There There Microlecture

The microlecture gave a really interesting context into the broader cultural factors around stories written by Native American authors. Most of the history I was taught about Native American cultures, tribes, and communities, was from a US History standpoint. So, from a colonization point of view and how Native peoples interacted with European settlers. I seldom learned about the Native cultures themselves. This microlecture gave that important context around Native Americans to shape how I interpret different themes in "There There." Knowing the historical and cultural context allows for a more informed reading of the book.

The microlecture also showed how different cultures communicated and portrayed ideas differently. When I think of nonverbal communication from the point of view of my society, it is generally written or typed letters. We have essays, notes, books, articles, etc.—which are all very similar in nature. The microlecture showed how vastly different methods of communication can be. For example, Lone Dog's Buffalo Robe looks nothing like modern communication methods. However, it still portrays an important and distinct message to a person who knows how to read it properly. This shows the importance of studying different cultures from their point of view to see the differences cultures have in something seemingly so simple (yet in reality so complex) as communication. Especially, looking at cultures from their lense, because for a lot of people Lone Dog's Buffalo Robe is an interesting piece of art. In reality, the cultural and practical meaning/use of it is much more.