Graffiti and Social Movements

Being an activist on a campus with mostly apathetic students often leaves me wondering “how can I get the word out to the largest number of students?” In order for a campaign to be effective, it must be heard loud and clear by whomever the decision makers may be—the administration, the city council, etc—and the more people speaking up, the louder the demands are. 

Using social media is typically the first step student groups take in this mobilization process, but it is far from the most effective medium. Anytime a new group forms or an event is planned, a new page on Facebook is sure to be made and personal posts are pretty much guaranteed. Social media is the necessary floor from which a movement can build in today’s world. However, organizing is about the extent of the usefulness of social media. Engaging in public debate on these forums solves very little if anything at all. They are what Michael Hart calls a “zero institution,” a place for political actors go to feel like they’re doing something ultimately letting their ideas die if they do not make their way out of the interwebs. 

The article on the geographies of resistance has me thinking about potential alternative mediums for ideas to proliferate, momentum to build, and voices to be heard. And what better way to resist than breaking the law with art that all can see? I find graffiti to be incredibly fascinating, even when the extent of the political intent is to simply display your name. Members of the student organization I am a part of must also find it interesting, because we’ve paintedthe graffiti wall on Richland Avenue a couple of times this year. We deal mostly with ongoing mass atrocities, which continue to exist in large because nobody cares enough to do anything about them if they have no direct connection to the violence. 

Fall semester, we painted gENDer-based violence in order to increase the relevance of this perspective in the public sphere. Earlier this semester, we painted something that allowed concerned passer-by’s to act. From this we learned that graffiti itself can mobilize, and hallelujah for hashtags. We figured out a way to get people to act by painting:

“2 million displaced

70,000 deaths

2 years

0 solutions

#syriasly?!”

I was incredibly surprised by how many people stared at it as they walked by, but more importantly how many people used that hashtag on Twitter and engaged in the conversation. From Twitter, people were directed towards syriasly.org where there is a petition to sign and information to access. This was a unique intermarrying of social media and the public sphere that I think has been largely overlooked. The lesson: graffiti can reach people social media may not have otherwise reached and direct them towards taking further action on geographically far away issues with geographically far away solutions. These movements are necessary in order to end mass atrocities across the globe, and social media may not be the epitome of the detriment to the democratic process that Mitchel suggest in “The End of Public Space?” after all.

Challenging Gender Construction

I grew up as the perfect tom-boy type, I liked to play in the dirt, and got excited whenever I caught worms. My parents never held me from doing those actives that seemed so odd for a girl. After reading about the geographies of fear I felt enlightened and aware of the distinct differences in gender, when it comes to fear, as too the avoidance issues for women and the aggressive issues of men. There are many theories we can study and reflect upon.
http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/socialization.html
For me, what it comes down to is the enforcement of gender construction, and the limits we place upon children, that is the best way to change social constructs of gender. We as humans haven't been a developed society for very long in contrast to how old the planet is. If children are not guided to be gender appropriate, then they can feel and be any gender they want. This is where things become tricky, it is the biological (physical) aspect that we can not change... well we can now, there has been development of hormone treatments for years, that allow you to actually change your body. But if gender wasn't constructed in the first place maybe self image wouldn't be so tightly related to gender. In all reality challenging gender construction, starts with the very basic level of acceptance of people on a human level.   

Graffiti in Athens

Graffiti in Athens

 Athens is by no means a large or densely populated city, but one can come here and find a rather interesting assortment of graffiti art. Likely due to the fact that the majority of the population is made up by the University Students; young, artistic and ever looking for ways to express themselves. Fortunately however, the graffiti isn't as big of a problem as it could possibly be. Yes, there is illegal graffiti done upon the walls and back alleyways of many of the buildings, but it's relatively minimal in comparison to other cities. Mostly the cause, I'd say, would be that Athens has locations such as the graffiti wall (as seen above) to act as places for people to freely express themselves without fear of punishment. It definitely does it's job at channeling graffiti onto specific places. Though, it seems that the wall is more used for advertisements, but it can be freely painted over by anyone.

 Athens being a college town, and a very liberal college town at that, the city is filled with people and students who need avenues to express their opinions on either world, social or political events. Rather than causing vandalism or damage to property, the wall allows for that avenue.

