gradually.This paper tries to analyze Tom Joseph’s search for his identity,and discusses how the American Indian tradition and culture influence his endeavor to find the lost American Indian identity.

Does Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Cigarette Smoking Increase Risk of Hospitalization for American Indian Infants

Background: Prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco are both associated with increased risk for adverse outcomes. American Indians experience disproportionate rates of adverse birth outcomes. The Indian people living in the Great Plains Area of the Indian Health Services have increased exposure to alcohol and smoking during pregnancy. This study aims to assess the relationship between prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure and early hospitalization in a rural Tribal Nation. Methods: We used data from the prospective Safe Passage Study on pregnancies and hospitalizations within the first year of life. The relationship between time to hospitalization and prenatal tobacco/alcohol exposure, maternal demographics, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression were evaluated. The analysis utilized Chi-square tests. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate the likelihood of hospitalization during the first year of life by substance use category. Results: From a sample of 432 infants, we identified 260 (60.2%) who had a hospitalization. We found no significant effect from that if mother drank, amount drank, amount smoked or if mother smoked, on the risk of hospitalization. We did identify an effect for exposure to alcohol or smoking and age to hospitalization. Exposure was associated with younger age at hospitalization. However, after controlling for mother’s age, this effect was not significant. Mother’s age was significant in all models of hospitalization risk from parental exposure. Discussion: Reducing prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol may decrease hospitalization rates for infants from this Tribal Nation, especially among young mothers.

On Native Origin of the American Indians

There have been controversies over differing opinions in the source of the American Indians. In this paper, the writer criticized the so-called classical theory that the remote ancestors of the American Indians entered America from Asia through the Bering Straits 14,000 ~ 20,000 years ago, worn their “clothes” and carried kindling during the late Paleolithic, no matter how by “boat” across the Bering Sea or by foot through a “Bering Land Bridge” which might once link up Asia and North America during glacial period;and independently proposed a new hypothesis that American Indians might be originated from the Western Rift Valley of North America. On the basis of locus distribution of American ancient human’s remnants, the writer pointed out that American ancient humans might be first originated at Yukon Territory of Canada within the Western Rift Valley of North America (the Basin & Range Province), and then migrated south ward (Yukon Territory → Mojave Desert → Mexico → Peru → Chile). Moreover, American Indians would have long been a presence for 40,000 years, or even 100,000 ~ 200,000 years in the American continents. So far, the logical basis which American Indians came from Asia 14,000 ~ 20,000 years ago was crushed, and derived two inferences: 1) American Indians might be originated from the Western Rift Valley of North America;2) Only the Eskimo might be the mover eastward from Asia, because of their gene B.

American historic influences on North American Indians

Indians have lived in America for 15,000 or 20,000 years and created their unique civilization.However,since Europeans came,their life was interrupted.The two different cultures conflicted fiercely and influenced each other.After several hundred years of mutual influence,Indians'life had been changed drastically in the terms of population,daily life,arts.And urbanization came up.Therefore,is civilization a good process or bad one? Maybe it can't be judged with only"right"or"wrong".Changes did happen.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes in urban American Indian/Alaskan Native communities: The Life in BALANCE pilot study

Objective: The Life in BALANCE (LIB) study is a pilot translational study modeling the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) intensive lifestyle coaching intervention among an underserved, high-risk population: American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) living in a large urban setting (Las Vegas, Nevada). Research Design and Methods: A total of 22 overweight/obese AI/ANs (age, 39.6 ± 10.4 years;BMI, 34.1 ± 6.3 kg/m2) at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes (HbA1c > 5.4 (36 mmol/mol) Results: Only 12 of the 22 participants remained?in the LIB program at the final post-program follow-up. Participants demonstrated significant decreased waist circumference and elevated HDL cholesterol. Triglycerides manifested the highest percentage change without statistical significance. No significant change was observed in blood pressure or fasting blood glucose. Conclusions: LIB participants’ improvements in BMI, waist circumference, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides suggests type 2 diabetes prevention programs aimed at urban AI/ANs show significant potential for reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among this underserved and high risk community. Qualitative data suggest the main challenge for type 2 diabetes prevention specific to this population is a need for improved community outreach strategies.

Chronic Hepatitis B in Indian Americans: Lack of Screening and Poor Linkage to Care

