The Self-Birthing American

In the spirit of the end of this year and reflecting back onto the past, I want to look at the concept of ancestry within our society. Within the study of American culture there is an observation that many of us Americans live through a belief of - giving birth to ourselves. This state of reality that does not have a connection to a long lineage of the people or traditions of the past, could be viewed as lacking roots. I am not going to suggest that we all simply live through the ideologies of the past, but there is real value in knowing where one comes from. There is also great value in thinking of those that will come next. In short, I want to explore the social connections and responsibilities that span space and time.

I recently explored some of my family's history through a genealogy project. The process of this genealogy project was a much richer experience than I could have ever imagined. When I apply the concept of cause and effect to the lineage of my family, certain family characteristics are revealed in a different light. This exploration into my families roots was a part of the Native American Studies program that I am pursuing. Within Native American cultures the concept of being aware of "seven generations" is an important aspect of the cultural perspective that leads to social responsibility. This multi-generation awareness looks both directions in time, back into the past and forward into the future.

Is this cultural tendency of Americans to view themselves as being disconnected from their past, a form of recreation? Or, is this merely a natural consequence of American individualism, which is expressing itself in the form of an identity that is independent of the past?

My exploration with my family's lineage is far from over and I look forward to learning more about where I have come from. I can personally recommend doing some level of genealogy to everyone, for I think that it gives us a deeper understanding of the consequences that our choices have on the future generations. We all know how indebted our society is economically, but what about the deficit in our understanding of where we have come from, and thus, who will come from us. Things that are not well rooted, do not weather the storm well.

Life can be viewed as a circle that natural cycles revolve around. Does American individualism view itself as being separate from this circle of life?