Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies

Today I enjoy working with my blogs in Norwegian Thai and now English, because I decide to drop my 2 subjects. I feel hard every times I sit and do my homework from school. Actually they are 40 per cent exam. I need to hand it before the final exam. I have 3 subjects:

1. BCS100X - An introduction to the circumpolar world
2. BCS121X - People and Cultures I
3. BCS131X Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World

I work hard to do my best but I am not satisfied with my answers. I evaluate my answers and in my opinion they are not approval. I mean some of them are not good enough. I take too much time try to do it properly. I meant I need extra time because it is self studying as an online education. I need to read and read by myself. It takes time to understand and then I need to analysis the questions and answer. I can not manage it in time. Could you imagine 35 questions in one semester? They are not extreme, but I just can not. I am not so young any more, studying now is just a compensation for my life. I can not concentrate as before and reading on PC is one of my problems. I can not hand in my poor answers any more; therefore I have to drop 2 subjects.

I got respond from my tutor of BCS121X - People and Cultures I. I was so glad. Because she wrote “your answers are OK”. Let me show answers that my tutor said OK; I agree with her, these two answers are OK la.

Try to find out what kinds of ancient tools would have been used in the Arctic region nearest you, and are they unique to that region?

How human lived in the past, what were their everyday’s life. They needed four requisites, food, accommodations, clothing and medicine. To be survival, they needed tools to make life easier. From the Ice Age in the Arctic region, they needed special tools which were suitable to the condition of climate and the kind of local animals they consumed. Base on archaeology studies, we found a number of tools made from bone and antler, including bone awls, bone retouchers, bone and antler handles for stone tools (Hammerstone Hearth/Envil stone), and a variety of ornamental art carved out of bone or ivory. We learn that they had occupied of hunting coasts and forests. We can find out the ancient tools in the culture history of the Arctic in each period:

The Paleo-arctic tradition:
It is known only from stone artifacts, especially microblades and small bifaces.

The Arctic Small Tool tradition:
It is characterized by finely made microblades, spalled burins, small side and end scrapers side, end blades and broken bone needles are common in sites from this archaeological time period. In The Arctic Small Tool tradition also provides evidence of the manufacture of bows and arrows. Such needles, made using burins, were used to tailor clothing. All of these technological innovations would have facilitated life in the High Arctic—by providing warmer, well-designed clothing and by facilitating hunting of large mammals and birds.

The Norton tradition:
Artifact assemblages typically contain flaked stone tools that are similar to those found in the earlier (The Arctic Small Tool tradition)

The Dorset culture:
Dorset appears to have been a more successful adaptation to the conditions of this region than the preceding Arctic Small tool tradition cultures from which it developed. This is demonstrated by the huge area occupied by Dorset groups and by evidence that they had perfected winter hunting on the sea ice.

Discuss in what ways shamanism still can be important for indigenous peoples today

First of all I would like to define what Shamanism is. And this one is from “http://healing.about.com/od/shamanism/Shamanism.htm” quiet simple but clear definition in my opinion.

“Shamanism is the spiritual practices of ancient civilizations and cultures. Shamanism is the oldest healing tradition in the world. The Shaman in history served as the communicator between the physical and the spiritual worlds through various rituals and visualizations. This tradition is observed by modern mankind as a way of returning to its roots.”

To clarify more about shamanism, I get more simple definition for Shamans from “http://www.shamanismcanada.com/whatisshamanism.html”

“Shamans are a type of medicine man or woman especially distinguished by the use of journeys to hidden worlds otherwise mainly known through myth, dream, and near-death experiences. Most commonly they do this by entering an altered state of consciousness using monotonous percussion sound.”

Now let think about in what ways shamanism still can be important for indigenous peoples today.

In the ancient days, when human did not know and they could not explain why it happened they needed to have something for explanation. Why did they die? Where did they go after death? Why were they sick? Human’s imagination has never ended. Human’s unawareness make them fear. They needed to have something and someone to help. Therefore shamanism was the answer and solving problem for them. The Shaman played very important roles for both in individual live and in human society. He can communicate with the spirit world. He can heal sickness caused by evil spirits. His spirit can make the body to enter the supernatural world to search for answers. He evokes animal images.

Nowadays, people learn many things and can find out the answer for many things, but many illnesses are still unexplained. Moreover, who knows where we go after death. Therefore the Shaman is still play very important roles for both in individual live and in human society. Especially for indigenous peoples, they need to have something to present their own tradition. It can be one thing to make them unique. They need someone who is expert in the folklore of their cultures. The way of life of indigenous peoples is still concerned to be hunters, gatherers and fishers some in the primitive way and some in the modern way. However, the shaman can also lead to promote the fishing and hunting luck for them in the traditional way they prefer to keep on.

I almost finish my all module questions for BCS131X Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World. I think I may get the chance to do the final exam for it. I hope so….