...Batek: Traditional Tattoos Batek: Traditional Tattoos and Identities in Contemporary Kalinga, North Luzon Philippines Analyn Ikin V. Salvador-Amores ABSTRACT In the early 16th century, traditional tattooing is widespread in the Philippines, but very little is known or written about the practice. Sources for the study of traditional tattoos in Northern Luzon are very inadequate and merely make vague statements on the function and symbolic meaning of tattoos, as well as the relationship between the practice and culture as a whole. The statements likewise reveal a distinctly ethnocentric deportment. Until today, tattooing and tattoo designs in the Cordilleras are best understood within the context of headhunting. Headhunting was the only known reason for tattooing, and, to this day, no one knows exactly what tattoos signify. This paper provides insights into the roles and functions of the tattoos, and how the tattoos (batek) become cultural symbols of the intricate rituals brought about by community regimens of the Ilubo, Kalinga. No longer practiced, the batek of the Ilubo is a visually powerful rendering of symmetry and unity of designs. Batek now serve as an archive of culture for the group. Keywords: Tattoo, rites of passage, body adornment, identity, Kalinga INTRODUCTION My anthropological interest in body ornamentation, specifically in traditional tattoos, began in 1990. I met an old Bontoc woman who sold balatinao (red rice) in one of the old market stalls in...
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...because it is important for children to be open-minded about the differences between their own heritage and culture compared to others around the world. Yet, when were these students taught about stereotypes and harmful prejudices? Although they may learn about the history of slavery and the principles linked with hatred, do they understand the implications associated with discrimination and prejudice? Numerous schools around the United States have kept their original mascot names, such as the “Redskins”, “Cleveland Indians”, and “Coachella Valley Arabs”. In fact, for almost 50 years people have been trying “to persuade schools and universities to discontinue the use of American Indian mascots. Still, it is estimated that nearly 90 colleges and approximately 1,200 high schools in the U.S. continue to utilize American Indian images and logo” (Chaney, Burke, & Burkley, 2011, p. 43). This is an enormous amount of colleges that house thousands of students. This is in the United States alone, so the effect it can have nationwide is tremendous. It is vital to realize that it is not only the names of these mascots that cause turmoil, but the logos and images associated with them. The logos and numerous images often depict an untruthful beliefs about an entire culture. These biases have affected limitless cultures for countless years and caused others to discriminate against someone based on their deficiency of valuable information on the topic at hand. There is a massive concern in today’s...
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...encompasses a wide range of problems, from cases of excessive force, to civil rights violations, to budgetary problems. This research will include events that led to the creation of the first SWAT units, the aftereffects of the September 11 attacks, as well as the problems that both the contemporary public and police agencies face today. Finally, this project will highlight several proposed solutions to curb the increasing prevalence of police militarization, specifically as it pertains to agency administration. Militarized Police: A Growing Epidemic Eric Reed Liberty University Every day across the United States, tens of thousands of police officers and federal agents put their lives on the line to serve their communities and their country. They face a myriad of threats that could reveal themselves at any given moment, and it's impossible to predict what the next day of work holds for these men and women. The key to survival is to be well-prepared for any situation; as such, it is of utmost importance that our officers and agents have access to the protection and tools they need to deal with and adapt to the ever-changing force of crime. However, this protection comes at a cost. There comes a point when the level of protection and firepower wielded by police and federal agencies begins to encroach on the civil liberties of American citizens, and the trust between law enforcement agencies and their communities becomes eroded. Cases of overwhelming police force against...
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...To: Mayor Eric Garcetti Date: November 19, 2015 Subject: Veteran Suicide Prevention in California (Nationwide) ______________________________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: “All I ever considered when I thought about suicide was the guilt I was feeling and just wanting a way out, wanting to not have those memories anymore,” said Clinton Hall, 35, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman and now lives in Portland, Ore. His friend and fellow soldier killed himself shortly after returning home. An epidemic is raging among us and some of us have no idea the problem sits next to the very flag of freedom we encounter throughout our day. Suicide is one of the many causes of death for American military forces. A research project in 2012 reported in Times Magazine regarding active duty members of the military, shows a surprising 349 veterans took their own lives; more than the death from combat operations that year. The Veteran Affairs Department estimates that 22 vets die by their own hand every day. For a veteran, the sound of a firework can spark a flashback of war; while shopping at the aisles of the super market, a veteran may suddenly feel the need to seek cover as it reminds him of being ambushed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The reality is that our patriots are leaving one battle and returning home to another. Some veterans feel ostracized, others are homelessness, have become drug addict,, and are unemployed. These problems relate to...