 This being said though, there is still a problem with illegal graffiti in Athens, as well as a clash between residents of Athens on whether or not graffiti is considered vandalism or actual public art.

http://thepost.ohiou.edu/content/drawing-line

The line as to whether it is art or vandalism, I suppose would be narrowed down to the intent of the graffiti "artist." If it is done in an improper location or with a design around offending somewhere, or simply being destructive, than I think it would be pretty hard to consider it art on any level.

The Gulabi Gang: Spatial Revolutionaries

Sampat Pal Devi is a spatial revolutionary. Women in her village are isolated, to say the least. One would think they were virtually powerless in such a rigidly patriarchal society. Wives and daughters subjected to abuse have nowhere to turn and little to hope for. Sampat Pal Devi changed all of this. Through her strong, rebellious presence in public space she has been able to improve social conditions not only for women, but all marginalized groups in her village.

One of her strategies to empower women is by giving them a strong presence in the public sphere. Traditionally, Indian women are taught to be shy and self-effacing and similar to western culture, are typically confined to the private sphere. Sampat Pal Devi contradicted this norm by creating a band of women to confront problems faced by marginalized groups in her village. She encourages these women to “speak their minds and not hide behind their veils.” She calls this band of women the “Gulabi Gang.”

Each woman is required to wear a bright pink sari. This uniform is essential—it distinguishes them and gives them a dramatic presence in public space. She confidently marches women around the village to draw attention and exhibit authority. Through direct action and confrontation this uniform has come to symbolize justice and hope.

She has made her cause legitimate through courageous, public rebellion against inequality. People (both men and women) have come to respect her and turn to her when indifferent government officials are of little help. For example, when a man is reported to have been beating his wife the Gulabi Gang will confront the perpetrator. If the husband refuses to comply they will resort to public shaming, and aren’t afraid to defend themselves with their lathis (bamboo sticks). They even hijacked a truck full of grain when Sampat Pal Devi found out corrupt officials were taking it for themselves.

Before Sampat Pal Devi women and their interests were invisible. I think her cause demonstrates the importance of public space when initiating social change. Through her demand of public space she has given her cause legitimacy, visibility and respect.

Geographies of Men's Fear

I also thought that the geographies of fear article brought up some interesting points in regard to how men feel in the public sphere. I try to be smart when choosing where to walk in certain areas. Personally, I generally don't feel threatened in Athens because I feel I could defend myself against the average drunken aggressor I would meet on a weekend. Though, this may also be attributed to the familiarity of the area and the understanding that the population is primarily college students in this area.

This being said, I think that most men have a very different perception of fear in public spaces that they are not familiar with. I recall an experience I had with a friend in Phoenix over the summer a couple years back. We were going to Phoenix for a segment of the Southern Baptist Convention and stayed in the downtown area because we could use the transit to commute. I had a very different experience walking at night in Phoenix than I did walking back home in Ohio. During our time in Phoenix we decided to take the transit service to  get something to eat before we went back to the hotel in another part of the city. It was late, we were tired, and we got the transit stops confused and ended up a long way from the hotel.

Using an app on my phone we then decided to leave the transit station and find something to eat in the surround neighborhoods. I soon realized that we had gotten lost and had been walking in a less than reputable neighborhood. Basically at the end of the day, we had wondered into an area that could be easily defined as the Hispanic part of the hood in Phoenix at night. Now, let me say that this was a very different experience than I was accustomed to from my time spent in my hometown Newark or Athens. I had no familiarity with the area or the people and I didn't know the social norms for that area. There were a lot more people out than I had expected. There were crowds socializing in parking lots or out in their yards, dogs were barking, people were playing music and drinking. I felt a little uncomfortable because I was the only black guy (along with my white friend) who were walking around an almost all Hispanic population.

All this being said, we had a very different perception of fear in the public sphere than in other places. Generally

 I think it was the fear of the unknown that made us uncomfortable because we didn't know what to expect from these neighborhoods we trekking through attempting to find the transit.

Geographies of Women's Fear

Geographies of Women's Fear

Our discussion the other week on Koskela's article on women's fear made me think about the restrictions I put on myself . It also led me to make a list of things that I do or don't do because of feelings of fear or threat or danger.

