Anthro Assignment

Anthropology 100Dr. Judkins polish 2012 Writing Assignment by Christina OShea In the early ordinal century, Arnold van Gennep, a French ethnographer, wrote The Rites of transportation in which he describes the care for of changing social states of being. This one possibleness has certainly made a deep impact on anthropological thought due to the incident that it plenty be utilize to a number of situations, both previous(prenominal) and present, in which transitions are made. It stool also be used as an educational tool for people to use so that they can grant a better understanding of the practices of piecey different cultures.In fact, many examples of the theory of Gennep can be found in ethnographic autobiographies, such as sun principal(prenominal) The Autobiography of a Hopi by turn in C. Talayesva. solarise brain The Autobiography of a Hopi is the myth of gain C. Talayesva, a man raised as a Hopi Indian and then trained as a white man. Written from his point of view, the autobiography anyows the reader to concord a better understanding of Hopi culture as take up shares the story of his life. At one point in the work, take over mentions a peculiar(prenominal) moment in his life when he decided to join his gravel on a salt excursion to Little Grand Canyon.I can honestly say that when I premiere read of the salt trip of fatigue, I did non really think much of it. I believed that the occasion that this event was even mentioned was to describe to the reader the method that the Hopi Indians used to make headway salt. However, after learning the rights of handing over theory of Arnold van Gennep, I began to get in that this move became more to do with initiation rather than nutrition. In The Rites of Passage, Van Gennep explains that a rite of personation has three phases that are handled finished ritual and a symbolic code by which we understand meaning.The initiatory phase is called the separation phase in which you remo ve yourself from a author social status. In Sun Chief, one example of how Don used this phase while on the expedition was before the journey even began. Don states that on the morning of the expedition, the War Chief sprinkled a corn-meal path, placed a feather upon it with the breath line pointing westward distri butively of us stepped on the road-marker, and the expedition was under way. Throughout the journey, Don describes the ultiple springer of must perform while on the salt expedition in which he and his traveling companions concede respect to the ancestors and the gods which allowing Don to sustain more spiritually, in that respectby preparing him for his transition. Following in the tradition of his ancestors, Don carves his association emblem on a rock in bon ton to pay respect to Hopi salt assembleers from years passed. At the shrine of the Salt Woman, Don also has intercourse with the shrine as a supplicant for wellness and an increase in offspring. Since it was his first expedition, Don had to strip completely peeled beforehand.While reading of the confused tasks that Don had to complete on his journey, I realised that the union of commitment that Don had to these preparations reminded me of how I entangle as I was preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. By deciding to be a prospect for Confirmation, I, like Don, chose to follow in the footsteps of my parents and grow more spiritually. In order to be confirmed, I had to complete various activities to prove that I should become an adult extremity of the Catholic Church.The second phase of passage is called the liminality or transition phase is essentially the middle point where the essential transformation takes place. When Don arrives at the kiva and the hole through which mankind emerged, since this was his first salt expedition, he is given the task by the War Chief to reach down into an empty cavity, where the kiva was connected, while holding a prayer feather sprin kled with corn meal in his hand. In exchange for the feather, the animate, traditionally, give give to Don the coveted yellow clay that, Don states, is always used for paho making.Without headache Don reached down, while being held firm by his nonplus and the War Chief, into the hole and, while letting go of each feather, drew handfuls of clay. During this, Don states I could feel the presence of spirits below, who accepted the feather and gave me clay. afterward depositing the feathers and praying, Don and his companions proceeded to a polished fountain, high atop which was a cupped top overflowing with salt that they proceeded to gather for themselves and for the Salt Woman. While reading of the spiritual connection that Don experienced, I remembered that which I received during my Confirmation ceremony.I had spent months preparing for this moment and at one time, at keen-sighted last, there I was, wearing my red robe sitting in the pew in front of the church, waiting fo r my name to be called. Finally, when I was called by the bishop to come to him in front of the alter, I, like Don, showed no fear as I rose out of the pew and walked down the gangplank of the church with my back to the congregation. After being called by the name of the exaltation that I chose to honor, I received a blessing from the bishop and was proclaimed a confirmed member of the Catholic Church.The third and final phase of passage is called the re-aggregation phase in which one re-enters society with their new status. In Sun Chief, when all of the needed salt is gathered, it is determined that the expedition is now over and Don and the others begin the journey home. As they pass the various shrines Don notices that his offerings had been viewed favorably by the spirits. Eventually, after distributing a large amount of salt to the Salt Woman, they reached Moenkopi and, after turning the road-marker, which they used in the blood line of their journey, eastward, they soon mad e their way back home to Oriabi.Don is asked by his father what he thought of the salt expedition. Don replies that it was pretty tough and he believes that the salt that they have gathered will not last them a year. His father replies that this is the way that most young men think now. After finishing Dons account of the salt expedition, I could not help but sympathize with Don. After all of the steps that Don had to preform, Don probably thought that he would receive a large amount of salt than he actually got.As I was preparing to receive Confirmation, there were times where I would be sacrificing time, which, at the time, I felt was more important and so, I began to wonder if all of these preparations were even worth waiver through. However, I soon realized that spiritual growth is not something that is upright given to you it is something that is earned. Therefore, the journey to that growth needed to be tough for it showed how much you wanted it. Throughout the process, I kept reminding myself that it would all be worth it and, in the end, it was.After being confirmed into the Catholic Church, I instantly felt the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. I was now officially an adult member of the Catholic Church. I also felt that through this sacrament, I had full-grown more spiritually and that my relationship with God had grown stronger. In Dons case, without question, he showed no fear as he performed each of the tasks and, though he did not think so at the time, all of the preparation was truly worth it. While on the expedition, Don compensable tribute to both the spirits and the ancestors allowing him to grow more spiritually.Since Don participated in the expedition, his elders no longer consider Don a novice for he has now gained experience necessary to assist him in the future. By expiration on this salt journey, Don has shown his respect for his culture and how he honors the traditions and customs of his heritage. By using van Genneps rites of passage theory, the overall body structure and true meaning of Dons salt expedition has certainly become clearer. Using this information, I have also found that van Genneps theory cannot only be applied to the salt expedition, but to other life events of Don as well.Other instances in Sun Chief where van Genneps rites of passage theory can be applied are when Don was born, when he became married to Irene and when he was initiated into the Wowochim society. By exhibit me how Dons journey of spiritual growth resembled my own, I can now say that van Genneps, surprisingly universal, theory has allowed me to have a better understanding of Dons culture. Works Cited 1. Talayesva, D. (1942). Sun question The autobiography of a hopi. (p. 232-246). London, England Yale University Press.