Cherokee Nation by Rebecca

Writing

ROOM 13

CHEROKEE NATION

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By Rebecca

INTRODUCTION

The Cherokee Nation are Native American people. It is the largest Cherokee federally recognised Tribe in the United States. It was established in the 20th century. Some tribe members descended from the old Cherokee nation, who had relocated from the Southeast.

History

During 1898-1906, the US government dissipated the former Cherokee Nation governmental and civic establishments, in order to make space for the Indian Territory in the new state of Oklahoma. Between 1906 and 1938, the tribal government was not determined.

Modern Cherokee Nation

In the 1930’s, Franklin Roosevelt administration worked towards improving conditions by supporting the Indian Reorganization Act, which led to other tribes to reestablish their governments. On the 8th of August, 1938, the Cherokee Nation held a general convention in Fairfield, Oklahoma to elect a chief of their tribe. The Cherokee Nation elected J.B Milam as leading chief.

American Indian Wars

The American Indian Wars, were multiple armed conflicts between European Colonists and Governments, and later American settlers, the United States Government or people of North America. The wars started in 1622 and ended in 1924. The wars occurred across the North American continent. Causes of the Wars were land ownership and resources. Years between 1789 and 1891, the US census estimated 25,000 European men, women and children and over 39,000 Indians. This heavily impacted the population.

Cherokee Nation Song

The Cherokee Nation song was written by John Loudermilk. The Cherokee Nation song refers to the five civilized tribes, including Cherokee, that were chased off their land onto the Trail of Tears. The lyrics in the Cherokee Nation Song have depth and meaning, as such the second line of the first verse “put us on this reservation” showed how the Cherokee tribe was forced to move onto the Trail of Tears. On the first line of the second verse, “took away our native tongue” refers to how the Europeans taught all of the children english instead of the Native American Indian language, as well as the line “and taught their English to our young.” In the second verse, the third and fourth line “and the beads we made by hand, are nowadays made in Japan,” talks about how everything nowadays is commercialised and made in countries like Japan or China. The third refers to how the Europeans took the whole Indian Nation and forced the Cherokee people to move to the Trail of tears, in other words, the reservation. The lines in the third verse “They took the whole Indian Nation, Locked us on this reservation, Though I wear a shirt and tie, I’m still part redman deep inside.” The last lines regard to how the Cherokee people were like Europeanised, to talk like the Europeans, dress like the Europeans and even act like the Europeans. The “I’m still a redman inside” means that no matter how the Cherokee may be forced to act, they will always be part of their culture and heritage. The last verse of the Cherokee Nation Song, “But maybe someday when we’ve learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, Will return, Will return, Will return.” This indicates that the artist who wrote the song, John Loudermilk, thinks that in time, the Cherokee Nation will develop into the proud culture it used to be.

Personally, I think that the Cherokee Nation has been mistreated over the centuries by other cultures and tribes. The song, Cherokee Nation, has a strong message about the mistreatment of the Cherokee Nation. The lyrics that John Loudermilk wrote gave a strong sense of purpose and meaning.

The Lorax by Rebecca

The Lorax
Themes and Characters

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By Rebecca

INTRODUCTION

The Lorax is a story, written by Dr. Seuss. This story was written to warn people about environmental problems that we could face in the future if we don’t take care of our world.

Themes

There are several important messages and themes in the Lorax. The first one is humankind and the natural world. The Once-ler tells the story of the trees to Ted, which describes the relationship between humans and the natural world. The story explains how money, power and fame can cloud humans decisions about the environment. The Once-ler started off as a young lad with big dreams for his future. He left his family to find the perfect material for his ‘thneed’. A thneed that could do the job of a thousand men. The Once-ler found a forest full of Truffula trees, perfect material for his thneed. The Once-ler cuts down the very first tree and little did he know the impact he was making and that he summoned a creature, the Lorax. The Lorax descends from the sky, claiming that he is the guardian of the forest and that he speaks for the trees. Because of what the Once-ler done, the Lorax tries to get the Once-ler to leave, by pranking him and almost killing him in the process. However, the Once-ler is determined to make his thneed, therefore the Lorax and the Once-ler make a compromise, that the Once-ler promises to never cut down another tree again. Nevertheless, the Once-ler breaks his promise as the fame and demand of his thneed becomes bigger. The Once-ler’s family also help to persuade the Once-ler to break his promise. Wanting to earn his family's respect, the Once-ler agreed to cutting down the trees. This hints at another theme of self-worth, as the Once-ler tries to prove himself to his family and wanting to please them. The Once-ler’s mother, Isabella, is very manipulative and money-crazy. When the Once-ler first started to harvest the Truffula trees, Isabella managed to manipulate the Once-ler into breaking his promise. Determined to earn his family’s respect, the Once-ler agrees and when the company becomes bigger, the Once-ler tries to tell himself that what he is doing not bad. The Lorax is almost in a way, the Once-ler’s conscience.

