Week four reflection

Although it is already week 6 or even week 7 way passed program now, the memory of everything happened in Berlin didn’t fade at all. Week four, we spent this entire week in Jena, and met many Jena German students. From knowing nothing about Native American culture in German popular culture to knowing how many wives Karl May had, it was only a week. We heard many graduate students’ presentations and speeches from many professors. The first time when I hear that German have big obsession in Native American culture, I was shocked. In my memory, when we discuss about Naïve American in US, we focused a lot on the current issues such as conservation area protection. I felt it was discussed over and over, in my mind; Native American represents more about a weak group needed protection than strength and tribes. However, German people viewed differently from us. Although the Native Americans in their minds are stereotypes, they are the symbol of strength, nature, and freedom. When I say what Native American culture mean to German people, I felt it is stereotype as well. The east and west side of Germany also viewed Native American Culture differently as well. Although both sides seemed to take the culture as their own, I thought it was too much that they claim to be Native Americans as well. Interests in other culture for me is visiting their countries and talk to the people who are from that culture, but for the people in Germany were to have pow wows and have people in tp to dress up “like” native Americans and make the kids happy. Native American identities in social and capital world are different as well. The east side seemed to take this even more off, they neglected the part presented good about the native Americans and showed the people all the bad things about US. Although it might sound bizarre, I was not shocked by that because of all the watching they did like the big brother. However, the history is still replaying and the utilazation of other culture for our own purpose is still happening in many ways.