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...CASE STUDY PAPER 1 Kid Killers: Delinquency Theories Arache Lotfalian UMUC CCJS 350 Professor Donovan 11/29/2012 CASE STUDY PAPER 2 In the middle class suburban town of Littleton, near Denver Colorado, a 17 year old murderous fantasy is beginning to take shape. Eric Harris and a friend known as “Vulcan” or “V” intend to commit an act so violent that it will secure their place in history. The following is an expert from Harris’s Journal, mastermind behind the Columbine Shooting: “Sometime in April next year, me and “V” will get revenge, kick natural selection up a few notches. If we’ve learned anything about the art of making pipe bombs, we’ll set hundreds of them around roads, bridges, buildings, and gas stations; anything that will cause damage and chaos. It will be like the L.A. riots, Oklahoma City bombings, WWII, Vietnam, Duke and Doom all mixed together. I want to leave a lasting impression on the world.” One year later on April the 20th 1999, Eric Harris and another Columbine student, Dylan Klebold, committed the worst High School massacre in American history. They killed twelve students and one teacher; injured twenty three others and then turned the guns on themselves (Avila, 2000). Immediately following the mass shootings, media, sociologists and criminologists set about the difficult task of discovering the motives of the killers and answering the question of whether or not problems within society allowed this to happen....
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...the deified ancestral spirits believed among the Hopi and other Pueblo Indians to visit the Pueblos at intervals.” The Pueblo’s are known to believe that the kachina spirits manifest themselves in performance and dance (Sayre, 2012, pg.21). Male tribesmen will adorn the kachina masks and will “become” the supernatural character. It is believed that through the dances, the represented kachina will embody the tribesman and its power will be portrayed. One representation of the kachina is an actual Native American Kachina doll. These dolls are often made for the tribes to sale. They are considered items of beauty only. In most cases if an individual is able to find a Kachina doll for sale, the Native Americans consider it to be of no ritual power or significance. The Kachina dolls history starts with the Hopi people. The Hopi Indians are the only people that make authentic kachina dolls. The carvers must participate in extensive training. Thorough religious studies along with master carving are part of that training. The earliest photos of the Kachina dolls date back to the late 1800’s. The Native Americas of the southwest began creating the Kachina dolls to explain to the children of their tribes the power of the Kachina’s. The dolls were merely an educational tool for the tribes. The Hopi children were instructed that these “dolls” were not to be played with but to be taken very good care of. There are nearly 250 kachina personalities (Sayre, 2012, pg.21)...
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...It’s a Saturday afternoon in October, and for many Americans across the country, that means one thing: football. Within the crowded parking lot of FedEx Field, amidst the sea of tailgaters, a scene breaks out. On one side of the street, a group of fans decked out in maroon jerseys, red face paint, and plastic headdresses chant “Hail to the Redskins!” On the other side, a group stands holding banners and signs that read “I am a person, not a mascot,” and “”R” word = “N” word.” This scene is one that has become fairly common over the last few decades. Since the early 1960s, Native American mascots and logos have become a site for extensive debate. Although mascots are used by sports teams to create unity amongst both the team and fans, the use of Native American mascots raises questions of authenticity, representation, appropriation, and racism. At the center of these debates is one question: “Are Native American mascots a positive way to honor and include Native Americans or a harmful and negative stereotyping of Native Americans?” The...
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...The American Southwest has not always been peaceful since the newcomers had come. Especially for the Navajo people who already occupy what is now the Four Corners? The struggle the two people had between each other and, having to live with one another. The new world had many goods that the natives have never seen before and also the Spaniards saw many new goods that the natives had as well. Also the good and bad things between these two people when they came in contact with one another. From the beginning to the end of the Spanish rule. This be the Spanish conquest on the Navajo people from the day they came to the day they left. The Navajo tribe is part of the Southwest Region located around the four corners region in the United States....