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in the United States (US) and globally. CHB disproportionately affects Asian Americans and many other immigrant minority populations, primarily owing to the high prevalence of CHB in their countries of origin. India is a country with a medium-to-high prevalence of hepatitis B (HB) (>2%) and has over 40 million people infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), with more than 115,000 deaths annually from HBV-related complications. Indian Americans are one of the largest immigrant populations in the US but remain underdiagnosed and poorly linked to clinical care. We, therefore, assessed the HBV prevalence and evaluated the linkage-to-care (LTC) among Indian Americans to develop strategic plans to reduce the impact of HBV in the US. Methods: Between April 2022 and January 2024, serologic screening and surveys were provided to 328 Indian American adults (age 20 - 80) in New York City. All participants were tested for a triple panel consisting of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core IgG antibody (anti-HBc). A survey was conducted on the subjects chronically infected with HBV regarding their histories of infection. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to evaluate demographic and epidemiologic characteristics. Results: Of 328 screened and evaluated (246 males and 82 females), 10 (3.0%) were HBV-infected, 222 (67.7%) were susceptible to HBV, and 96 (29.3%) were immune. The prevalence of chronic HBV varied between the age groups: 4.6% (age 20 - 40), 3.4% (age 41 - 60), and 1.7% (age 61 - 80). Of 10 chronically infected, only two subjects had been previously diagnosed but were not engaged in care. Conclusion: HBV disproportionately affects Asian Americans, primarily owing to immigration from parts of the world where the disease is endemic. Indian Americans belong to an intermediate-risk group, with an HBV prevalence of >2%, but remain underdiagnosed and poorly linked to care. Our pilot study on Indian American populations, the first of its kind, demonstrates a 3% prevalence of CHB, none of whom are linked to care. In addition, this population has a high percentage of unimmune subjects, creating a large reservoir for future infection. With the growing population of Indian Americans, our findings can be used to develop community-based strategies for HBV screenings and LTC that target high-risk groups.

Mimicry anp Masquerade in Faulkner's American Indian Characters

Faulkner once said that he made up his American native characters out of his imagination.His American Indian characters are hybrid and grotesque,a disturbing and troubling presence in his work.Yet some critics point out that the construction of Faulkner's American Indians in Yoknapatawpha is not created out of a cultural vacuum and Faulkner assimilated both local and national popular thinking about American Indian people as presented in his stories.Homi K.Bhabha argues that the narration o f a nation is a double address,and there is a split between the pedagogical narrative and the performative narrative of a nation.The pedagogical narrative is horizontal and historicist,which intends to indicate the people as one,whereas the performative narrative obscures the nation's self as one and shows the heterogeneity of the nation.Bhabha argues that there exists a liminal space,a temporality of the“in-between,”in which the nation splits within itself,articulating the heterogeneity of its people rather than the homogeneity.Jacques Lacan's paradigm of the relationship between the subject and the Other is helpful in the understanding of Bhabha's national narration as a double address.I argue that Lacan's paradigm of the intersection of the subject and the Other shows the liminal space of the national narrative by Bhabha.By combining Bhabha's double narrative of the nation and Lacan's graph on the subject and the Other,we could have a new understanding of Faulkner’s American Indian characters in his stories.In this essay,I show how some of Faulkner's American Indian narratives are depicted as the Other,which reflects the characteristics of the pedagogical narrative;and how others can be read as the performative narrative due to the multiple effects of the mimicry of the American Indian characters such as Ikkemotubbe and Sam Fathers.I argue that Faulkner's American Indian narratives are twisted and obscure which can be read as a double narrative,with both the characteristics of the pedagogical and the performative narrative.The narrative of American Indian characters can be regarded as happening in a liminal space where race is fluid and hybrid.

The Intergenerational Conflicts in Selected Chinese/Indian American Literature

For the early generation of both Chinese and Indian immigrants,their deep immersion in their own language and cultural environment has given their life experience an indelible nostalgia.However,the children of their descendants born in the United States have no such cultural heritage and spiritual burden,their thinking on values,languages,education,occupation,clothing,social communications,etc.are more largely Americanized and culturally identified with the mainstream society.In this way,the various intergenerational conflicts reflected in Chinese and Indian American literature implies the importance of negotiation through the use of shared resource between the old and new identities to balance,adapt and integrate in the adopted land.

Chronic liver disease in Aboriginal North Americans

A structured literature review was performed to detail the frequency and etiology of chronic liver disease (CLD) in Aboriginal North Americans. CLD affects Aboriginal North Americans disproportionately and is now one of the most common causes of death. Alcoholic liver disease is the leading etiology of CLD, but viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C, is an important and growing cause of CLD. High rates of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are reported in regions of coastal British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. Non-alcoholic liver disease is a common, but understudied, cause of CLD. Future research should monitor the incidence and etiology of CLD and should be geographically inclusive. In addition, more research is needed on the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in this population.

《缅因森林》中的荒野与印第安人

在《缅因森林》中,梭罗对荒野的内在价值进行了高度肯定,其笔下的荒野拥有鲜明的主体性特征及原始色彩,剥离了荒野与人类生存之间的联系;同时他还进一步发掘了荒野外在的精神与文化价值,并提出了建立国家保护区以保存包括印第安人在内的原始荒野的构想。然而,梭罗构想中“诗化的”与现实中“退化的”的印第安人形象的冲突表明,印第安人身上与荒野相近的原始色彩被梭罗从其日常的荒野生活实际中抽离,被视为原始荒野象征物。该文分析了梭罗的荒野观及其荒野保护思想的传达,在此基础上探讨《缅因森林》中的印第安人形象,旨在为相关研究提供参考。

