11 Jul discussion
Question Description
Taxidermy, as described by Fatimah Tobing Rony, is the practice of making something that is dead seem alive, such that the taxidermic representation declares its subject “dead.” With respect to Native Americans, the critical concept of “taxidermy” suggests how attempts to “preserve” the past often end up as a way of consigning Native Americans to the past — that is, as “dead” — and thus denying the living present and contemporary realities.
As a critical approach to the representation of Native Americans, “taxidermy,” thus, is not exactly the same as an approach that draws attention to prejudice, racism, or harmful stereotypes. In fact, “taxidermic” practices can also be — but are not always — associated with a sympathetic intent, or a desire to support Native Americans. After all, in making Nanook of the North, Robert Flaherty actually wanted to deliver a respectful and positive representation of the Inuit people, one that showed their courage, resilience, and humanity. It is just that essentially by deploying forms of taxidermic representation, Flaherty also suggested that Nanook had no meaningful existence in the present.
Today, some activities or events that concern Native Americans remain susceptible to being framed within the rhetoric of taxidermy. That is, regardless of the ¨positive¨ intent, or elements of those activities or events, there is included with their representation the message that ¨Native Americans are no longer present, they belong to history.¨
One event that could easily end up being presented to reinforce existing idea of ¨taxidermy” is the recent discovery of thousands of Native American artifacts in Camden, New Jersey (see *Philadelphia Inquirer* article attached here). In fact, many of the readers comments in the comment section of the original online article already used taxidermic rhetoric to argue away the importance of the artifacts, which are situated on a proposed construction site.
Write a blog entry (min. 200 words) in which you describe how you would recommend the staging any or all parts of the presentation of these artifacts to the public so that their reception would not reaffirm the all-too-familiar, and harmful, rhetoric of taxidermy. Feel free to suggest everything from ¨public relations¨ aspects to announcements, to presentation in a museum. Your suggestions should also be somewhat practical. For example, creating a national holiday is not too practical.
As always, you may borrow an idea from other blog posts, as long as you acknowledge the author of that post, clearly build up their suggestion — and as long as that idea has not already been expanded upon three times already.
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Wridemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.