Study Abroad in Iceland

This summer, IU South Bend students have a unique, first time opportunity to study abroad in Iceland.

Iceland is a very unique nation. It is a 38,610 square miles island (roughly the size of Indiana) that has about 332,000 permanent residents (roughly 3x the size of South Bend). Without a standing army, the island nation-state is protected by a small coast guard [1]. Egalitarianism is not only valued, it is practiced and Iceland has one of the lowest income gaps and is frequently ranked in the top three women-friendly nations in the world [2].

During the trip, students will reside in the Hunafloi and Skagfjordur region near Holar University College. Students not only will learn how Iceland maintains a modern economy that places an emphasis on the sustainability of the country’s natural-based resources, but also how it balances this with the fact that it is a nation that is growing as an ecotourist destination.

With the deadline looming (February 1), International Programs has asked the trip leader, Dr. Terri Hebert, the following questions:

International Programs: Why study in Iceland?

Dr. Hebert: “Iceland is such an amazing place, unlike any other place I’ve visited before. From the first time my feet touched the moss found growing on the lava rocks to seeing chunks of ice float past me from thousand-year-old glaciers to walking right up to a bubbling cauldron of some sort of sulphuric mixture, that place captured my senses. Also, Iceland being one of the friendliest and safest parts of the globe eases one’s caution about traveling in today’s world.”

International Programs: What can Iceland teach U.S. citizens about sustainability (or even the larger world)?

Dr. Hebert: “Iceland has weathered rather huge financial challenges and emerged quite strong. This speaks to the creative spirits of Icelanders. It also holds a message for us to consider – about overcoming our own challenges in life. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep looking for possible solutions. And in the midst of it all, remember to be kind and help one another.”

Dr. Hebert: “Right now, Iceland is facing another challenge – that of increasing numbers of tourists, all wishing to see the nature that awaits them there. To accommodate the thousands of people traveling to Iceland, more and more tourist-related buildings and roads are being constructed, but often at the expense of the very thing which draws people – the unspoiled beauty and wilderness. Eco-tourism is a hot commodity. The country is in the midst of finding balance. It is an interesting time to visit and speak with various people affiliated with the changes. Great for business majors, sustainability majors, health care providers, education students, and always art/photography majors!”

International Programs: Is there any other insights, or points that you would like to emphasis?

Dr. Hebert: “If anyone has ever wondered what it would be like to step into the Arctic Circle and see it teaming with wildlife, or visit the place where Game of Thrones is filmed – then this is that moment. Often people think, why should I want to go somewhere in the summer that is freezing? This is a misconception as the summer temps range from the mid-60s in the day to mid-40s at night. The food is very good, too – especially the cheeses and the chocolate.”

For more information and applications, please click here.

 

[1] Insight Guides, 2017.

[2] “Best and Worst Countries for Women, from Iceland to the U.S. to Pakistan and Afghanistan.” The Daily Beast (September 18, 2011).

Why Choose Mexico 2016?

Last week Mexicanos around the world celebrated Natalicio de Benito Juárez. On March 21, 1805, the former president Benito Juárez was born. Juárez may be best known as the President of Mexico who helped expel the French Empire from trying to colonize and create a puppet state in Mexico (1861-1867). Cinco de Mayo is another holiday that comes from the France’s ill-fated soirée and celebrates the defeat of, what was considered the greatest military force in the world, by a greatly outnumbered Mexican army. 

Benito Juárez was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. IU South Bend students can spend 4 weeks this summer living in Oaxaca, learning about the culture and society that produced Mexico’s only indigenous president.

This past year I had a chance to go with IU South Bend to Oaxaca. Although not my first experience with a non-Western European culture, it was still an eye-opening experience. Unless you have experienced something like this it is hard to describe beyond a longing to return. Just the other day I was telling my partner, who also went on the Mexico trip with me*

My Host Family

“not one week goes by where I do not miss and desire for my host mother’s cooking.” 

The deadline for the Summer II 2016 Oaxaca, Mexico is tomorrow. Do not miss this truly unforgettable trip.

*Our Mexico trip allows spouses and children to participate with special permission.

 

Jason Rose is an IU South Bend alumni and current graduate student of History at Ball State University. He did part of his Thesis Research on the 2015 Oaxaca, Mexico Trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guérewol, Alebrijes, and the Importance of Folk Art

During the rainy season, the Wodaabe, a multinational West African nomadic tribe, participate in a richly elaborate “courting” ceremony called the Guérewol. During this ceremony, men dress in a white skirt, an intricate head dress made of feathers, and wear elaborate make-up. Posture and standing erect is also an important part of the Guérewol ritual; as is the ash from the Guérewol fire, which is considered to be lucky.