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...resolved with a simple form of action. According to the Theosophical Society of America, The Bhagavad- Gita, commonly known as the “Gita” has been passed back and forth between America and India through these civil disobedience activists. They each had influences on each other along with the Gita. Some reoccurring themes that may have influenced Thoreau, Gandhi, and King include questions about the right way to live, seeking higher knowledge, and how no action is still a form of action. The version of The Bhagavad- Gita that is told in The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 3rd edition, begins with the moment of crisis in Arjuna’s mind. Arjuna is the middle son of his five brothers who are apart of the Pandavas. He is apart of the warrior caste and is the most skilled and feared archer of his time. They are about to engage in war with their cousins, the Kauravas, because the leader, Duryodhana, is denying the Pandavas any share of the kingdom even after tackling every peaceful resolution there was. One aspect to keep in mind that separates some of these views form the Gita is that the Hindu religion believed in reincarnation or transmigration of souls. This heavily influences some explanations given by Lord Krsna to Arjuna. Now we are at the point in the...
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...Name Instructor Course Date My Lobotomy By Dully Howard My Lobotomy is a memoir written by Howard Dully who is among the youngest people who underwent trans-orbital lobotomy. This procedure was performed on him while at the age of 12 and it was initiated by his step mother who disliked his behaviors. He explains how he was diagnosed by schizophrenia, the procedure and how it affected his life and how he learnt that it was not right for the procedure to be performed on him. Dully’s mother died of cancer and left him under his step mother’s care. Dully grew up in an environment of emotional abuse and rejection. He was severely beaten up and forced to do things by the step mother and due to this emotional strain, he developed deviant behaviors (Dully and Fleming 46). Dully used to fight with his three brothers all the time because, he felt rejected and alienated from the family. He became disobedient to his parents and never took instructions from them. 'If it's a banana, he throws the peel at the window; if it's a candy bar, he leaves the wrapper around some place... he does a good deal of daydreaming and when asked about it he says, "I don't know." He is defiant at times - "You tell me to do this and I'll do that"(Dully 125) Dully’s deviant behaviors like stealing, fighting his brothers and even disobeying his parents made it possible, justified, and even necessary to lobotomize Howard Dully at the age of 12. Dully records in his memoir that he could steal sweets and leave...
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...Resource Links Wounded Warrior Resource Center The Wounded Warrior Resource Center Web site (WWRC) is a Department of Defense Web site which provides wounded Service Members, their families, and caregivers with information they need on military facilities, health care services, and benefits. It supports access to the Wounded Warrior Resource Call Center and trained specialists who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone at 1-800-342-9647 or by e-mail at wwrc@militaryonesource.com. Advocacy/Support - Disabled American Veterans* www.dav.org The DAV’s 1.2 million members provide grassroots advocacy and services in communities nationwide. From educating lawmakers and the public about important issues to supporting services and legislation to help disabled veterans — the DAV is there to promote its message of hope to all who have served and sacrificed. Advocacy/Support - National Veterans Foundation* www.nvf.org Our Mission: to serve the crisis management, information and referral needs of all U.S. Veterans and their families through: * Management and operation of the nation’s only toll-free helpline for all veterans and their families. * Public awareness programs that shine a consistent spotlight on the needs of America’s veterans. * Outreach services that provide veterans and families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment, and other essential resources. Advocacy/Support - Salute Inc.* www.saluteinc.org SALUTE, Inc. is a...
