Anthropology

Talulah May

Mr. Roddie

IHHS

8/24/20

We have certainly evolved since the Nacirema time and knowing this, its fascinating to see how different our cultures and beliefs have changed over time. To sustain good health, steady relationships, and satisfaction from their gods they endured an amount of pain so great that it makes me think was it all worth it? I would imagine this crossed some of their minds, but nothing made them stray from their beliefs, which I find fascinating and quite impressive. Now we can say that these rituals were extreme and dull-witted, but I’m still impressed with the devotion to their beliefs. They went to so many extremes just to please those in which they believed, and to me that is admirable.

I'm also curious why these people would give the medicine men so many riches when they were notorious for death. Most of their rituals ended with death and even one of the kids mentioned that he didn't want to enter the palace because “that’s where you go to die”, yet so many people desired it. It amazes me that the obsession with averting the characteristics of a natural human body became their way of life and that everything was centered around that idea. I feel like these people’s “body rituals” and the whole economic system is so fascinating yet they are so unheard of, and as the reading said, “poorly understood”. Overall the thing that sticks out to me most is not the exotic rituals they performed on their bodies, but their dedication and admiration to their cultural beliefs. 


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