Aspects of culture:
Aspects of culture:
Hello Debi-the question you pose is very interesting to me. "Culture" is a very complex concept. First. I would guess that in the context of your question, culture is something that is shared by certain groups of human beings. In other words, I don't think there is such a thing as a culture is not now, or in the past, shared by some group. So you know that the kind of culture you are referring to requires some connection between human beings.
We live in an area of at least four primary cultures (in alphabetical order-Anglos, Hispanics, Jemez Indian and Zia Indian). For these cultures, in this location, many cultural differences are obvious.
One of the defining characteristics of these cultures would be language. This is a very interesting thing to study here. The Anglos speak English-but so do all the other groups. But, not as a native language. Through language, cultural differences can come to the surface. I have a Jemez Indian friend that I often hire to work with me. We grab our chain saws and head out from the house. I might say something like-let's cut the three trees by the draw. If he wants to be sure we are on the same page, he will commonly say something like-do you want me to "kill" the tree in the middle. This provides an interesting clue. Obviously, his view of the tree is different from mine. I reserve the word "kill" to apply to things from the tiniest insect to a fellow human being. Although Joe has no hesitation to cut a tree under proper circumstances, he still sees it as killing something. I might apply the term kill when I step on a tiny ant, but it sounds wrong to me to say I killed a tree-even though the tree might be 150 years old and several hundred pounds in weight. In this case we talk "different" even though we speak the same language. That difference is part of what we call culture.
The language of the Jemez Indian is an especially powerful cultural tool. The Jemez language (Towa) is what I would call a "secret" language. First, it is not a written language. Secondly, it is forbidden for the Jemez to teach their language to anyone outside the tribe. In order to insure the continuation of their language, the Jemez govenor requires that all children of the village attend something like a "headstart" program. They are not cleared to go to regular school until they have demonstrated a proficiency in their native tongue.
Getting back to your specific question, many in the Southwest would describe their native language as a very important part of defining their culture.
The whole area of religious practices is another aspect of culture. Both the Jemez and Zia would prominently list their religious dances as a part of their culture.
I hope this helps get you started.