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...that serves the interests of the powerful who led the U.S. to war. Lembcke is a sociologist at Holy Cross College, a Vietnam veteran who was an active member of Vietnam Veterans against the War. His book demolishes the myth that the antiwar movement was anti-soldier and that vets were spat upon.In this book, he argues that the common claim of American soldiers were insulted and spat upon when they returned home from the Vietnam War is a myth and nothing more. It was intended to discredit the anti-war movement and the protesters that were behind it. Lembcke stated that the Nixon administration was behind the propaganda and was using it to discredit the anti-war movement protesters. He theorizes that the reported "spitting on soldiers" scenario was a mythical projection by those who felt "spat upon" and was meant to discredit future anti-war activism. He suggests that the images of pro-war antipathy against anti-war protesters helped contribute to the myth. Lembcke argues that memories of being verbally and physically assaulted by anti-war protesters were largely conjured, arguing that not even one case could be documented. However, some news accounts that mention spitting do exist, although there has been no evidence to support those accounts.( Discover The Networks) It is hard to disprove a myth and hard to prove that something never happened. Lembcke acknowledges that he cannot prove the negative—that no Vietnam veteran was spat on—saying ...
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... In some cases, the amount of force necessary to effectively compel compliance can only be obtained through use of military grade equipment. According to Radley Balko, proponent for the opposition of police militarization and author of Rise of the Warrior Cop: The militarization of America’s Police Forces, “There was unquestionably a need for the SWAT team approach in handling serious violent emergency situations, particularly those involving hostage taking and terrorist related incidents, and that was their primary use from their inception through the 1970s.”(Bickel 2013). There are clearly circumstances under which police militarization is necessary to ensure the safety of the public, as well as the police force. Statistically speaking, the police seldom use excessive force when interacting with offenders. During his lecture on August, 2 2014, Dr. Robert Press stated that nationally, it’s estimated that police only use force on 1% of citizen-police contacts. This statistic is verified by a report issued by the Seattle Police Department (SPD Report 2010). Statistically speaking, it is difficult to argue that the ability of police departments to militarize has caused any real increase in cases in which officers have used force. When weighing the negative aspects of the situation against the potential benefits of a militarized police force, it appears that the scale is shifted in favor of police militarization. Benefits which, at the very least, include an American police force...
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...George Washington's Greatest Challenges George Washington's Greatest Challenges Good Morning, Everyone. My name is Jeremy Beltran, and today I will be talking about George Washington. At the time of the American Rebellion Washington was a great leader of the continental army. Following his role as a leader he was elected as the first president of the United States of America. Yet, he had two issues that became his greatest challenges; the military and government development. One of the issues Washington faced was with stock for the military forces. There was an old saying. "amateurs study tactics while professional warriors study logistics." (Facts about Washington, n.d., Para#6) Not being able to provide the army with all the required material effected combat efficiency. As an active duty member myself receiving required materials is what I would expect the government to focus on. As well as it being conducted effectively. "George Washington urged congress and the thirteen states to replenish the desperate need for the following items: shoes, shirts, blankets, and gunpowder." (Facts about Washington, n.d., Para#6) Yet it became difficult for him to get these resources due to the selfishness of the thirteen states. It seems George Washington was adamant about the military, and if he wasn't so strong willed it may have consumed him. During the Valley Forge winter military camp of 1777-1778 it became very difficult to get supplies to them. "Rather than snow and cold temperatures...
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...on Zack Snyder’s movie, 300. This is a film on Leonidas, who is the Spartan King alongside 300 Spartan Warriors that willingly volunteered to stand up against a Persian army, which were almost ten times as many as they were. After a careful look at the film for the following critique, it is clear that there is a general theme prevailing in the whole movie that, sometimes one has to make sacrifices to gain freedom. Film Critique The movie “300” finds its roots from a graphic novel named 300 also, that was written by Frank Miller in 1998. The movie is based on one of the fierce Persian Wars in 492-449 BC in a battle known as the Thermopylae Battle. This battle went down in the historical books as a war that was characterized with plenty of bravery. The Spartan King, who was known as Leonidas, was the leader of 300 Spartan warriors who engaged the Persian Army in a war, which intended to block them from going into Greece via a two-meter wide pass in the Thermopylae Mountains. In as much as the Persian Army greatly outnumbered the Spartan soldiers, they were held back for two days, and in those two days they encountered major losses, which outweighed that of the Spartan warriors by far. However, on the third day, all was lost when a traitor informed the Persian King of a Path that would lead them behind the Spartan warriors. Therefore, it remains uncertain to the viewers as to whether the Spartan army would have managed to defeat...
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