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Summary&Response#2

The importance of traditional culture

We have original traditional unique cultures with folklore all over the world. To recognize folklore is very important for us, especially children because children can learn about traditional history and cultures through the old generation. And one culture influences other cultures because each culture has a characteristic culture. So, I have my own Japanese culture that I grew up in. But traditional culture is being changed by improving globalization today; therefore, native culture decays. In this article, the author tries to express Navajo culture by explaining important items and symbols about his culture to his friend in his house. So, we must tell children and people who have a different culture about each of own cultures, and we must attempt to share own culture with people who have a different culture.

Whiterock (1995) in “My Navajo Home in Los Angeles” shows his friend Tung about Navajo’s culture. First, he explains about a painting of pottery and corn to Tung because corn is the staple of the Navajo diet. And it has a history in which the white man tried to change Navajo’s religion and language and even their food. Then the Navajo fought to protect their corn; therefore, corn is a very important harvest. Next, he describes kinds of rugs that have different meaning because of their colors. For example, red is wisdom, turquoise means spiritual goodness, and black and red means knowledge. Finally, he discusses about the sunflowers and a silk butterfly. The sunflowers describe that spirits are happy and the silk butterfly represents dead warriors or carrying prayers to heaven. So, these are symbolic of a Navajo’s spirituality. According to this article, he tries to tell his culture, and he thinks that he needs to tell people about the Navajo. Thus, the
author attempts to preserve his Navajo’s culture by sharing it with his friend.

Today, traditional cultures are also about to be lost in Japan because of the power of globalization. And the young generations don’t want to know Japan’s own cultures, and they don't try to know these cultures because they feel that electronic machines are more interesting than traditional culture. But, unique cultures are very important for us because our ancestors left them for us. I have three things to tell about my culture. For example, rice is a very special and essential main food for Japanese people from the old days. Rice has special nutrients like starch and calcium and Japanese rice differs from other rice which is produced in other Asian areas. The feature of Japanese rice is it is sticky and fluffy. Japanese people really like our rice, but the production of rice is
decreasing gradually today because of the spread of bread. Besides, few young people don't know how to cook rice. For example, one of my friends washed the rice by using a detergent because she didn't know how to cook the rice even she had a rice cooker. Her mother didn’t teach her to cook the rice. I didn’t understand why her mother didn’t teach her when she was a child and why she didn't try to learn it. So, to communicate traditional culture is very important. Next, we have a charm to protect a thing from evil and to make us healthy and have good luck in
folklore. It's square, multi-colored and made of cloth. In my case, my grandparents gave the charm to me when I was born. This contains a talisman word and phrases about Shinto. Shinto is a folk religion in Japan. The symbolic building of Shinto is a shrine. So, Shinto developed against the effect of Buddhism. Eventhough most Japanese people don’t have religion, some people have religion. However, we bring the charm when we take a big important exam to pass. Besides, we pray for a wish on new years day or special day in a shrine. I think to have a charm without religion is a unique spirit.And to know another culture for people who have a different culture is interesting and fantastic. Finally, modern people doesn't play with old toys and don't play outside so much in Japan because they are interested in electronic toys. Also, their parents don't try to tell them how to play with the old toys or the meaning of these because modern parents don’t talk to children so much. They think that TV and a computer are the best tool for children to grow up with. Also, they don’t have time because they work very hard. I think children can play by using computer alone. But some old toys like KARUTA, which kind of cards game and some games which KAKURENBO is hide-and-seek can make children active and improve human relations because children can't play at alone. So, parents should talk to children and they must tell cultures which theylearned.

In conclusion, to explain about traditional cultures is to give children
imagination and to give the chance to know and to recognize another culture for people who have different people and to know about each own culture. Also, to present traditional culture is essential act against our ancestor. Tradition is the gift from our ancestor. We must think about traditional culture and must inherit for future’s generation. To explain for some people about traditional culture like this author is essential role.

Whiterock, T. (1995) My Navaho home in Los Angeles. In B. Lee(ed.)(1995). Celebrating Diversity: A multicultural reader (pp.94-6). Lexington,MA: D.C.