Aesthetics are a large part of the Guérewol, but there are religious aspects to it as well or at least there were at one time. The painting of their faces is done in ways that make their eyes and teeth to appear as white as possible and they dance in a way that the light shines through them, penetrating their body. The Guérewol lasts for seven full days and represents a war to save the future of the Wodaabe.

In Niger, the dance has become a major tourist attraction, but that does not detract from the artistic integrity of the ritual. Cultural importance can still be displayed through the consumption of once localized folk art. In many ways this concept reminds me of the indigenous art forms that I saw while studying in Mexico over the summer. Items such as alebrijes, black pottery, and the Guelaguetza (a Mexican folk dance festival) are so amazing to witness, especially when some of these folk traditions span thousands of years. I took a pottery workshop in Oaxaca and some of my maestro’s finished creations were similar in design and color to the ones at the museum at Monte Alban and the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

Throughout the world, folk art pieces are now heavily produced for tourists, but they are still made in a relatively authentic manner. They are not produced in a factory, at least not in the typical U.S. citizens’ view of a factory. In Mexico, production of alebrijes is a family business and everyone contributes to the finished product. This seems to be a great opportunity for these people to increase their standard of living while maintaining elements of their traditional lifestyle. If they are able to ship their products to the U.S. and a fair trade organization guarantees a non-exploitive transaction, one that gives them a living wage, then that seems like a good deal for the artist. Although, I must admit it is not as cool as purchasing it in the place of origin, and many times from the artist directly. There is an authenticity and soul in folk art that cannot be captured when purchasing something at a store that sells mass produced variations. Folk art, such as alebrijes or the Guérewol in Niger, also serves as a great way of remembering a trip, while also serving as a great conversation starter when asked. This leads to the amazing opening sentence “I got that when I spent a summer in Oaxaca, Mexico with IU South Bend.” Mass produced folk art yields no such memories or opportunities.

Having a chance to make and witness all the indigenous art forms at Oaxaca has been an awesome experience and I would love to see the Guérewol in person. I would love to have everyone reading this to join me because the shared experience of a study abroad trip is simply indescribable.

My Experience in Oaxaca: Part 2

I was already winded when I arrived in Oaxaca as the altitude is considerable higher compared to Indiana. But the climb to the summit pushed me to the edge. But the view, oh my, what a view, made it all worth it. Monte Alban was worth it!

Monte Alban is an archeological treasure located in Mexican state of Oaxaca. The archaeological site at Monte Alban contains a large pre-Columbian step pyramid and other religious and secular buildings built by the Zapotec people of Mesoamerican descent around 500 BCE. The center of Monte Alban is the Main Plaza. Surrounding the Plaza are the Ball Courts, where players played a game similar to handball but utilizing their hips with a heavy rubber ball. The losers of these games were sometimes sacrificed. By the edge of the Ball Court and near the Plaza resides a large grasshopper, which where and continues to be an important animal to the region. By Los Danzantes, which are covered with lapidas (stone monuments), is a row of human statues that have a very distinctive Olmec (1500 BCE-400 BCE) influence.

Built at the summit of a large hill with the top flattened, the city structures should have been easier to defend than other areas, but this did not prevent Monte Alban from being first inhabited or ruled by the Zapotec, Mixtecs, Mexica (pronounced as ma-she-ka, but better known as the Aztecs) and eventually the Spaniards when they defeated the Mexica Empire on August 13, 1521. Due to so much conquest and movement of people, scholars do not know precisely where the name came from originally. It may have been a corruption of the indigenous name, or a Spaniard that controlled the area after the Spanish conquest. Whatever the origin of the name, the one thing that truly matters is that it is worth all the efforts in the world to see it.

My Experience in Oaxaca: Part 1

It has been a little over a week since I arrived in Mexico with nine of the finest students that the IU system has to offer. Seven of the students on this year’s trip are from IU South Bend while the other two are from other IU satellite campuses such as IUPUI and IU Southeast. We stayed in Mexico City the first evening and on Sunday we visited The Church of Our Lady of Remedies and the archeological dig at Tlachihualtepetl, which literally means “artificial mountain.” The temple actually has several temples in the same spot, but have become buried due to erosion, deliberate rebuilding to make larger temples, and volcanic eruptions. The last temple was dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl, who some believe that the Mexica (Aztecs) considered Hernan Cortes to be him or his representative. Tlachihualtepetl is the world’s largest pyramid based on the archeological evidence gathered by its base.

After exploring the archeological site and the Church, we went to Oaxaca and met our host families. Within Oaxaca there are seventeen distinct ethnic groups, with fifty-two language dialects spoken. Mexico is a very multi-ethnic and multi-racial society and we had a chance to see the rich and colorful indigenous cultural traditions in person in both the Plaza in El Centro Histórico in Mexico City just outside our window and in the Zócalo (The Plaza de la Constitución) in Oaxaca. Mexico has a fascinating mixture of colonial and indigenous cultures and Oaxaca in particular has a strong indigenous influence, while also containing a distinctive colonial flavor as can be seen in the picturesque colonial estate that now is the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca. Where, I might add, I get to study and grow as a student scholar. There is also a traditional colonial plaza situated near the Instituto.

