There There Microlectures

 These microlectures were super interesting to me, and they tied a lot of things together. Of course after watching, I have a better context for There There, but I think perhaps more importantly I have gained a larger understanding of the history of Native people and their stories. While watching the microlectures, I kept thinking back to our visit of the Archives and Special Collections and what we learned about the evolution of text and stories.

I thought it was really cool to see how the different stories were "written down," like the star maps and robe and Quipis. The Quipis I found particularly interesting. It was super cool to me how all of those little knots can tell a story! During the video, I wondered how historians pieced together what all the knots mean. I wondered a similar thing about the Wampum belts. How do historians know that the designs are actually stories and not just simply designs? Similarly, it made me wonder how many things that we think of as just simple patterns actually hold stories and meaning within them. A lot to think about!

It puts into perspective just how far literary texts have come, comparing these methods to our copies of There There, and I am intrigued to see where this microlecture series goes next!

Comments

  1. Noah English 11H BlogNovember 11, 2022 at 11:01 AM

    I also wonder how sure historians are about their theories on design meaning, and the stories that come from that. Also, I am interested in the process historians go through to discover the context and meaning of different historical items—from books in unknown languages, to belts, etc.

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  2. Andrew BautistaNovember 13, 2022 at 2:48 AM

    I like how you pointed out the focus on learning Native people's stories. It is especially prevalent in There There, where lots of the book is keeping Native culture/stories alive in the face of oppression.

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  3. HeatherLNovember 13, 2022 at 7:03 PM

    Hey Cassi! I was also interested in the quipus. I wonder if historians were able to put together what the different symbols and knots mean by learning from indigenous people who were able to read them, or if they had to make educated guesses. Either way, I am glad they were able to uncover some of the stories behind that form of Native communication!

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  4. Critical Thinkers and WritersNovember 15, 2022 at 9:34 AM

    In some ways, we can take the example of historians and literary/cultural critics by always staying open to a strange or even distasteful text: what might we be missing or not seeing? what do we need to learn to see it better and appreciate it?

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