• When I lived in Toledo, I would call a friend while I was walking home in case something would happen to me on the way home, so that they would know where I was and, if something would have happened, could report it. 
• At the same time I had a friend going to OU who used to call me when she was walking home for the same reason. 
• I don't go to concerts unless I can find someone to go with me. 
• I don't talk to people I don't know in most public spaces. 
• I don't dress up when I go to bars ,and I don't wear heels. 
• If I'm walking outside at night I walk in well lit areas. 
• If the area is not well lit I make sure to walk far away from trees or shrubs or parked cars. 
• I almost always take my phone with me when I go somewhere. One time I forgot to take my phone with me while going on a WalMart run that ended up taking way longer than expected. I came home to find my phone having all of these missed calls. When I listened to my messages I had a freaked out message from my best friend which informed me that my boyfriend and his best friend were running around Athens looking at me because they thought that something horrible had happened to me, since I didn't answer my phone and I had been gone later than expected. 
• I do not use parking garages after dark. 

I also made a list of things that I have done to police myself, or others have done to police me which reinforce the fear cycle.

• When I started driving my mom gave me some mace.
• My dad bought me a nice pocket knife when I moved out of my parents house. 
• My grandmother gave me a T pin ,  which is basically a giant pin, so that I could put it on the outside of my coat so that if anyone tried to attack me , I could poke them in the eyes or face with it. 
• Parent's made me take a women's self defense class when I was in high school 
• When my sisters car broke down the other week at Stroud's Run and I was trying to jump it , my mom called, and after finding out I was trying to start her car by myself without someone else with me , yelled at me because she " doesn't want me out there by myself."
• On my way to camp one time I stopped to offer my phone to a kid who drove their car off the road in a snow storm, when I got to camp and was telling the story to a co-worker she told me that it's against some random rules we have to offer assistance to cars pulled over on the side of the road, because we never know who could be in the car. 

I'm sure there are more things that I could add to these two lists, and it would be interesting to make a list for a month or so and see all the precautions I take by being defensive or just avoiding areas or situations. 

I think that a little bit of fear is completely natural, but when fear of violence makes a list this big in five minutes I think things are getting a little out of hand. I'm scared of drowning but the only thing I do to avoid that is wear a pfd 25% of the time I'm near a body of water.

  Hey folks this is Ben, all of my invites have expired so im piggybacking on Tori's post.
  I have been chewing on this geographies of fear discussion for a while now and I have come to the conclusion that that peoples association witch pace and fear is probably a good thing.  if you fear a place its probably for a good reason.  What that fear does is it keeps you from going to these places unnecessarily and if you do need to go to these places you are going to take precautions to keep yourself safe.  There reason these places are scary is it gives unsavory people an opportunity to put themselves into a place of power over someone.  There is always going to be unsavory people in this world, I don't care what kind of ultra educated utopia you live in there will always be people who think they can pull some crap and get away with it.  So if you don't fear these places, weather man or women, your likely hood of being assaulted increases greatly.  You might think that men may not have to worry about situations as much as women, but the truth of the matter is that they should probably should, men just tend to come down with a  bad case of testosterone poisoning and end up ignoring the danger in a situation and end up in trouble.  I think regardless if you are a man or women you should never trust any person you don't know any farther than you can throw them.

                           

A Community of Public Space

The discussion about the power struggle over public space makes me think of my hometown, Yellow Springs, Ohio. An extremely progressive town in the heart of a generally conservative farming region, Yellow Springs is chock full of opinionated people looking to voice their concerns. Originally envisioned as a commune and later providing a haven for Quakers, the town has always relied heavily on consensus for decision making. In the 1960’s, Antioch College became known for its radical activism on the civil rights and anti-war front.

Village council meetings, downtown bulletin boards, and especially the Yellow Springs News have been forums for expression as long as I can remember. In a big city such as Berkeley, the opinions of the down-and-out can be easily overlooked, but in a village of 3500 people, a pointed letter to the editor can become the talk of the town for a week or more.

