A story board

A drama in 4 acts

Chapter 10  A Story Board

The meeting was held at the Nanticoke Preservation Society in Seaford. Bob had prepared a powerpoint presentation on the salient features of their proposal. He went over the presentation slowly, ensuring that he create the picture experience of their original source in the neolithic age, and its relation to Asia.

An estimated 50 people attended the session. Nahmakanta had said that it may be possible to reach others through them.

The questionnaire was divided into 5 sections. The first requested personal and family particulars. The second was used to establish the norm standard of behavior and deviations from it. The third referred to their national views. The fourth to worldviews and finally the fifth was to individual perceptions.

Bob went over some of the questions in specific detail, to clarify the nature of the inquiries and to ensure that they received accurate answers.

For instance, the word Nanthahala in Sanskrit, means 'the direction of the self.' In the forms, respondents were asked to select from 5 drawings, that which they thought represented the closest answer. These were pictures of a road, a man in worship, a man with a friend, an obstacle on the road and the sky. Each represented the possibility of a continuing change n their perceptions.

The responses were collated to reflect the average perception of the community as regards the phonetic sound and the measure of the community's relation to the original meaning. In the focus interview, accompanying the survey, the respondent is asked to provide an accountability for their selection. This is recorded as supplementary data on the survey. An observation is made of the refinement of the experience or the movement away from the original meaning.

In another question, the respondent is provided with a picture of a turtle and asked to select their choice of answer. The responses test the tribe's understanding of the meaning of the turtle as the symbol of the Nanticoke-Lenape tribe. The choices provided include the terms, rebirth, original people, changes, a star and the earth. This is compared to the Sanskrit use of the symbol as a sign of the original people.

In their national views, respondents are asked to provide responses on cultural traits, unique to Nanticoke community and to others. For instance the question, what other qualities do you relate to in your daily activities?. The choices provided include family orientation, sports, rationality, love emphasis and practical orientation.

In their world views, the question on the delayed urbanization experiences of the native people, is provided with choices of answers as, love of nature, cultural commitments, design of cosmology, lack of skills and introspective cultural emphasis.

In the experience of individualization, respondents were provided with a self assessment review of their actions. Choices provided were: pragmatic, traditional, global, rationale and self made man.

The community appeared to be somewhat anxious at suggestions of a foreign source of origin, until Charles explained that in studies of ethnicity it was not unusual for respondents to experience vast displacements according to time. Due to this, there has been no clear and absolute standard of definition in any research study of cultural divisions. What is important in studies of ethnicity is the relevance to the issues existing currently. The solutions to the issues may differ from time to time and expectations created of the same cycle of experiences,as before, may at times be wrong.

He informed them that his team will return to them with a draft of their findings before these are engaged as practical measures for further action.

He commented on the fact that past ritualization practices that sought to preserve group identities without advancing them in the light of modern experiences, may come under review as a result of these studies. He therefore asked for the cooperation of the community elders in participating with the research for the identification of the new ritualization practices themselves.

For instance the identification with brother bear extends to an understanding of the mind in relation to the cosmos and the design of the constellations, where Ursa major, the bear is a significant part of the experience. This could receive a greater emphasis in the community.

The progression of social changes as observed in the Hindu community, began with the male son sacrifice in the 5 th century bc, and thereafter, the practice of the peacock dance in the 5 th century CE, gave way to the chicken dance in the 12 th century. This advanced to mother worship in the 16 th . The practice of mother worship, bears close resemblances to the Catholic faith. Beyond that, the refinement and optimization of the self sacrifice by the male son is rationalized for the attainment of the father identity.

“At this time in the community, the practice of mother worship, as a productive force of the universe is expected to be of major importance to the community's development,” commented Charles. “ But the form and shape of the experience may well be designed to meet with the unique and specific needs of each community.” Charles reported as a matter of interest. “We look forward to the research outcomes to validate this view.”

“Is this study being funded by the American government?” asked a well groomed quiet looking man sitting at the back.

“As a matter of interest, I'll answer the question,” replied Charles. “The study is undertaken over a two year period. It is the result of several recommendations that was adopted by the World Inter-Faith Society, at its meeting in Geneva in March last year. The principal funding is being provided by The Koloukulos Foundation in Athens and the Nepal Royal Society in Kathmandu. So to answer your question, no.”

The news was received with a thunderous silence. Bob suggested that they break for lunch.

Reviews

[Wendy Seames Garner]

I find your story very interesting and full of information. You took a lot of time researching this book. I was very interested in archeology when I was younger, I would have liked to have studied it. I did go so far as to subscribe to an archeology magazine. But you seem to have more at work here than just archeology, you have anthropology and psychology as well. You are very knowledgeable.

[patricia]

you managed to condense a great deal of fascinating stuff into one chapter, making a very interesting 'wanna go back and study' read. Thankyou.
Having become interested in this book you are writing, I found myself looking up archeaologic writings, and was surprised to find that most of them do not go back very far at all. Thankyou.