北美印第安神话中人与自然的关系

在北美印第安神话中,自然界的万物都蕴含着神灵,都有非凡的神力,人与自然万物共存共生,相通相融。在万物共存的平衡系统中,人是有决定力量的主角,但人却始终不敢恣意妄为,因为人对自然有感恩之情、尊敬之意和畏惧之心。在这三者的基础上,人与自然万物最终相互理解,相亲相爱,真正融为一体,人与自然也真正达到了和谐。

美国印第安悲剧的悖论分析

迄１９世纪末，美国印第安民族经历了一次没落的悲剧命运，人口锐减，文化沉沦，被称为“垮掉的民族”或”正在消失的民族”。通过对印白交往史的研究，可以总结出美国印第安悲剧的五个悖论：真实的印第安人本性与印第安人类型神话、民主与歧视、高尚动机与机会主义功利目的、原则与实践。白人对待印第安人的双重标准。这些悖论使美国历史沾染上了洗刷不去的污点。

20世纪70年代以来美国印第安人的社会发展

20世纪70年代以来,美国政府关于印第安人的自决政策对印第安人的社会发展起到了一定的推动作用,特别是各种组织的成立以及教育文化方面的发展,有力地说明了印第安社会在发展的道路上取得了很大成就,人们的生活质量得到了很大的改善,但是这并不意味着美国印第安人社会的各种问题都已经完全解决,特别是与美国总体水平相比,印第安人社会仍需要有相当长的时间、付出更多的努力才能达到美国社会的平均生活水平,而这正是美国政府和印第安人需要共同努力的目标。

印第安传统文化与当代印第安文学

印第安文化源远流长,虽然在历史上饱受军事屠杀、宗教同化和文化入侵的多重洗劫,却依然进发出不朽的魅力,对当代印第安文学产生着深远的影响。本文就口述传统、时空的环形结构、数字"4"等在当代印第安文学中的再现和对当代印第安作家在思维模式、讲述方式及谋篇布局方面的影响进行了论述。

当代美国印第安诗歌中的动物形象

当代美国印第安诗歌中栖息着形形色色的动物形象。它们是诗人歌唱的对象,同时也昭示出当代印第安人承袭印第安传统文化的精神信仰和生活态度。本文聚焦于当代印第安诗歌作品中两类具有代表性的动物形象——强悍狂野的熊和亦正亦邪的郊狼,探讨当代印第安诗人们如何通过这两类动物形象,传达出印第安人对生命、对自然、对宇宙的独特理解,咏唱出一曲曲关于生命的诗性赞歌。

鬼舞:美国印第安小说中的批评隐喻

"鬼舞"(ghost dance)是美国印第安部族的传统仪式之一,也是19世纪末泛印第安运动的宗教抗争手段。在希尔克、阿莱克西和维兹诺等当代印第安作家的笔下,"鬼舞"成了一种批评隐喻,再现于文本之中,与文字共舞,展现了当代印第安作家致力于强调印第安民族的历史存在和恢复印第安民族在多元共存社会中应当拥有的地位和话语权的努力。

美国原住民的称谓之争——当今美国“美国印第安人”与“土著美国人”的争议

自从20世纪60年代以来,针对美国原住民的称谓问题,围绕着“美国印第安人”和“土著美国人”这两个词产生激烈的争议。在分析这两个词的源起以及赞成和反对使用的理由后,我们认为,用特定的印第安部落成员身份来称呼美国印第安人是最佳方式。

加里·斯奈德与印第安生态智慧

加里.斯奈德被深层生态学家视为他们的桂冠诗人,他为全球生态运动做出了巨大的贡献。斯奈德将印第安原始生态智慧与自己一生的实践紧密结合,他是一位身体力行的生态学家和生态诗人。本文旨在研究斯奈德从印第安文化中所汲取的原始生态智慧。主要从万物有灵论、素朴生活和盖娅假说这三个方面来论证。

1960-1970年代美国“红种人权力”运动与土著族裔意识的复兴

"红种人权力"运动作为美国印第安人历史上的重大事件之一,并非仅具有象征性作用,而是产生了重大影响,推动印第安人族裔意识的勃兴。这主要表现在三个方面:一是推动印第安人在1960-1970年代广泛开展泛印第安人抗议运动;二是全国性土著组织如雨后春笋般纷纷建立;三是激发了印第安人个体的族裔认同感和民族自豪感。所有这些又进一步促使土著民族自治运动以星火燎原之势在全国范围内迅速展开。

美国印第安诗歌探微:以乔伊·哈娇为例

美国印第安诗歌经历了一个主流文学排斥、歧视、忽视、接纳、支持的漫长历史过程。在二十世纪六七十年代"红种人权力运动"和"美国印第安文艺复兴"的影响和推动下,得到了空前的发展,出现了多位印第安诗歌史上杰出的诗人,乔伊·哈娇便是其中一位。在其诗歌创作中,哈娇拒绝主流文化的同化,在书写中回归印第安传统,融合印第安文化中独有的"说故事"和"灵视"等印第安传统和宇宙观,在部族文化的同时,重新追求部族及个人的自我定位。