Search

This doctoral thesis deals with problems of identification of people who 1) consider themselves as Iroquois, or 2) are considered as Iroquois. The Iroquois are original inhabitants of North America living predominantly in the northeastern part of the U.S.A. (namely the State of New York) and in adjacent parts of Canada (provinces Ontario and Quebec). The thesis concentrates mainly on the process of identity or identities formation in the context of policies of the U.S. (and individual union states) and Canada (and individual Canadian provinces) which stipulate the legal framework for definition of membership of the group, rules for border crossing and jurisdiction in the reserves. Further the thesis examines the selfidentification of the Iroquois on the basis of kinship, place of residence, recognition or rejection of own political representatives and consequently fractioning of communities, religions, native languages, symbols, oral traditions and specific matters such as the game of lacross. A special emphasis is laid on boarding schools which formed the part of assimilationist policies of the U.S. and Canadian governments and exerted enormous influence on the shape of identity of the Aboriginal peoples. The position and activities of the Iroquois on the international scene are also discussed as part of...

This master thesis is focused on the phenomenon of cultural appropriation and the use of American Indian imagery in American and European culture. In both cultures are American Indians represented by distorted image of the universal White Man's Indian, which leads to the perception of them only as relicts of the past. In the United States, Native Americans try to point out the negative impacts, which the distorted image has on them, but the dominant white society refuses to acknowledge the inappropriateness of such images. The master thesis focuses on the historical evolution of the Native American image in American and European cultures. The author explains why the image was distorted and why the distortion still remains in both cultures. Then, the master thesis examines examples of appropriation of the American Indian in contemporary culture. Considering the extensiveness of this topic, the author focuses only on one example of cultural appropriation, which is the issue of Native Americans mascots and sports logos. On the American continent, the author chose the most controversial case of the Washington football team - the Washington Redskins. Despite the long history of Native American activism against the Redskins brand, the team refuses to change their racist name and logo. In Europe, the...

This master thesis deals with the period of radicalization and militarization of North American Indian activism during the 1960s and 1970s. For this period we use the term Red Power Movement. The thesis describes the history of Indian federal policy of USA. Outlines the Red Power Movement as a important actor in political process and focus on the role of the Movement in the shaping the Indian identity.