Abstract
For native populations colonized and forcibly assimilated into the mainstream, the transformation is never complete because they remain trapped in perpetual liminality between the traditional and the modern. The resulting toll in human suffering and degradation has become commonplace, as attested by the high rates of alcoholism and violence on American Indian reservations. Yet Indians have still managed to survive, often by using their brand of humor as a weapon. Increasingly, younger generations of Native Americans are finding that it is possible to balance acculturation with cultural preservation. Navajos, in particular, have been credited with a unique ability to selectively blend the best of both worlds. In this article, I argue that adaptation has been less a matter of choice than a necessity born out of a lack of choices.
Recommended Citation
Pack, Sam
(2012)
"From Either/Or to Both/And: Between The Traditional and The Modern,"
Journal of Indigenous Research: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/ypwg-e368
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol1/iss2/2
