For those who know me, the announcement of this journey to conduct field research in a foreign land was a bit alarming, a bit uncharacteristic, and a bit exciting.
I have always been someone who continues to learn, with or without support. Those of you not in academic circles, that is jargon for ‘an individual who is not funded’. The interesting aspect about TEK, is that it evolves in manners which are unexpected. When my Elders directed me that this path was to continue, I had no idea where it would take me.
And yet, a woman who is staunchly devoted to learning her language, supporting her People, and helping raise Native tribes’ ways of addressing issues and rediscovering their TEK, this seems unreal. And unlikely.
Indigeneity is central to any aboriginal group of People that has a connection to the land and its resources. It is not something that is easily faked, nor is it something that easily disintegrates. So when I began to see chards of similarities, the tiniest of slivers that pinged “huh… that’s interesting…” in the back of my mind, I started to take notice. The Elders would tell me to note those moments, because they were a foundation that was being laid down, one piece at a time.
It started with a student several years back who was in one of my Anthropology classes. This student asked to write a paper about a drama, and I was clueless how to respond. After a brief explanation, I watched to see if it would fit the class parameters for extra credit. While watching, the anthropologist and scientist came out. I found myself observing trends and patterns, more than evaluating for criteria. One drama led to another, and soon my brain was categorizing and I was researching words and patterns and resources because I found some of the similarities to Natives astounding.
Korean dramas, or K Dramas, as they are commonly referred, are very similar to American mini-series television shows. They are expertly produced, are entertaining and are the center of an emerging population of devoted fans, of which have produced multiple channels and TV apps in America to be able to watch. Netflix and Hulu are even in on the action, adding Korean dramas and have acknowledged the ever-growing demand for Korean produced entertainment.
While entertainment offers a tiny glimpse of culture, it cannot replace research, and for most researcher, when a tiny nugget of information is offered, or shown in my case, they are grabbing for the laptop pulling up JSTOR articles faster than the next scene flashes on the screen. Or, maybe that’s just me… I digress.
The more I began to learn, the more I wanted to learn, and the more intrigued I was about Koreans and the similarities with Native American TEK practices and the ties to the land.
