Blog 4 -- Timelines

Although they are halfway across the world from each other, the brief histories of Australia and New Zealand and the United States of America have many similarities. First of all, each of the three countries was settled by Great Britain in the eighteenth century. However, all three countries had native people living there before the Europeans came, which were the Aborigine, the Maori, and the Native Americans. At first, the natives were opressed by the settlers and had less rights. Eventually, though, they gained equal rights by 1967, beginning with the Maori in 1840, followed by the Native Americans in 1924, and finally the Aborigine in 1967. Each country gained its independence from Great Britain by the late 1940s (America: 1776, Australia: 1901, New Zealand: 1947). Gold was discovered in each country from the late 1840s to the early 1860s, inducing a gold rush. However, the amount of gold actually found overall wasn't very much, only a little more than ten tons in Australia (http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/April/20080407162843myleen0.756222.html). 

On the other hand, the three countries also have many differences. For example, while the Native Americans and the Maori attacked the European settlers on their lands, there weren't any significant struggles between the Aborigines and the Australian settlers. Furthermore, the Maori and the Native Americans signed documents with settlers, agreeing to make peace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi). However, the Aborigines were told there would be a peace treaty, no such document ever surfaced. Furthermore, Australia was originally settled as a prison colony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia). Also, America has only one native marsupial, which is the opossum (http://www.ask.com/ref?qsrc=3041&o=41647999&l=dir&q=north+american+Marsupial). These three countries have their discrepancies, yet in the end, they're not so different after all.

       References (not cited directly):

• http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/frameset_reset.html
• http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/stories/0701_0140.html
• http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/April/20080407162843myleen0.756222.html

    

Blog 3 -- Creation Stories

1. I believe that the reason cultures have formed creation stories/myths is because they were afraid. In the early days of their civilized thought, they felt alone, and confused. They didn't know why they were here, or where they had come from. So, they made up stories of greater beings who had created this world and filled it with wonderful things. They made these stories so they could feel like they didn't just happen by accident, like they weren't just some evolutionary mutation, like they had a higher purpose than just living. They wanted to feel safe, and trust in the belief that there was something better waiting for them, somewhere out there. Creation stories have shaped the cultures of the world into what they are today, and are a large factor in the ideals of each culture.

2. The creation myth of the Australian Aborigines said that man is superior to woman (and that women should fear men) and that the planet was there from the beginning, but it was bare. An important theme of the story is overcoming fear. The creation myth of the Maori said that the beginning came from nothing, and that children drive their parents apart. An important theme of the story is overcoming obstacles. From the stories, it can be inferred that the Aborigines value animals and creatures, and the Maori value the earth and elements.

3. Both cultures are man-based societies and encourage freedom from oppressive forces. They value nature and natural resources (being one with nature); however, both agree that humans are superior to animals, claiming that humans are descended from gods. On the other hand, the cultures differ in their ideas of what should be valued the most. The differences between their cultural values could be because they originated on different continents altogether (the Maori came from Polynesia in the beginning).

4. The myth of the Aborigine tells us why the platypus looks the way it does, and it also explains evolutionary divergence, because each animal picked what it looked like. The stories all have similar aspects that are reflected in most cultures around the world: There is one High Father, under whose direction life was created, and man and woman were created separately from the animals. Also, people were afraid when the sun set, because they thought the world was ending. The connections between the different cultures developed into many religions today.

5. My "creation story" that I believe in is Christianity. In Genesis, the first chapter of the Bible, it tells how God created the world and the heavens and the animals and the plants and humans, in seven days. I use the Bible to help me explain the world to myself, so I can make more sense of it. And also, I use my belief to find comfort and solace in my life, so I have something to look forward to after I die. I try to do good deeds and be a good person and spread my faith so that I can go to Heaven. Because of my faith, I view the world as a beautiful gift from God, filled with miracles. I know this because of the way I've been brought up by my parents and by the people around me. I know I can make a difference in the world if I believe enough.