Four Pillars of Identification: Redefining Indigenous People by Traditional Standards

Presentation by Mark Bolin (Cherokee)
Four factors make a people distinct from any other group in the world: Language, Community, Culture, and Values. This workshop discusses how these criteria form Native American identities distinct from any other groups, including between tribes and sometimes within tribes themselves. The talk examines specifically Cherokee beliefs and cites examples from our history and modern-day figures. However, these standards apply to other tribal groups and civilizations throughout the world. A better understanding of ourselves helps us appreciate different societies globally and locally. The contents of this composition seeks an answer to the question of identity for Cherokee people, Native American Indians, and populations in general through the aforementioned criteria and examples.