NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/alt/native/1511

Text File | 1992-12-22 | 1.7 KB | 53 lines

Newsgroups: alt.native
Path: sparky!uunet!walter!porthos!moscow!mlw
From: [e-mail] (wason,mary lu l)
Subject: Northern Exposure
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 20:30:26 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (USENET System Software)
Lines: 41


In fairness to Northern Exposure - I'd like to mention
that in the beginning of the Indians throwing tomatoes
episode - Flieshmann (the doctor) was at first very upset
that people were ruining his expensive silk shirt.
When he asked one Indian (Dan?) why tomatoes, he was told
"it could be worse. Could be chains, or baseball bats, or
knives." In this same episode - it was Thanksgiving
and the whole town remembered the dead who had died
because of the European invasion.

Northwest Indian customs have been the basis for many
Northern Exposure episodes. Some that come to my mind
are Flieshman being adopted into the local tribe and
being led on a vision quest,
Maggie turning 30 and following a custom that Ed
tells her about, to make peace with her past,
a Christmas story when the whole town celebrates an
NW Indian tale of a savior (a crow?) that mirrors the
Christian tale.

In my non-Indian, non-Native, mind, I think the
show is a positive step towards recognizing the value
of Indian customs and beliefs and exposing people
of other cultures to them. But I'm certainly ready
to change my opinion, since I'm not a subject matter
expert here.

In fact, I've been trying not to post here - since I'm
not Indian. Sorry.
But I too am interested in other
opinions about Northern Exposure.

Thanks.
    -Mary Lu Wason

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Mary Lu Wason
[e-mail]