Public space is one of the cornerstones of Yellow Springs: Every Saturday since 2001, the busiest intersection downtown transforms into the so-called ‘peace corner,’ occupied by anti-war protestors. An outcry was raised over an ordinance allowing police to patrol Glen Helen (an expansive nature preserve owned by Antioch), and another prohibiting people from being on the grounds of Mills Lawn (the local elementary school) after dark.

Although very politically and socially progressive, Yellow Springers often take a much more conservative stance when it comes to changes within the fabric of the town itself. Very little has changed since the heyday of Antioch: businesses have changed hands, people have come and gone, but the population and its mindset have remained the same.

The town has a certain respect for tradition (although that tradition includes questioning authority), meaning every possible change, however miniscule, is subject to the scrutiny of the entire town. While I was in high school, two students who proposed the allocation of some public space for a dog park for their senior project were lambasted in the News, forcing them to go through a myriad of re-designs and re-locations before ultimately abandoning the project due to backlash. To this day, any mention of ‘the dog park’ is bound to stir up a conversation.

Over this past summer, the new village manager's proposed downtown streetscape redesign became a huge point of contention. People argued that she couldn’t possibly understand what it meant to be a Yellow Springer and that her changes would undermine the Yellow Springs way of life. What started as a plan to replace the downtown’s oft-repaired sidewalks grew to include the removal of the old Bradford Pear trees – whose roots were expanding and causing  much of the damage to the sidewalks – in favor of new, more manageable and street-friendly species; the replacement of street light posts and burial of overhead electrical/telephone wires; smaller parking spots and increased bicycle parking; and perhaps the most controversial portion, a proposed sidewalk ‘bump out’ in front of a local coffee shop, in order to enable the ‘townies’ who routinely occupy a table at this location – often blocking off the entire sidewalk – to loiter without inhibiting pedestrian traffic.

Proponents argued for the functional and aesthetic advantages provided by these upgrades, while opponents claimed this was merely more touristification of a town that is already very tourist-oriented. Tree huggers claimed it was unnecessary for the trees to be cut down, yet the historic Yellow Springs Tree Committee assured citizens that the invasive species should be replaced with a more eco-friendly native species. Ironically, the same loiterers who would be benefitted by the increased space provided by the sidewalk bump out seemed to be the opposed to the idea.

I often happen to find myself a part of this group of ‘townies’ when I spend time in Yellow Springs, so I am not generally critical of them – I am aware of the (not necessarily undue) harassment they receive from the village police and tourists – yet I feel they can be hypocritical. Though, there is a table set out on this sidewalk by the coffee shop in front of it, the sidewalk was put there first and foremost for walking. If the sidewalk were to be bumped out, this would provide the townies with their own space, and reduce the number of transgressions with the police and tourists, which would theoretically be in the best interests of table sitters.My theory is that these folks felt that their congregational table – their representational space – would cease to exist and thus become a mere representation of the space it once was, were it to be recognized and ‘touristified’ by the town. However, I feel that the effect would be quite the opposite. The sidewalk bump out would act as a sort of unofficial delegation of a space for the use of the townies, and the rest of the sidewalk, designated for pedestrians, may be used as it was intended.

Due to public opinion, the village manager eventually compromised with a plan that dropped the controversial bump out from the design and implemented the rest of the changes in stages. Whatever the outcome, it is good to know that in my town, contrary to the situation in Berkeley and many other cities in the U.S., public space is dictated by the public.

http://ysnews.com/news/2012/07/streetscape-design-clarified

http://ysnews.com/news/2012/08/village-council%E2%80%94-streetscape-plan-is-curbed

Homeless- Not Too Far From Home

-->

Growing up, I have constantly been reminded by my dad how "lucky" I am to live the life I do, and how different his life was growing up. He is one of 6 children who all grew up in a 3 bedroom house in a small suburb of Cleveland. I learned that they were lucky to have one running car at a given time, and often were lacking basic necessities. My dad began working at the age of 14 because he knew he needed to help support his family. Of the six children in his family, three of them struggled with mental problems. His family did not have the means to seek proper care for the children who needed it, so their problems went untreated. 

