Talking about Native Americans and the South

Written by Mark White on October 28, 2006 - 2 Comments Download audio file (trailoftears m!"#

at babaste$e %n this inter$iew Mark talks to his friend, &ric from Oklahoma about the cowbo' culture in that !art of the (nited )tates Mark * +ello e$er'bod' % am ,ust sittin- here in a room in a bi- classroom here and % am talkin- to m' friend, &ric &ric comes from Oklahoma Where do 'ou come from e.actl', &ric/ Eric * % come from southern Oklahoma about a fifteen minute dri$e from the 0e.as border 0he nearest bi- cit' is Dallas, which is about ninet' minutes b' car Mark * Dallas is in 0e.as, isn1t it/ Eric * 0hat1s ri-ht Dallas, 0e.as Mark * Wow, ri-ht ok, so 'ou1re a southerner/ Eric * aah2'es, % am a southerner Mark * What differences are there between the north and the south in the (nited )tates/ Eric * Well there are a lot of areas of the north and areas of the south so its difficult to characteri3e2but2'ou know2basicall'2the area that % come from2ma'be !eo!le are a bit more friendl' and hel!ful2for instance if 'ou ha$e car troubl2its $er' likel' that a nice !erson will sto! and tr' to hel! 'ou instead of a bad !erson sto! and tr' to hurt 'ou2 Mark * 4i-ht2ri-ht2 Eric *2or somethin-2not to sa' that !eo!le in the north won1t hel! 'ou out too2but % think2there is a bit more of a friendl' hel!ful s!irit2in the !art of the south that % come from

Mark * % see % think a lot of warm countries2the !eo!le ha$e a kind of a laidback rela.ed hel!ful friendl' sort of attitude2% think that1s a common thin-2 Eric * Mm Mark * % wanted to ask 'ou about somethin-2% come from Mt %sa2a little minintown2in the central area of 5ustralia2in 6ueensland2in northwest 6ueensland s!ecificall'2and2when % -rew u! there2it is a minin- town2but it was also a re-ional centre for all the local cowbo's2and we had a hu-e cowbo' culture2once a 'ear e$er'bod' would !ut on cowbo' hats and cowbo' boots2and there were these bull rides and bronco rides2 and2!eo!le came from all o$er the countr'2and sometimes from other countries2to win !ri3e mone' for sittin- on these animals for ei-ht seconds, % think it was2'ou ha$e cowbo' culture in Oklahoma as well/ Eric * 7es, we ha$e a lot of !eo!le who dress in cowbo' t'!e attire e$er' da'2 Mark * Mmm2hm Eric * 2these !eo!le wear cowbo' boots and cowbo' hats and blue ,eans and western st'le shirts2e$er' da'2e$er'where the' -o2its their real clothes for e$er' da'2its not ,ust a once in a while dress u! thin-2so its 8uite interestin- for outsiders sometimes to see this kind of cowbo' countr' and western culture Mark * )o its like a culture within a culture25merica is so man' cultures2so2what do 'ou sa'2cowbo' culture or western culture/ Eric * (lau-hs# 7eah % don1t know what to call it but certainl' there is a lot of countr' st'le2'eah2a lot of lar-e !icku! trucks and countr' and western music e$er'where 'ou -o Countr' and western dancin- and countr' and western bars Mark * +owabout rodeos/ Do 'ou ha$e a rodeo/ Eric * Oh of course the' ha$e a rodeo e$er' 'ear % ha$en1t been since % was a child but 'es of course the' ha$e at least one rodeo e$er' 'ear in m' town Mark * 4i-ht When % was a child we saw a lot of cowbo' and %ndian films2on 092we learned about 5merica2not the real !lace but the +oll'wood $ersion of that !lace2and as % -ot older % read a little bit more about what reall' ha!!ened in histor'2for e.am!le2'ou mentioned to me once somethin- about the the trail of tears2what is that/ Eric * Well the fi$e ci$ili3ed tribes were relocated from their relati$el' nice lands in the east and sent on a forced march all the wa'2half wa' across the (nited )tates2to Oklahoma2where the' were each -i$en some land2and it was called the trail of the tears because man' man' !eo!le died on the wa' as a result of this forced march Mark * 4i-ht Eric * )o aaahm2%t is eas' to critici3e some other cultures for what the' ha$e done in the !ast for instance the :ermans for what the' did to the ;ews2but2aah2'ou can also look at the bad thin-s that the 5merican -o$ernment did to the nati$e 5mericans2 and see that we don1t ha$e much room to talk Mark * Don1t -et me started on the 5merican -o$ernment2don1t -et me started<