In this Thursday’s reading, each source sheds awareness on social factors like Native Tribes. The First Nations song by Fresh ED was extremely powerful. The rapper makes sure to let viewers know the truth North America and what it truly was before it was taken over by the Europeans. I love the beat and how catchy it is. I love the awareness that the rapper brings to the table. In the article by Preston, “My Pen Rides the Paper: Hip-Hop, the Technology of Writing, and Nas’s Illmatic,” the author demonstrates the meaning and purpose of rap music and how rap music is supposed to be listened to. The article then goes on to describe what Nas wants his audience to understand through his rhyming patterns. There is always a hidden message through his metaphors that he purposely is conveying. Rap has a way of allowing an artist to tell stories, bring awareness, pour out emotion, be educational and so much more. In the Last Emperor’s Secret Wars rap, the song references culture and makes a tie to comics/ or rappers versus another rapper. Lastly, The Chris Columbus song by Head Roc is a song that bleeds turmoil. The song brings awareness to what really happened when Christopher Columbus sailed to America; also including the interactions with the Arawak Indians.
This Thursday’s readings hit close to home. I am a Native American studies major who has heard these rappers rap about the injustices of Native people. It is refreshing that I am seeing these rappers be used as a learning source in another class that has nothing to do with Native American studies. It truly makes me happy, so I want to thank Professor Degand. These rappers have true passion and meaning in their songs and you can feel it. The awareness they are conveying during the process is also amazing. We must shed light on the TRUTH of history and change the narrative they are teaching in K-12 history classes. I really hope one day we can do that and that the curriculums will change. Teaching children lies about who Christopher Columbus is does not sit well with me.
Do you think the history curriculum( surrounding Christopher Columbus and the Natives and what they were put through) will change in the future?
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I agree with what you said about it being refreshing to see rappers as a learning source. Typically ,at least for me, in school there really isn’t the implementation of music into the curriculum or seen as a helpful learning tool for students. I think that it would be beneficial to implement medium since not all students grasp information the same way. You bring up a good point about shedding light on the truth of history in regards to native folk especially during their K-12 education.
In regards to your question, I would like to think that it would change in the future since there has been more talk about the subject. For instance, instead of it being Christopher Columbus Day it is now Indigenous people’s day. It might not be so grand but it’s a start that can hopefully be implemented into textbooks so that students begin to learn the truth about the United States and not the glorified version we have learned.
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In regards to your question, I think that in time with the emergence of schools using alternative forms of media we will see a shift in what is being taught in schools. The old ways are getting replaced with a new way of learning through media. I hope that this shift will impact how students are being taught about marginalized communities
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I shared similar experiences as you when it came to learning about Native Americans and Christopher Columbus. I was taught that he was the greatest person since he discovered America, but never was taught about the side that showed him he wasn’t as great as many believed. There are a lot of pieces that were missing during this time which made it upsetting. I didn’t learn a lot about what happened during these times until I took a Native American Class.
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