The Class
Understanding Cultural Diversity: Western Shoshone Land Rights
The story described in “Our land, our life: the struggle for Western Shoshone land rights” movie proves that cultural diversity issues still exist nowadays. Moreover, they are negative and reveal the worst of our society. The United States of America has always been a country that protects human rights, equity, and dignity of people regardless their nationality, origin, religion.
The case of the Shoshone land people revealed an unexpected side of the “freedom fighter” and alarmed danger. It caught and forced to rethink a lot of principles, terms, and values. Material culture in the course content can be defined as a set of material values that prove the existence and significance of a particular culture. Symbolic culture is also its evidence, however, it refers to symbols, intangible elements, and cultural peculiarities that distinguish it from other. Cultural diffusion in course content refers to spreading and mixing traditions, beliefs and other elements of a particular culture. It may be reflected in music, food, fashion, etc. Global culture is explained as a common practice or perception, cultural in standards and ideas that were adopted around the world.
In the case of the Shoshone people, their land, for example, has been a symbol of their culture at all times: “Our land is our life, if you take away the land, you take the life” (Dann). Despite the fact that this land, owned by two grandmothers, is just a small piece of the United States territory, it attracted a worldwide attention, in particular, the United Nations'. The organization expressed great concern and issued a decisive verdict against the United States' actions in the cause. The reason why the United Nation was so concerned with the treatment of the Western Shoshone lies in its potential effect on justice and cultural equity around the world. Dann sisters, together with their defenders provided enough evidence to prove abuse and harm that the government did to them. Violation of the Western Shoshone treaty was accompanied by occupying the lands, destruction of cattle and horse, fail “to protect Western Shoshone people from environmental damage caused by nuclear waste storage and other activities on their lands” (Indigenous People Law & Policy).
Additionally, the United States failed to respond to the United Nations' appeal concerning the issue. Despite the fact that the organization invited the government to a further dialogue, “the State party stated that its overdue periodic reports are being prepared” and that they will address the questions forwarded to them in the reports (Committee for Elimination of Racial Discrimination). It ignored the CERD and didn’t consider a possibility of coming to Geneva to discuss the problem. It negatively influenced the course of events. The Committee was resolute and decisive, it urged the United States to avoid discrimination, respect and protect the Shoshone people, and stop any activities that “threaten their environment and disregard the spiritual significance they give to their ancestral lands” (CERD). I believe that the Committee was highly concerned about the case for two reasons. First of all, ignoring and not dealing with the violation of human dignity by one of the largest and most democratic societies would put human rights under the threat all over the world. The second fact that made the position of the Committee tougher was gold mining which took place on the territory of Shoshone. Basically, the largest companies and the Government justified the happening with unreasonable excuses for material reward.
There is a clear difference between the interpretations of land and ownership by the opponents involved in the controversy. Dann sisters treated the land as their greatest wealth. They valued it more than any other material value and considered it tantamount to life. People who came to their territory cared about the opposite. They were not afraid to take away what meat everything to someone for their profit and, perhaps, had their own understanding of morals and cultural values. They definitely appreciated material culture more than the symbolic. Dann sisters and other heirs of the Indian tribe encouraged them to protect ad save the Earth, they called it the only mother and begged not to kill it. They cared about the symbolic culture, their traditions, spiritual ethics and mores rather than any other gold.
The Shoshone case also reflects difficulties in preserving cultural diversity globally. It demonstrated that no country is a guarantor of cultural equity and human rights. Even the most democratic societies can fail in following the cores adopted by nations all over the world. The negative experience of Shoshone people manifests a constant need to support and protect cultural diversity both in large countries and small distant territories, not to stay indifferent and to fight injustice.
Works Cited
Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Early Warning and Urgent Procedure Decision 1 (68). IPLP Official Website. (20 February – 10 March 2006. Web. 2 March 2016.
Indigenous People Law & Policy Program. Western Shoshone. IPLP Official Website Web. 2 March 2016.
Gage & Gage Productions. “Our Land, Our Life: the Struggle for Western Shoshone Land Right”. A short version of a feature length film. YouTube. Web. 1 March 2016.