At the start, Ted first initially tries to find out what happened to the trees because Audrey always wanted one. When he first proposed this idea to his mother, she did not see the reason of a real tree. Just like the other people in Thneedville, they had been without trees for so long that it did not occur to them the real purpose of trees. Especially since they had big walls all around the city, so they could not actually see the real world that loomed around them. The townsfolk of Thneedville had been manipulated by Mr O’Hare by making them believe that they could buy air. Ted thens sets of to find the Once-ler who tells him the story of why they have no trees. Money, power and fame clouded the Once-ler decision making for the care of the environment. Because of the Once-ler’s actions, animals were forced to leave to the forest and the air was horribly polluted. No matter how many times the Lorax tried to persuade the Once-ler, he wouldn’t listen. It was only when they cut down the very last Truffula tree, that the Once-ler sees what the consequences of his actions were. When the Once-ler finishes telling the story to Ted, he gives him the last Truffula tree seed. At the start, Ted only wanted to find out because of a girl and his own selfish reasons, but as the movie progressed, Ted realised the importance of trees, and the difference he could make. At the end of the movie, Ted introduces himself to the townsfolk as ‘Ted Wiggins, and I speak for the trees’. This shows that Ted’s character progressed as he started out as a self-obsessed boy, to a boy that made a huge difference in the world.

Dr. Seuss in his book is trying to warn humankind that we must take care of the environment otherwise the consequences are fatal.

The Lorax

The Lorax is a friend to all nature, his introduction in the book is “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees, I speak for the trees that have no tongues.” The Lorax has many characteristics, like his protective side towards all of the forest animals and trees.

1. As an example, when the Once-ler chopped down the very first Truffula, the Lorax was distraught. Because of this, the Lorax and the forest animals, placed rocks around the tree stump, like it was a memorial. The Lorax was very angry and irritated that the Once-ler was putting his needs and wants before the care of the environment.

2. When the Thneed business has ruined the forest, the Lorax sent away all of the forest animals for them to find a better place to live. This is showing that the Lorax is very protective over the forest animals.

3. Ultimately, as the movie came to it’s conclusion, the Lorax learns forgiveness. The Lorax once again descended from the sky, when the Once-ler came out of its house after many years to water the newly growing Truffula trees, the Lorax learnt to forgive the Once-ler for ruining the environment. Especially since the Once-ler redeemed himself by telling the story to Ted, which resolved in Ted carrying out the mission to save the trees.

The book of the Lorax is recognised as fictional story, concerning about the power of greed presents to nature. The Lorax was known as Dr. Seuss’ favourite story. Dr Seuss was able to write a story about environmental problems without the story being tedious. The story of the Lorax, is an excellent book to warn humans about the environment and trying to get a point across.

Speeches

Writing - Francis Brandywine - By Rebecca Thwaites

Francis

I never had any adventures in the suburbs of Chicago, but we did go camping at Quetico Park. Quetico Park was isolated, that we went days on end without seeing anyone. I loved it there but there’s no way I will go back, after what happened to Francis Brandywine.

Francis was camping at Quetico Park with her family. She never wanted to go, out there, there is no WiFi or reception, and this doesn’t exactly appeal to a reckless 17 year old girl. One night, she wanted to go to the deepest part of the lake on a boat so she could look up to the stars, have a smoke and write in her journal. Waiting until her family was sound asleep, Francis snuck out, put on her black Doc Martens boots, grabbed a lamp and she headed out to the lake.

The boat was old, wooden and rusty. Francis sighed as she gently rowed to the deepest part of the lake. The lake was made out of a melted ice glacier, the silent black water would be freezing. Francis gently rowed and rowed until she was content that she was over the deepest part of the lake, she lay down and looked up to the clear night sky.

About an hour had past and Francis was just about asleep. Suddenly she heard a crisp, clear knock of the bottom of the wooden boat. This disturbed her and she suddenly sat up, her jet black hair sprawled across her face. Francis peered over the edge of the boat to see if she had drifted ashore. But her reflection only stared back at her. Francis reassured herself that it was nothing, lay back down and continued to gaze up at the stars.