My dad's sister, Juliene, was among the 3 who struggled with mental problems from an early age. An unhealthy family life only contributed to her mental instability, and she was ultimately married with 4 children of her own. Growing up, I always knew that something about her was slightly off. It was never fully explained to me, but I knew that Aunt Juliene was never 100% there. I learned about her husband becoming abusive to her and her children. Without support from her immediate family, there was little she could to do escape her situation. I remember my dad trying to help her find a job, and helping her move out into her own apartment. It wasn't long before she lost her job, and was evicted from her apartment because she couldn't afford rent. I remember my dad hearing the news that my aunt had been living in a women's shelter, with no other option. She was homeless, with no place to go.  I know that this is an extremely sensitive topic for my dad, so I currently do not know where my aunt is living. It is a situation that he wishes he could have prevented, but ultimately was beyond his control. 

I began thinking about this during our discussion of homelessness.There are so many factors that can lead up to a person becoming homeless. For my aunt, it was mental illness, improper care, and an unhealthy marriage. She didn't ask for any of that. If she had received proper treatment while she was a child, it is possible that she would have never gotten into a potentially abusive relationship, and never would have ended up with 4 children that she couldn't take care of. In addition, if she had ended up in an abusive relationship, perhaps she would have the skills and tools to keep a job and support herself on her own. I think situations like my aunts are common among the homeless population. She isn't lazy, worthless, or addicted to drugs. She has untreated mental issues that have made her incapable of living on her own. 

I know that there is a strong correlation between mental disorders and rates of incarceration or homelessness. The "rotating door" is the term used to describe the system that people can get caught in.

 In addition, I found that my aunt experienced most of the key elements

known to contribute to homelessness. Things like abuse at home, loss of job, being ill or having a mental issue, and change in family status are all some of the main reasons a person may become homeless.

 

It is true that homelessness can happen to anyone. It wasn't until this class that I began to think about my aunt's story and the ways it is related to a much larger, difficult topic that many people don't know the true answer to. Homelessness is not something that has one solution. It is the product of many factors that reflect elements of our society. I find myself wondering what could have been done to change her situation. What could be done to change any homeless person's situation? We live in a country with many homeless people and even more empty homes. Where can we begin to solve this problem?

Gentrification in Ohio City

The gentrification phenomena that has been happening across The United States for the past few decades is very prevalent where I live in Cleveland.  Parts of the west side (as well as the east side) of Cleveland are continuing to become more and more attractive to home buyers for a number of reasons.  In class, we discussed three theories which aim to explain why people move into the area, perpetuating the gentrification process.  Though these theories do not all offer 'umrella' explanations, to me, they seem like an all-inclusive theory when I think about my family's experience in Ohio City.

I grew up in an ungentrified small suburb just outside of Cleveland, called Fairview Park.  My parents got a divorce when I was in grade school, and when that happened my dad moved into Tremont, a neighborhood in Cleveland (also a very gentrified/ still being gentrified area).  Years later, he got remarried to my step mom, Jill and moved into her home in Ohio City.  Not too long after, I graduated high school and moved out of suburbia to their home in Ohio City.  Jill had bought the house in 2000 before meeting my dad, and totally transformed it.  The three theories explaining why gentrification occurs not surprisingly explain perfectly why Jill bought the house in Ohio City.

Cleveland Neighborhoods
Ohio City & Tremont

The map above shows nicely how close Ohio City is to downtown, where both my dad and Jill work.  Commute time is very very small and is close enough to bike, which they sometimes do.  It is beneficial to live so close to not only work, but to the central city which offers great resources.  Although the bid rent curve theory states that the closer to the city that a property is on the more expensive it will be is not always the case.  Jill bought the home for $65,000 which is arguably cheaper than homes in suburbs outside of Cleveland.  Rationally, it makes sense to live in a home which is near work and cheap.  

Jill wasn't the first person to move into the neighborhood and she definitely wasn't the last. In class, we talked about the 'typical' gentrifiers in cities.  We said that they're typically professional, educated, with no children.  Not only is Jill a professional, educated and childless, but so is nearly all of her and my dad's friends who live in the area.  In fact, a handful of them live right around the corner in newly built town homes located next to old Victorian homes.  The rent gap theory is applied nicely to Jill's situation because she bought the home at a low cost- much lower than the potential value.  She invested a lot of time and money into the home completely renovating it.  What used to be a double home is now a modern livable home for one family.  And, just a few years ago my dad purchased the home next door, which was once divided into 4 living units with plans to renovate (taking a little longer than expected).  They're total gentrifiers.  

