Anasazi: People Of Change

Image via energy-reality.org

The Anasazi were as advanced as Europeans and changed/developed just like Europeans did, but they lacked some essential aspects of success that Europe had. I chose the above picture to be my main platform, because it helped to lay out my four topics (History of the Anasazi, the culture, the economy, and the social and family systems) in a cohesive and concise way that showed how the Anasazi were just as advanced as they could be. The different aspects of the Anasazi connect together, and this image displays smalls portions of the tribe in one picture, such as the surroundings and roads, which connect to key parts of Anasazi life. Since the Anasazi are known for their intricate basket making, it seemed fit to me to have my primary source be a basket that was found at an Anasazi site. The Anasazi preserved their artifacts, and corn has even been found at their former sites. When Europeans invaded the Americas and the rest of the world, they won wars and wrote the history textbooks to glorify themselves. Because of this bias in books, scholars must work against Eurocentrism, and propaganda. Native Americans are often portrayed in inferior ways to Europeans, but in reality, they had the same detailed systems that Europeans did. The only difference is that the Native Americans lacked Guns, Germs, and Steel, according to Jared Diamond. The secondary sources included are largely from databases and sources from my world history class from last year. These sources are unbiased and can give accurate information since they come from professionals and scholars who are extremely educated on the topics. Ways of the World and Guns, Germs, and Steel are both secondary insights into the world of the Anasazi and other Native Americans. The purposes of the secondary sources are not for money but instead to educate those who read them. Eurocentrism is often forgotten or put aside by our society, so we must counter this ourselves by knowing the unbiased truth through trustworthy sources. When bias has been removed, it is clear that the Anasazi took the same actions as Europeans, but simply had less opportunities, and different appearances or forms.

References:

• Kingham, Jeffrey. "Colorado." In American History. ABC-CLIO, 2000-. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.
• Hutchinson, Jennifer. "Chaco Canyon." In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2004-. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.
• Diamond, Jared. Gun, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13.000 Years. London: Jonathan Cape, 1997.
• Greene, Danielle. "Pueblo Bonito." In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2004-. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.
• American History, s.v. "Anasazi culture," accessed September 9, 2015. http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.
• Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011.
• World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, s.v. "Ruins of Chaco Canyon," Photos/Illustrations, Shutterstock, accessed September 9, 2015. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.
• "Anasazi." Anasazi. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/american_indians/anasazi.html.
• "The Anasazi." DesertUSA. Accessed September 9, 2015.
• Britannica Academic, s. v. "Southwest Indian," accessed September 09, 2015, http://academic.eb.com/EBchecked/topic/556984/Southwest-Indian.
• Katz, Jacqueline. "World History Freshman Year." Interview by author. June 20, 2015.
• Britannica Academic, s. v. "Ancestral Pueblo culture," accessed September 09, 2015, http://academic.eb.com/EBchecked/topic/22804/Ancestral-Pueblo-culture.
• "National Museum of the American Indian : Item Detail." National Museum of the American Indian : Item Detail. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=59348®id=2797.
• Energy-Reality.org. Accessed September 9, 2015. http://www.energy-reality.org/action/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/scotthaefner-moontrack-1024x685.jpg.