      

Oaxaca is also the birthplace of two of Mexico’s greatest leaders, Benito Juárez and Porfirio Díaz. Benito Juárez (1806-1872) is Mexico’s only indigenous president, who reestablished the Republic of Mexico after he helped expel the French invasion in 1861. Porfirio Díaz (1830-1915) served as the Mexican President, essentially as a dictator, from 1876 and 1911 which was one of the main catalysts of the Mexican Revolution. This mix of indigenous and colonial influences and contributions to Mexican history makes Oaxaca the ideal place for learning about and understanding the concept of lo mexicano, the concept of what is Mexico and Mexican.

New History Course this Fall: “Issues in African History”

IU South Bend students have some fantastic international themed courses to choose from this fall. A new African History course is being offered this fall by Dr. Monica Tetzlaff, Associate Professor of History. Dr. Tetzlaff has just returned from a ten-month Fulbright Fellowship in West Africa, where her studies at the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana provided substantial material and experience for this course.

Dr. Tetzlaff’s Issues in African History course will cover events from approximately the 1880s, during the rise of colonialism, to the present day. This includes topics as diverse as the end of the slave trade, colonialism, independence movements, and independent Africa in the 20th and 21st century. Africa’s political history will be covered, especially Pan-Africanism and ties with the Diaspora in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America. Gender, religion, music, art, and the environment will also be discussed.

                

Africa is a diverse and dynamic continent with a rich and fascinating history. This can be clearly seen in in the blog posts of International Programs intern Ali Mahamet, and it will be demonstrated in this course. Do not let this excellent opportunity to learn about Africa from someone that has fresh passion about the subject and still on the “travel high.” 

HIST E-300 (15142) Issues in African History

Fall (33071) MW 1-2:15

Brazilian Cinema at IU South Bend

This coming fall, IU South Bend students have a chance to learn about Brazilian Cinema. Gaining in international recognition and stature, Brazilian films like Central do Brasil and Elite Squad have been winning numerous awards. In a course taught by the highly esteemed Dr. Samantha Nogueira Joyce, students will not only engage in Brazilian Cinema, but they will also learn about pan-American interactions and Brazil’s birth as a power in the global market.

According to Dr. Joyce, “The goal of the course is to examine these movies as relevant films that stand on their own in history and contemporary cinema – and to discuss them as cultural, historical, political, and economic products that characterize and reveal aspects, sensibilities and points of view from the represented nation.”

Brazil is a unique and diverse nation, being the largest country in South America and the largest Portuguese speaking nation in the world. As in most interdisciplinary courses, students will gain insights into the political and socio-economic issues that formed modern Brazil. Consequently, cultural, political, and social history will be explored in order to fully comprehend and contextualize the films studied. While the course focuses on Brazilian Cinema, it will be valuable to anyone who cares about the intricacies of a growing global power.

MASS COMMUNICATION: TEL-R 404 – Topical Seminar in Telecommunications

5666                          11:30A-12:45P TR            NS013                        Joyce S

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Part 4: The Pacific Islands

For the last blog in my series, I will discuss the Pacific Islands.

Melanesians are the ethnic groups that inhabitant the Pacific Islands around Papua-New Guinea. This would include the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. Headhunting was practiced in Melanesia into the early twentieth century (as well as most other parts of the world from time to time), but it is no longer practiced today. Contrary to popular belief, headhunting was ritualistic and rarely an act of war, serving as a way to collectively mourn for the community’s dead.

                    

Melanesia is one of the few areas outside Europe that has blonde hair among “dark-skinned” indigenous groups without a European genetic influence.

The current inhabitants of the Micronesia area have a syncretic culture that developed from the absorption of Filipino, Melanesian, and Polynesians cultures. For much of its existence, Micronesia has been controlled by outside forces, but at one time one of the larger Micronesian islands maintained a small empire with the island of Yap being the chief island. Spain conquered the area in the early 17th century and European powers controlled the island groups until the Japanese conquered them during WWII. After Japan’s defeat, the United States controlled most of the area until the 1980’s when the U.S. granted independence to most of the region while Guam remained a U.S. territory. 

Polynesia is the largest of the Pacific Islanders groups and consists of a triangle that extends from New Zealand to Easter Island in the west and to Hawaii in the north. There are two distinctive cultures in Polynesia, the western culture which is adapted to travel between small islands, and the eastern groups that live on the larger islands with higher populations such as Tonga, New Zealand, Niue, and Samoa.