My home on the left; the home my dad bought in 2004 on the right

Ohio City is known for having great restaurants, a vibrant night life, and a hip pedestrian friendly place.  It it completely understandable why people would want to live there.  It is one of Cleveland's oldest neighborhoods, having the West Side Market- a wonderful asset to the area.  If Ohio City doesn't have what that you're looking for, there is a good chance that the surrounding gentrified neighborhoods near by have it.  If you weren't able to tell already, I really love Ohio City. These reasons and so much more attract people to the area.

West Side Market 

The neighborhood has a mixture of very wealthy and very poor.  Nearly half of the residents are below the poverty level, with the mean household income being $27,886 (2010).  Some of the effects of gentrification include displacement.  I cannot say that I know for sure that some natives to Ohio City have been displaced, but it is likely.  Cleveland as a whole has had a declining population, including Ohio City.  From 2000 to 2010 the neighborhood lost roughly 5,000 people.  It would be interesting to see the demographics for those 5,000, as well as their reasons for leaving.

My parents are contributing to the gentrification of Ohio City and it does arguably has negative consequences.  With all of the house flipping around the area, it potentially hinders the residents who are unable to keep up with the improvements around them.   I looked at the housing codes that are enforced in the area to see if there have been any recent additions which could affect the residents and didn't see any.  One of the great things about living in the city is that you see a mixture of houses all showing character and history.

Gentrification in Ohio City does not just affect the residents negatively, though.  The economy in the area has improved greatly due to the investments in restaurants and other attractions.  Small local shops and restaurants benefit greatly with the money that has been brought to the area.  I encourage everyone to check out the area the next time they're in Cleveland!


Census data: http://www.city-data.com/zips/44102.html  
http://www.zip-codes.com/zip-code/44102/zip-code-44102-2000-census.asp

Ohio City's website: http://www.ohiocity.org/index.php

Shaker Nature Center

When I was reading the Don Mitchell article about People’s Park it reminded me of something that happened in my community (Shaker Heights, OH) in the 60s. During the time of suburbanization, massive highway systems were built and they wanted to build one through Shaker Heights.  The community was outraged because the highway would go through an area that is now the Shaker Nature Center. 

A map showing where the highway would have
been in relation to the nature center 

The highway would have taken away an area that remained undeveloped, a place where people are free to gather. Community members gathered together to oppose the construction of the freeway. It wasn’t until 1970 that the city canceled the highway plans due to the pressure the community put on the government to not build it. Now this open space is a preserved area and is home to the Nature Center where you can learn about the environment and more about the species that live in the area.

I feel as though this scenario relates to People’s Park because people gathered in the 60s to preserve the area for the people, however when they had to defend the area later on, they were not successful. The people protesting the building of the highway in Shaker were women of the community as well as some affluent community members. I think the success of a protest really depends on who is involved in it as well as who it is about. For instance, in the article it discusses the fact that homeless people occupy the park at times, and crime occurs in the park as well. Public officials would not see the benefit in preserving this area because the activities that occur in the park are not seen as acceptable conduct in a public space. This is one of the reasons why the protest was not successful.

Inside the Nature Center 

This relates back to the Shaker Heights protest of the highway because people were seeking to preserve an area that did not have a history of crime or undesirable activity. This area was just a plot of green space in a world of sidewalks, streets, and many homes. It also helped that many people protesting were middle-class/upper-class community members who had an influence on the community and within the city government. This shows how who is involved in a protest really makes a difference in the success of it.

 Nature Center

These scenarios bring up a few questions, who is the community really for when there are only a select few whose concerns about or wants for the community are heard. The People’s Park was taken over due to the fact certain people within the community did not feel welcome or safe in the park. What about the people who felt safe in the park or used that space? Where do they go, and why aren’t their wants for the community taken into serious consideration? 

