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Essay / Critical summary of Roger C. Echo-hawk's book, Integrating Oral Traditions and The Archaeological Record in Deep Time
The collaboration of archeology and oral traditions can result in an understanding of North America Ancient North that scientific discoveries may have difficulty producing on their own, but unfortunately, researchers still dispute the historicity of verbal literature. Echo-Hawk asserts the need to combine the two to not only obtain in-depth results from NAGPRA investigations, but also to complete a vivid picture of early American history. A continuing narrative runs through Echo-Hawk's article, emphasizing that a more inclusive and effective study of oral traditions can improve knowledge of cultural affiliations and provide in-depth insight into the social and physical migration of Native Americans in antiquity . This summary will address the key points covered by Echo-Hawk, the NAGPRA procedures and the overall criticism and evaluation of oral traditions; its principle of memorization and the Pleistocene world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The American Indian Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was created in 1990 with the goal of protecting and to return cultural elements to direct lineal or culturally affiliated descendants. Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations. In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the historical value of oral traditions, with some scholars taking oral traditions into account when researching antiquity. However, NAGPRA investigations rely primarily on archaeological evidence to discern these recipients, such as osteological and artifactual data, despite the law itself encouraging the use of oral literature. Most researchers tend to favor archaeological finds to establish these tribal connections and their respective chronologies. Echo-Hawk points out that for the few researchers who were interested in oral literature, the results presented were a little more impressive than those of their counterparts. As such, research into ancient history cannot be purely objective but must also contain elements of subjectivity. Perhaps due to the infrequent use of oral literature, or possible obstacles to tribal relations in soliciting and evaluating oral traditions, the analysis of these traditions lacks a "robust disciplinary infrastructure." Unlike NAGPRA, archaeologists and scholars are reluctant to establish definitive cultural or tribal connections and tend to be more complex in their research. Although Echo-Hawk promotes the inclusion of oral traditions in historical research, it also insists that they should not be taken into account. considered a literal story. With this encouragement, Echo-Hawk highlights the necessary precautions to take when mixing objective archaeological evidence with subjective oral traditions. Vansina's three-tiered hourglass motif, to which Echo-Hawk refers, reflects the inevitable transitions of verbal literature in the interest of preservation. Deductions from oral traditions can be classified as verbal literature purely constructed for entertainment purposes, unambiguous accounts of ancient historical events, or a collaboration of both, with factual details embedded in amusing fables. To distinguish them, a set of three tests were designed by Echo-Hawk, encompassing the idea that the verbal literature considered should fall into the thirdVansina’s “chaotic timeline” level; must not deviate from its original context and, if so, must remain fictitious and must be authenticated by previous archaeological data and consistent with the general historical chronology. According to Echo-Hawk, these tests will confirm the historicity of verbal literature, or perhaps prompt further archaeological research if traditions do not match scientific findings. However, it should be remembered that osteological and artifactual data will always take priority if they conflict with the verbal conclusions and therefore cannot be ignored. It can therefore be inferred that scientific data will often be considered, by researchers, as more revealing of historical insight compared to verbal literature, which no doubt explains why they are more inclined to use it. The supposed longevity of oral traditions also encourages their predilection for archaeological evidence. Archaeological data is considered more effective in describing history because of its ability to convey historical data over extremely long periods of time. Currently, there is not much evidence to support this view, as no time frame has yet been established for how long oral traditions can stand the test of time. However, Echo-Hawk estimates that the expiration will peak at around 40,000 years. developments of complex social interactions within environments inhabiting multigenerational members. The "storytelling" between these generations, particularly traditions that provided moral lessons or described the history of a tribe's origin or migration, is said to have lasted for thousands of years, often modified by those who followed them. told. The Echo-Hawk principle of memorability describes inevitable changes. that an oral tradition encounters because of its malleability, this contrasts significantly with archaeological data because it is purely scientific and therefore not subject to interpretation. Often, for the sake of longevity and entertainment, stories are shaped by each of their narrators. For example, specific historical references are omitted to enhance memory and other events are dramatized to create an exciting narrative. This sparks the idea that old historical information that has been embellished with non-historical elements is more likely to survive through time and descend with each generation. However, because oral literature is so easy to manipulate, true historical data can potentially be understood and, therefore, the term "pseudo-history" is used among scholars. Pseudo-history connotes a false or artificial interpretation of history, suggesting that oral traditions lack factual integrity compared to discoveries of a scientific nature. Although one can recognize, through the principle of memorability, why oral traditions are still present and how they have been so memorable for each generation, it also draws attention to the traits that have hindered the credibility of these traditions in as historical data, justifying a researcher's opinion. decision to avoid them. Stories of emergence and migration illustrate life in the early Quaternary period and can provide the context that archaeological evidence omits when not combined. There is, however, great uncertainty about the authenticity of the narratives of emergence and migration, as they are subject to change from each perspective. The stories of Arikara's emergence, although embodying similar ideas, always contrast in specific details. For example, the leader of.