Modern tattooing can be traced to Polynesia especially among the Maori tribes of New Zealand and has its etymological origin from the Samoan word “tatau.” As sailors came into contact with the islanders, many returned home with tattoos. The tribal band may be the most common tattoo influence.

When people in the United States think of the south Pacific, however, they normally think about Hawaii and its culture. Although Hawaii is part of Polynesia, it has more influences from outside cultures than most of Polynesia, with immigrants from China, Japan, and the United States pouring into the islands since they were “discovered” in 1778. The Hawaiian Islands were originally called the “Sandwich Islands” by Westerners in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.

                                

Hawaii is one of four states that was an independent nation prior to joining the United States, along with the Vermont Republic (1791), the Republic of Texas (1845), and the California Republic (1846). The Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown by resident American and European businessmen in 1893. The businesses then established a republic that lasted from 1894 until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States as a territory. Hawaii became the fiftieth state in 1959.

     

So as I wrap up this series, what is the larger take away? It is that in a world that is consistently transient, whether we are talking about the movement of people or goods, understanding the larger world around us, how it’s inhabitants think, and how it has influenced us, will only make the world a better place. Understanding and appreciating global diversity allows us to make more informed choices and serves as the cornerstone of creating a better society.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Part 3: Southern Asia

Southern Asia contains two separate, but linked regions: Southeast Asia and South Asia. Southeast Asia includes the nations of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor. Considered the crossroads of Asia, the Southeast has been influenced by the cultures and religions of India and China as well as the religions Islam and Christianity from Southwest Asia.

The culture and history of Southeast Asia is very diverse and has included numerous kingdoms and empires. Buddhist and Hindu culture has had significant influence in Southeast Asia. Hinduism was the dominant historical religion in the maritime nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Indonesia today, however, is the largest populated Muslim nation in the world. Furthermore, Southeast Asian arts and literature is very distinctive, but has been influenced by Indian, Hindu, Chinese, Buddhist and Islamic literature.

                    

The lasting effects of colonialism in this area has influence numerous problems. The Vietnam War was largely a result of colonial problems as well as the ongoing conflicts in the Philippines and East Timor. The Southeast Asian country of Laos also contains the Plain of Jars, an archeological and historical treasure that archeologists are just starting to explore (check out fellow IU South Bend student Cyndal Mateja’s paper in the IU South Bend Undergraduate Research Journal vol. 15 on the subject).

South Asia makes up the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It also includes, according to some experts, Afghanistan and Burma. India is one of the oldest nations in the world and has been around in some manner since at least 2,500 BCE in Pakistan and western India. People have been living in the area since 30,000 BCE. India is also one of the most beautiful places in the world and contains numerous landmarks, such as the Taj Mahal, but suffers from extreme poverty.

South Asia has been the birth place of four of the world’s largest and most influential religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Colonialism has also had a detriment effect in South Asia and it has never been addressed fully, leading to tensions between India and Pakistan as well as other issues including Afghanistan and Burma.

Next in our series, the South Pacific…

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Part 2: Japan and Korea

For this post in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Month series, I will discuss Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and the contributions of Japanese Americans to Southern California.

Japan is an island nation that is part of an archipelago containing 6,852 islands. The four largest islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku comprise 97% of Japan’s land area. In Kanji, the Japanese logograph (sometimes called “characters”) for Japan means “sun-origin”, which is why Japan is commonly referred to as the “Land of the Rising Sun.”

For much of its history, Japan was an isolationist nation, until 1853 when the United States forced the nation to open to Western trade. This caused turmoil in the country until the Emperor Meiji formalized Western practices and banished the samurai, who were considered by some to be traitors and racists. The “opening” of Japan led to widespread immigration of Japanese, first to Hawaii and then to Southern California to work as day laborers and farmhands. The immigrants employed Japanese irrigation techniques allowing parts of California to increase yields, and allowing cultivation of previous unusable land.

During the Second World War the United States government ordered the interment of American citizens of Japanese descent. This act was applied unequally; those who lived in the west coast were interred, but in Hawaii 1,800 of roughly 150,000 Japanese-Americans were interred. There has been no explanation for these inconstancies, but a general thought was that Hawaii was backward and not really “American.” Interesting enough, although several aspects of Japanese culture were banned in the camps, Japanese Americans still managed to keep alive several of their traditions. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided redress of $20,000 for each surviving detainee, which helped bring to light this grave injustice by the US government.

Korea is a peninsula that has two separate sovereign nations: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). North Korea is bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, while South Korea only borders North Korea.

Because of Korea’s proximity to other nations, it has been controlled off and on since recorded history. China, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States have all meddled in the internal politics of both North and South Korea.

Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea and has quickly become one of the most widely practiced international sports. Taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 2000.

In the next post in my series, I will discuss Southern Asia.