Preserved area around the Nature Center

Memorialization at Wounded Knee

As many in class have expressed, thinking and learning about place and memorialization has been one of my favorite topics that we have talked about in class.  I have never really thought about the choices that are made with regards to remembering a place or event. Our readings and talks in class, particularly the articles, "Memorial Landscapes: analytic questions and metaphors", and "Memory and the everyday landscape of violence in post-genocide Cambodia", made me think about Native Americans and their history involving large scale massacres; in particular the Massacre at Wounded Knee, killing 150 people.

When I was about 13 travelling on a trip driving back from Colorado, my family and I took a detour through South Dakota to the Pine Ridge Reservation.  We travelled through the Badlands National Monument to reach the Wounded Knee Memorial.  I couldn't help but think of this memorial area when we were talking about the various ways in which massacres were remembered and/or forgotten across landscapes.  Wounded Knee is a site where nearly 150 members from the Sioux Indian Tribe were killed.  I was pretty young at the time, and even then I remembered thinking to myself, “is this really it?”  It was so bare, isolated and just sad. Thinking about it now, I wonder, is this the best way to remember this event?  Using Dwyer and Alderman’s article, I am going to apply metaphors to the Wounded Knee Memorial.

 Text/ Arena:

Metaphorically, texts as monuments reveal who the author is, what the story is, and who is telling it.  When viewing these memorials using the arena as a metaphor, conflict comes about, and there is a competition for whose story is going to be told.  I decided to put text and arena together as one category because I find it difficult to talk about one without the other. 

When reading the text that is around the area, it shares history, commemoration and honor for those who suffered.  There are texts on signs, cemetery stones, inside of visitor's buildings, and many more.  I was having trouble fining who wrote these actual texts- but I dont think that is too important.  The stories that are shared through these texts are not being contested, but it makes me wonder if Native Americans who feel a connection to the place are satisfied with the memorial, and if there are more important stories to be told.

Natives Americans 'lost' at the game that was being played against the colonial whites. While there are Native Americans living on the Pine Ridge Reservation, I wonder if they are negatively reminded/ embarrassed on a daily basis that they 'lost' due to the attraction and memorialization in the area.  It would be nice to talk to one of the people who either live or work in the area, and find out their feelings towards the memorial.   

Performance:

When I visited the monument as a young girl, I remember feeling very out of place and almost uncomfortable.  I don't remember very many people being there, if any, and quite frankly I was wondering why we went there in the first place.  Of all of the vacations that I went on, this particular location still keeps vivid pictures in my head, as well as remembered feelings of empathy and confusion. We went into the small store which sold merchandise and contained more readings and pictures.   There was a Native American man working there and my dad asked a few questions, bought a t-shirt and a dream catcher.  When he bought those things, I remember thinking, he is just doing this because he feels bad for them, why would he buy a $20 tee-shirt?  It was very nice that he did, regardless of his motives.  I think that I remember some of these things so well because the whole time I was there I didn't feel comfortable; it was just a very sad and almost eerie place. This was my performance. 

While I was doing some research online about the memorial I came across some reviews made by people who had visited.  There were a few mixed feelings, as well as stories of disappointment.  One woman writes about being asked for money by Native American men, and believing she was scammed.  She continues saying that, “You should be ashamed, your ancestors would be appalled of your actions.... Stay away if you don't want to lose your hard earned money..It's all a scam! We were scared being there!”  Quite frankly, I am not too surprised by this.  I don’t mean to justify their actions, but it makes sense considering Native Americans demographically are very poor and are aware that visiters with money come through.    There were plenty of reviews sharing the same feelings, as well as others that had a very wonderful experience- I found it interesting to read them.

Thinking of the memorial as a metaphor for performance means to think about the activity that goes on in that place. I came across an event called, The Wounded Knee Motorcycle Run.  It  is a way to, “bring all those who make the run with us closer together and help them to be more understanding and accepting of the cultural differences between Native and Non-Native Americans that live in this very culturally diverse country we all live in.”  Positive performances like the Motorcycle Run occuring at Wounded Knee are a good way to commemorate those who died, regardless if there are people displeased with the memorials.  

Here is the link to read reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54880-d144992-Reviews-Wounded_Knee_Massacre_Monument-Wounded_Knee_South_Dakota.html