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Table of Contents What is Affirmative Action? The Equal Protection Clause University Scholarship Programs Negative Action Uncle Sam’s Merit Machine Not too long ago, the media were awash with news and commentaries about how the US Supreme Court ruled against the Bill of Affirmative Action on the basis that it was discriminatory because it was against the fundamental principles of equality under the law. This essay aims to review the concept of Affirmative Action and its correlations and attempt to imagine a society where Uncle Sam’s Merit Machine is hoisted as the only mechanism of selection to any university, employment, the appointment of judges to any court, or even the supreme court and any decision affecting the people. What is Affirmative Action? In the United States, it is a conscious effort by the state, government, and voluntary private programs to improve employment, educational, and federal government appointments to include members of groups who have historically been...

Table of Contents Introduction The Deity – Igwe The Deity – Amadioha The Conflict between Igwe and Amadioha Introduction The current heat wave reminds me of the conflict between two Igbo deities, namely: Igwe and Amadioha. Just as it was noted somewhere in this blog: Nigeria's Diversity and the South-East/South-South Peripheral Inclusions: Biafra's Raison d'etre , November 15, 2021, the Igbo people are the third-largest ethnic group who live in southeastern Nigeria. They have a very rich culture and tradition among which is their concept of God which varies from one community to another but essentially, they believe that the gods guide and control their life and affairs in many ways. The Igbo concept of God stems from the idea of a chief god who creates everything. This god is supreme. The Igbo variously call this god Olisa bu uwa (the god who carries the world), Olisa bini Igwe , (the god who lives in the sky), Chukwu (the great god), or Chineke (the god who creates...

Table of Contents The Breadfruit The Obi The Termites The Chicken The Kite The Gun The Blacksmith Death God, the Almighty The Igbo is one of the major tribes in Nigeria. Somewhere in ipostthisweek.com, the Igbo people have been described in different contexts as an entity in Nigeria. So, we are not going to spend time describing the people, society, and culture. The Igbo proverbs: ‘Mkpuru onye kuru n’okochi k’oga aghoro n’udu mmiri’ (literally, ‘the seed you sow in the dry season, you will reap in rainy season’ which means, ‘you reap what you sow’) and ‘ukwa rue oge ya, odaa’ (literally, ‘the breadfruit time arrives and it falls’ which means, ‘there is time for everything’) are causative expressions that everything is governed by simple laws of cause and effect. While another proverb: ‘ ihe onye metara o buru’ (literally, ‘whatever you do, you carry’ which means, ‘you are responsible for your actions’) is the karmic unraveling of its interpretation of crime and punishment or fatal...

Table of Contents The Pawnee The Holy Corn Tirawa and the Stars Culture of the Stars The religious beliefs of the Pawnee Native American tribe stand out as practices that are primarily Astro-theological and astronomical. As such they use or interpret the laws or culture of the stars to determine when it was safe to plant corn. Accurate calculation of these laws or cultures means a better harvest for the people. They were possible because Tirawa was their causer, teacher, and sustainer.   Corn is an essential crop that is not only a means of subsistence living for the Pawnee, but it is also a symbolic mother through her, and with her, the sun goddess, Shakuru blesses the people. The Pawnee The Pawnee are a North American Indian tribe who originally lived in Nebraska and northern Kansas before finally settling in today’s Oklahoma. Linguistically, they belong to the Caddoan family and call themselves the Chatiks si chatiks , meaning “Men of Men.” As with many Native American I...

Table of Contents The Nez Percé People Catholic Teachings on Angels The Spirit, Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe This writing is to briefly identify and recognize some cultural values of the Nez Percé tribe, especially their belief in Weyekin, often described as a personal guiding angel. The concept of a guiding angel provokes Catholic teachings about angels and comparison with the Nez Percé Weyekin, as the guiding spirit. But that will be a new piece of writing for the future. There can be a cross-cultural gleaning of ideas from nature, beliefs, and interactions.     The Nez Percé People The term Nez Percé, meaning “pierced nose” is the French coinage to describe the Nimiipuu tribe. The term Nimiipuu, meaning “we, the people” is a name the tribe used for themselves and their language, a part of the Sahaptin family. Early contacts with the Europeans, especially French explorers made the name Nez Percé popular because they unfairly adopted the name Nez Percé and u...

Table of Contents Shawnee People The Divisions The Name Groups and Personal Names I’m always attracted to and interested in the culturally distinct and characteristic elements of different traditions or societies. Reading about the Shawnee people of Native American tribes is no different. I immediately fell in love with the linkage between Shawnee name groups and personal names. The name groups seem to present the Shawnee as a one-descent group with five major divisions. To examine this connection between a personal name and name group, a brief description of Shawnee will help in understanding the Shawnee social organisation. Shawnee People The term ‘Shawnee’ written in different forms ( Shaawanwaki, Shaawanowi lenaweeki, and Shawano ) is Algonquian like the archaic term ‘ shaawanwa ’ meaning ‘south.’ Thus, the term ‘Shawnee’ is (pronounced shaw-nee ) meaning the ‘southern people.’ The Shawnees are categorised as Algonquian-speaking North American Indian people whose pristine ho...