[R-G] [Redbadbear] Re: Saami [Lapp]

[Hunter Gray]

Your tone bothers me, Macdonald.

There have been some disputes about the Bering Straits migration explanation for a long time -- but the evidence, some physical and some linguistic and some in symbolic legendry, and more -- in addition to the lack of any evidence of human habitation in the Western Hemisphere 'way 'way back in time -- is quite broadly convincing.  I do have to say that I, personally, was "born" into  issues of this sort and I've heard them batted back and forth for ages in Native and academic settings.  Despite some  implications in your message, I really don't think most Native people have any real problem at all with the Straits explanation, given its truly archaic -- super ancient -- timing.  My own approach in teaching about this -- and I've done a great deal of that, including directly in the context of Native studies, is to present each basic view:  Bering and very literal traditionalism.  But I invariably say that the basic evidence supports the Bering Straits and those dimensions of literal traditionalism that relate to Origin are, in my opinion, best viewed symbolically.  And, with that, there really is no conflict. [To move into another context, I see no conflict between Darwin and the Bible -- when the Bible is viewed symbolically.The two can go together very nicely.]

The Bering matter has absolutely no moral or legal weight or authority in the matter of Native aboriginal title and claims --  which are, in every sense and every direction, valid to the core.  The Federal courts, in fact, made that clear ages ago -- see that as a non-factor and a non-issue. The bona fide aboriginal title of American Natives is considered hard-rock solid. Transforming That into tangible claims gains is always, of course, an endless fight -- and a most critical one.

On a minor note, I think it's pretty broadly recognized that some Vikings came into the coastal Maritimes in the 1200s and that shipwrecked Japanese fishermen occasionally wound up on the Pacific Northwest coast.

[There is an interesting and not-hard-to-find work --replete with pertinent illustrations -- that you or others might find worthwhile: Crossroads of Continents:  Cultures of Siberia and Alaska  [William Fitzhugh and Aron Crowell], Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988.  Drawing on many sources indeed, including many of those based in the then USSR, it's replete with maps -- including linguistic maps, all sorts of appropriate photos of people and their tangible cultures. It's a big book physically and runs to 360 pages.

I'm glad you have a Saami friend. [I have a part Saami spouse.] As I noted in my little post on the matter, the Saami have done considerable mingling with non-Saami peoples -- especially in the Scandinavian setting.  But in the outlying regions of Sweden and Norway, many Saami are relatively full-blooded and the Asian characteristics are obvious.  This becomes much more the case when one gets into northern Finland and northern Russia.

I hope this helps answer your concerns.

Hunter [Hunter Bear]




From: Macdonald Stainsby 
  To: Hunter Gray ; Radical anti-capitalist environmental discussion. 
  Cc: Redbadbear at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 9:04 PM
  Subject: [Redbadbear] Re: [R-G] Saami [Lapp]




  Hunter Gray wrote:
  > The Saami origin lies in Northeastern Asia and, while the people now
  > known as Native Americans moved -- over a long period of time into
  > the Western Hemisphere via the Bering Straits --

  There are a lot of people in many nations across Turtle Island who would 
  both challenge this as well as tune you out for saying it.

  Personally, I don't see western science as able to prove this sort of 
  thing, and also fully am suspicious that this line is promoted and 
  promulgated in order to undermine indigenous sovereignty, in particular 
  among idiots who then say garbage like "See? Everyone here is an 
  immigrant, no more 'native land claims'"

  nonetheless, a good friend of mine is Saami; definitely the whitest 
  nation whose history is tied to the land! Thanks for posting this.


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