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The Noble Savage And Ecological Indian: Cultural Dissonance And Representations Of Native Americans In Literature, Brooke D. Mcnaughton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This thesis provides a unique approach to understanding the historical origins and contemporary social ramifications of the use of the concepts of the Noble Savage and the Ecological Indian within literature. I first examine the history of the Noble Savage concept in literature by examining relevant social movements, and then its eventual transition into its modern counterpart, the Ecological Indian. Authors who employ the use of these concepts typically portray Natives in a way which provides an idealized alternative for white cultural woes. Consequently, this idealization creates problems with modern Native identity. In the second half of this project I …

From Exile To Eden Confronting Myth And Water Crises In A Desert Landscape, Erica Cottam

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Citizens of Washington County are about to face serious water shortages that time-honored myths imposed on the landscape during the pioneer era will make difficult to confront. Biblical views of the desert as undesirable wilderness drove early Mormon settlers to create an Edenic oasis. Twenty-first century residents believe the desert has been conquered and no longer poses a threat, a myth that allows for aesthetic appreciation of the landscape but also supports extravagant use of water for recreation and development. To admit that the desert is still a formidable opponent is to deny the achievement of previous generations and question …

Friends Or Foes? How 19th Century Lds Literature Supported Manifest Destiny, Richard Edward West

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

"They felt that the Indians had to become civilized according to non-Indian standards. They did not know or understand the Indians' way of life nor did they want to."

-Idaho Indians: Tribal Histories

This quote refers to the United States government, but it could have also referred to many nineteenth-century members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). This religion, centered in Salt Lake City, Utah, was one of the faiths that most influenced the Native Americans in the western United States. The LDS settlers and Native Americans had an unusual relationship - one that was very …