I was wondering why this tribe is called "Primitive Arts"? The title leads me to feel that the subject matter here is less "sophisticated" or less "advanced" than other "art" tribes. Wouldn't "Ancestral Arts" be a bit more appropriate?
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Fri, July 13, 2007 - 6:09 AMGood question. I have referred to primitive arts as ancestral earthskills. The title may stem from relationship with the "society of primative technology" which promotes the living archeology aspect of learning ancient lifeways. Anyone who tries this stuff knows that it is not less sophisticated or advanced. Quite the contrary, we learn how competent our ancestors were to have survived long enough to carry on...
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Sat, July 21, 2007 - 7:21 PMWhen does the political correctness ever end? -
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 9:18 AMThank you, Brent! I, personally, think "sophisticated" is perfectly applicable to anyone who tries to manifest these art forms! Tell a primitive blacksmith or wildcrafter that his skill is "too simple"...see that you don't get a primitive-forged horseshoe to the temple.
;-)p
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 9:21 AMAnd I do see what you're saying, H, but I suppose that people who are already into these skillsets and lifestyles know that Ancestral and Primitive are used interchangeably. I suppose that while I'm all for getting new people involved in these arts, and spreading the knowledge that will keep them alive, anyone who would think poorly of something because of a title, without trying to understand, is no one I want in a class I'm teaching anyway. LOL...keep it real, mon. -
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 1:55 PM"Ancestral and Primitive are used interchangeably."
and thats a damn shame...
In my personal experince therres nothing primitive about the wya my ancesotrs did things or about the way so called primitive people do things... its pretty adavanced if you ask me...
yall have to understand that the word has some pretty negative social conentations for some groups of people who do the sort of craftmen ship dicussed on this tribe... the use of the word primitive has been used to exploit and commit heinous acts of genocide... so yah... its a touchy subject to some...
but from a semantics point of view... im not all that sure the word is the most apt describeing word for this sort of craftmenship and it stems from a projection of western cultures values onto that of another...IMHO...
lol... you could call it sustianable arts... or to stay with the theme of tribes... tribal arts lol... -
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 10:41 PMHere's where it starts getting silly. 'Tribal' can easily be viewed as politically incorrect as 'primitive', e.g. what is the difference between a 'tribe' and a 'nation'? For instance, the Cherokee (as well as most American Indian people) refer to themselves as the 'Cherokee Nation', not the 'Cherokee Tribe', because 'tribe' connotes a lack of refinement, a primitivism. Is the 'chief' of a tribe less grand than a 'king' of a kingdom or the 'Prime Minister' of a nation? etc. etc. etc.
But that opens up a whole other can of words, because American Indians tend to refer to themselves as 'American Indians', while non-natives, attempting to be politically correct, refer to them as 'Native Americans', because that is what they have decided is the least offensive.
Oh, by the way, all this semantic nonsense is foolish.
But yet, I keep writing... -
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Wed, August 22, 2007 - 6:56 AMThe root of primitive is prime, the first , the best ,what all other arts and skills are based on.
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Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 10:29 PMThere's no reason why the word 'primitive' shouldn't be viewed positively. From a certain (and not uncommon) point of view, 'primitive' would be complimentary, while 'civilized', as its antonym, would be insulting. This paradigm isn't at all new, either...I know that at least as far back as the 1930's author Robert E. Howard argued with author H.P. Lovecraft about the superiority of 'barbarism' (a much more loaded term) over 'civilization'. Rouseau wrote about the 'noble savage' (again significantly more loaded terminology) even earlier.
I suppose, ultimately, the issue in question revolves around what one's individual connotations are regarding the word 'primitive'.
It's just a word. Relax. It gets the point across.
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Unsu...
Re: Question about the title of this tribe
Sat, October 20, 2007 - 12:27 AMIf you limit your understanding of the English language to one definition of one word, then yes, the word 'primitive' would seem inaccurate given our current cultural lexicon.
However, the point that primitive means prime is a 'prime' example.
Guess it's in how you look at the word, or yourself.