After 10, 20 minutes, there was a loud knock once again, Francis nerves were rattled. Gently reaching out to the still water, her slender finger brushing over the water surface, to see if anything was there. She thought that it was a turtle or a fish, or some other type of creature. But she couldn’t escape the fact that no animal or creature would make a clear knocking sound like a human knocking loudly on a brass door. Francis tricked herself into believing it was nothing, she sat back down and continued to write in her journal.

An hour later, just when she believed she had imagined it all, the third knock came and the boat was knocked side to side. BANG, BANG, BANG, and this time it was loud as a bass drum. Francis screamed. She knew that she need to get out of the lake and fast. Grabbing the oars, she rowed and rowed. Her breathing became quicker and salty tears were threatening to escape. Suddenly she stopped and realised that the boat hadn’t moved a centimetre. Usually, since the water was calm, she would have made quick progress. Something was keeping Francis and the boat from moving.

After a while, Francis manage to calm herself and thought that it was time to take some extraordinary measures. She grabbed an oar and dipped it into the calm water, waving it around to see if there was anything there. The oar was suddenly pulled down by an invisible force. This caused Francis to tumble back, tipping the other oar over the side. Francis. Was. Stranded.

Her teeth chattered and Francis curled up in a ball. Slowly she sat up and to past time, wrote in her journal, describing every movement and sound. Waiting for whatever to happen, happen.

The next day, they found the boat, which was washed to shore. Inside it, there was Francis’ journal. It is only because of this journal, that we know what happened. When they found the journal, the last page was still wet. Written with a bloody finger, it said, “I DID KNOCK FIRST.” Francis Brandywine was never seen again.

By Rebecca Thwaites

Inquiry - How do humans affect the marine ecosystem? By Rebecca Thwaites

The Toucan by Rebecca

Ice Ice Baby by Rebecca T

Ice Ice Baby🎿

It was in the middle of July, and it was a blistering hot day. As we were staying in Castle Hill, we went skiing every single day. Of course there was no exception for today, as we drove up the never-ending mountain path to Porters ski field, we got stopped by a man in a fluro orange vest. “Sorry guys. Hutt is closed. You’ll have to park here.” My jaw dropped in shock, there was no way I was gonna walk up half of the mountain with all of my ski gear. “You can get the shuttle up,” he finished with a heavy sigh. I think he knew what a long day it was gonna be. We waited for what seemed like an hour, 2 shuttles had come=e and went, only taking the people who were here before us. Finally a 3rd shuttle came and we all were squashed in. “Cosy,” My dad remarked with a wide grin.

After a long hot day of skiing and waiting in massive lines for the T-bar, we decided to call it a day. “Why don’t we ski down the mountain, instead of waiting an hour for the shuttle?” Dad asked us. Now after a long day of skiing I was getting pretty tired, but who am I to pass up a challenge. After several mutters and grumbles we set off down the mountain. It wasn’t too hard apart from the many bushes and rocks that we struggled to avoid. Soon we reached a small river running down the mountain about 1 metre wide. “C’mon let's cross it” Dad said eagerly. “This is gonna be funny,” Mutters Bridgette as she takes out her Iphone to video us. First Dad crosses it with his skis on, then followed by Anna and Catherine, Bridgette tucks her Iphone in her pocket and crosses the river.

First I slowly side step across the river, then I see a small bush in the middle. ‘It will be so much easier to cross without skis on’ I thought. So climbed onto the bush and I chucked my poles to Anna who caught them with ease. As I lifted my right ski to unclip my left ski, I suddenly lose my balance and topple backwards into the icy river with a loud SPLASH. Everyone erupts with laughter and I grumbled still in the freezing water. “Stop laughing at me!” I whined, “It’s not funny!” Dad takes grab of my hand and pulls me up with a grunt. “I should have.. recorded.. that,” Bridgette said in between splutters of laughter. Anna and Catherine were just standing there, absolutely beside themselves with laughter.

My teeth started chattering from the cold, wet clothes on me. My hair was dripping and my hands were numb. “Quick let’s get you back to the truck,” Dad says, still chuckling. To make matters worse we had to walk along the road for the last bit, and I was freezing cold with icy wet ski gear on. Finally we reached the car and I couldn’t have been more relieved. When we got back to Castle Hill, we had Hot Chocolate and Pancakes. At least we had one good thing happen today.

By Rebecca T