By Marieliz Cruz
Did you know that humans dump approximately 8 million tons of plastic into the oceans each year? If our behavior continues as is, the surface water of the ocean could be 150% more acidic than it is now; scientists estimate that unless we make a real change, by 2050, debris (or trash) in the ocean could outweigh all the fish in the ocean. When we pollute our waters, marine species consume toxic objects or become tangled in plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and death. The most visible species impacted right now are seabirds, whales, fish and turtles. These creatures often mistake plastic waste for prey, and many die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with garbage. While it seems like it may be too late to change anything, there are solutions to get us out of this mess. We need to save these sea creatures before we cause even more irreversible long term damage than we already have; we need to protect their home, not destroy it! Start recycling plastic properly or try to maybe even participate in (or organize) a beach or river clean up in your area. Start spreading the word to families, classmates and friends. Step up to the challenge!
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By Caylee Brown November marks the beginning of Native American History and Heritage Month, a month dedicated to celebrating and treasuring the sacred traditions and ancestry of Indigenous people around the world. A month dedicated to recognizing and combating the issues in our society associated with the historical disenfranchisement and alienation of Native American people is crucial to Indigenous communities and how their voices impact the lives of outside communities and characters surrounding them. But certainly, as a result of historical oppression and colonization, the remains of history make it much harder to tackle, with such deep roots festering in our society. The question is bound to arise, how can non-Inigenous people support and respect the causes that Native Americans take initiative toward to create a better, open-minded, society? Thanksgiving, a celebrational feast that can be dated back to November 1621, where Plymouth pilgrims and Wampanoag Native-Americans are said to have celebrated the fall harvest with foods such as beans, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and, of course, corn. (According to history.com) As claimed by multiple records from the settlers, Thanksgiving was a holiday that might have lasted 3 days to a week. Although historical accounts of the settlers are written to paint their alliance with the Wampanoag in a positive light, historians recognize that the Wampanoag had only formed an alliance with the settlers because their population, too, was decimated by English originating disease. Furthermore, our own art teacher here at Washington Middle School, Mr. O’Neil, suggests that we focus on the Indigenous perspective of Thanksgiving during the holiday. As a descendant of the Wangunk and Nipmuck tribes of Connecticut, Mr. O’Neil advocates that the consequences of the colonization of America are devastating to present-day Indigenous culture around the country. He says, “We helped them get through the winter, they wanted our medicine in the beginning because it was helpful but then we became what was called ‘primitive people’. We were always put in that category, as a result we really didn't have a place in their mainstream community.” Mr. O’Neil expands on the dehumanization of Indigenous people and touches on how Native-Americans tried to integrate themselves into society. He says, “We were always on the outside and that was not only hurtful, but my great grandmother said we learned strategies of how to become accepted. We gave up our language, we gave up our culture, we tried to assimilate as much as we could.” Recognizing the harmful roots of Thanksgiving is a crucial step in understanding how misconstrued Indigenous history is when recorded by settlers. Furthermore, educating yourself about the detribalization and erasure of Indigenous identity outside of Thanksgiving can be an essential turning point in your activism and supporting the causes of Native-American people. You can visit The Institute For American Indian Studies for a more local look at Native history, or even look to your Native-American peers or elders for their stories. After all, celebrating and educating yourself about Indigenous heritage and history should be important year round! By:Jahzara Adorno
What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration that people of the Jewish faith celebrate. Each day they light a candle on a Hanukkah Menorah. Now why do they celebrate Hanukkah? Well it commemorates an event that is written about in their holy book where a miracle happened for a group of people called The Maccabees. The story goes that there was only enough oil to shine a light through one night but the light lasted a miraculous eight! During the eight-days, Jewish families spend their time lighting a candle, reading Scripture, recitation of some of the holy words, and singing special songs. Throughout history, many Jewish people have been questioned for their culture due to the fact that other people's beliefs don’t always match up. Despite any struggles, many people spend happy Hanukkahs cooking and baking delicious, traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes), playing games, and enjoying the fun of Hanukkah gifts. While it’s usually less acknowledged in pop culture than other winter holidays, Hanukkah has gained cultural significance in North America over the years. It's important to learn about other cultures and what different people like to do so we can be more open-minded, well rounded people. |
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