I didn't realize until just the other day that Native American culture is displayed in my life in many different ways. Maybe I'm noticing more and more indigenous similarities and examples because I've been thinking about it more frequently. Or maybe it's because there really are a great deal of indigenous "things" that we, as Americans, have adapted into our society. The other day I had what I would call an "Indigenous-American Epiphany". Laugh all you want, but you too will know how I felt when I realized what I'm about to tell you.
While searching in my room for a pair of shoes to wear that day, I stumbled across my moccasins. And then it hit me. I had forgot that moccasins were apart of Native American culture. I knew that early indigenous people wore moccasins and that many people in today's society wear them as well. What I didn't know was the story behind moccasins, so I decided to do some research.
I learned that moccasins actually accommodated different Native American tribes with the different living conditions they all lived in. For example, Native Americans who lived around mountains and rocks wore moccasins that had a harder sole on the shoe. For those who lived near softer ground, they had soles that were more soft than hard, making the shoes light and free.
For a shoe that used to act as a slipper to my dad and a fashionable footwear for many youngsters out there, moccasins have definitely come a long way.
(http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/mocasin/mocintre.shtml)
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
TOMS Shoes: Helping Native American Reservations
As an active supporter, follower, and consumer of TOMS shoes, I couldn't be more happier with the email I received earlier in the week.
As many of you know, TOMS shoes provides pairs of shoes for hundreds of children in developing countries all around the world. They currently are helping over 20 different countries and are continually working to expand their efforts to even more countries.
Shoes are a necessity for everyone and I think it's safe to say that we all take that for granted, like most things in our lives. In developing countries, shoes can mean so much to a child. Without shoes, these children can potentially catch diseases that are easily preventable. Without shoes, children can cut themselves and possibly hurt themselves. Lastly, most schools have rules in which a uniform is required; that includes wearing shoes. Without shoes, these children cannot attend school, preventing them from an education and holding them back from learning.
I was shocked to hear that here in the US, Native American reservations live in extreme poverty, making them one of the "poorest minority groups in the United States" (www.toms.com/blogs). I knew that some reservations lived in poverty, however I had no idea that the severity of their poverty was compared to that of a developing country.
I was overjoyed when I found out that TOMS would be helping out these Native American reservations in providing children with shoes. Living in a country as free and wonderful as we are, we do help other nations out quite frequently (in my opinion) when it comes to poverty and relief efforts. So when I found out that TOMS was planning on proving shoes for Native American children here on our own US soil, I was very pleased.
As I am learning throughout this semester, Native Americans in this country are completely overlooked and ignored. Hearing that TOMS will be taking an active role in providing something as simple as shoes to reservations makes me think that maybe, just maybe, Native Americans in this country are starting to be heard.
As many of you know, TOMS shoes provides pairs of shoes for hundreds of children in developing countries all around the world. They currently are helping over 20 different countries and are continually working to expand their efforts to even more countries.
Shoes are a necessity for everyone and I think it's safe to say that we all take that for granted, like most things in our lives. In developing countries, shoes can mean so much to a child. Without shoes, these children can potentially catch diseases that are easily preventable. Without shoes, children can cut themselves and possibly hurt themselves. Lastly, most schools have rules in which a uniform is required; that includes wearing shoes. Without shoes, these children cannot attend school, preventing them from an education and holding them back from learning.
I was shocked to hear that here in the US, Native American reservations live in extreme poverty, making them one of the "poorest minority groups in the United States" (www.toms.com/blogs). I knew that some reservations lived in poverty, however I had no idea that the severity of their poverty was compared to that of a developing country.
I was overjoyed when I found out that TOMS would be helping out these Native American reservations in providing children with shoes. Living in a country as free and wonderful as we are, we do help other nations out quite frequently (in my opinion) when it comes to poverty and relief efforts. So when I found out that TOMS was planning on proving shoes for Native American children here on our own US soil, I was very pleased.
As I am learning throughout this semester, Native Americans in this country are completely overlooked and ignored. Hearing that TOMS will be taking an active role in providing something as simple as shoes to reservations makes me think that maybe, just maybe, Native Americans in this country are starting to be heard.
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