Richard P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Richard P - Essay Example 6. This book has lots of details about the remarkable people who were inducted into slavery forcibly but subsequently asserted their independence. 7. Assimilation of the ethnic minority/black race into the American Mainstream society cannot be achieved though legal provisions only. All-round efforts at every level are required. 8. African culture is the intangible heritage of humanity and suitable steps need to be taken to preserve it. 9. The intrinsic value of the traditional/holistic medical practices need to done on scientific basis. 10. The white race should give up the concept that they are the superior race. All men are created equal by god. Order#: 522517 Topic: Richard P What, if any are the lessons to be learned by students of history from Price's book? An anthropologist is a great investigator. Just as a sculptor removes piece by piece from a stone block, to chisel ultimately a perfect statue, an anthropologist scores the achieves, sieves through the records, travels extens ively, drafts questionnaires and gets the answers from the expected and unexpected quarters, and comes to his conclusions. His vision and mission is to find out the truth about the subject of his investigation. The geographical area chosen by Richard Price for his long and arduous task is Saramaka Maroons of Suriname, one of the most difficult places on Planet Earth. He has the harvest of mythologies relating to the tribes inhabiting in this place. His mentor and guide for his four decades of research is Tooy and he has covered three centuries of African exile and resettlement in America. To put the anthropological material in the narrative style is a tough asking. One has to be an anthropologist, historian and a fiction writer all molded into one. Richard Price is one such personality. Social imaginary of African American societies is unique. The common African-American citizen, men, women and children have played a historic role to build this country, without their being aware of it, and without being given any designated role or project. I have no hesitation to conclude that this is no ordinary travelogue in the company of a fellow-traveler Tooy, who is a local man. Price has a passionate commitment to the main subject of his research—Saramak Tribe. He gathers transcripts, writes field notes and presents before the reader, who feels that he is actually travelling with Richards while turning the pages of the book. One comes to know the dominant impact of ethnicity on Nationalism. This book provides great backgrounder information about the difficult process of assimilation of the tribes into the mainstream of American society. One important historical fact that I have learnt from Richard’s researched findings is the incredible role played by the rebel slaves. Though brought for slave labor against their will and with brutal force, some brave amongst them (tribal leaders?) had the guts and foresight to establish their own colony in the depths of the forests and they protected their culture, nurtured it, transmitted to the future generations and stood by their traditions. Perhaps African traditional divine powers wished to make the history of the region available to humankind which Richard tackled during the course of his adventurous research. His finding Tooy, a priest, philosopher and healer, I consider, is one such divine intervention. He must have facilitated Richard’