WEEK TWO POST
First of all, excellent work, everyone who blogged for the first week. I’ve made a chart with the names of each one of you who has contacted me regarding summer work. Behind each name are ten spaces, one for each week. For those of you who responded and commented during Week One, there’s a score (and they were very good, btw). For those of you who didn’t, there’s a zero (yikes!). Remember, however, that you get two “passes”; I am only averaging your eight best scores. You might want to post all ten weeks so that you are ensured of a very good grade. You might want to use your passes if you vacation. It's up to you, but remember: combined with your summer reading project score, the final summer reading blogging score will be a significant percentage of your S1 grade. In fact, the blogging is ¾ of your entire summer reading score, with the project comprising the other fourth. So, contact me soon if you haven’t already, and contact me soon if you have any questions about the Week One Feedback.
Here is the remaining summer reading schedule: Week Two, June 30 to July 6; Week Three, July 7 to July 13; Week Four, July 14 to July 20; Week Five, July 21 to July 27; Week Six, July 28 to August 3; Week Seven, August 4 to August 10; Week Eight, August 11 to August 17; Week Nine, August 18 to August 24; and Week Ten August 25 to August 31.
During Weeks 2 & 3, I would still like you to focus your blog responses on Touching Spirit Bear. (I’ve set Week 4 as the time to start Huck Finn. ) During Week 2, I recommend that you read at least as far as up to Chapter 16, in Touching Spirit Bear which is through pp. 134 in my edition.
This week’s blog response (you will respond to this post) must contain a topic that you have researched and applied to the book, and then I would like your opinion on ONE of the two following topics:
(1) At the end of Chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, “We still believe in you and think there’s hope…because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.” After everything Cole has done, would you, as a member of that circle, make the same decision? Why or why not? Support your answer with details from the story.
(2) One of the themes of Touching Spirit Bear is “Justice should heal, not punish” (12). Do you agree with this theme? Why or why not? How could or should this principle be applied in mid-Maine?
Happy Fourth of July!
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At the end of Chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, “We still believe in you and think there’s hope…because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.” If I was a member of the circle I would not have made the same decision and given Cole a second chance. Initially, when the Circle Justice program began with Cole, he was told numerous times that it wasn’t just an escape from juvenile prison and he would have to be fully committed to rehabilitation. Based upon his actions on his first day of banishment, burning the supplies and shelter, attempting to swim away, and violating the sacred spirit bear, Cole obviously didn’t take the program seriously. Given his background and violent past in addition to his first day of rehabilitation, I see no potential in Cole for change. I take the same position as Peter Driscal’s lawyer who stated earlier in Chapter 15 “Circle Justice has proven to be a waste of time. It’s time for Cole to face real consequences.” Garvey has optimism for Cole in which I can’t offer and hopefully his work convincing the Circle to release Cole into his custody won’t prove to be yet another waste of time.
In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole a young, angry, disrespectful teen is sent to the Circle Justice program. Whenever Cole is found meeting with the Circle Justice, there is mention of a feather. This feather can easily be overlooked as simply a feather that is passed around during the meeting. The keeper or leader of Circle Justice expresses the importance of the feather by saying “We must respect the feather. This symbolizes respect for others and respect for ourselves" (Mikaelsen). Furthermore, “the feather or talking stick, makes a fundamental difference to the nature, focus and extent of participation in the Circle. Without it, the Circle deteriorates into an informal court setting wherein the same players prevail, the same discussions dominate" (Part V: Circle Hearing). People involved in the Circle Justice program respect those who hold the feather. The individual holding the feather is supposed to speak honestly. "The Circle fosters a collective sense of sharing a search for truth, and for sharing the pain truth often reveals" (Part V: Circle Hearing). The feather also allows for everyone to speak and contribute before the final decision is made. The feather can be passed around as many times as necessary to form a consensus or a decision. People also add to what others are saying, making the conversations honest, respectful, and intelligent. "The feather helps to engage everyone in taking responsibility for the success of the process" (Part V: Circle Hearing).
In addition, an eagle feather is often used in the Circle Justice program. In Touching Spirit Bear, an eagle feather is an excellent choice. An eagle often represents power, freedom, peace, beauty, and honesty. In the beginning Cole wanted power; he was willing to lie to be in control of his life and perhaps the people around him. Furthermore, if Cole was granted permission to live on the island then he would be free. He would experience the peace of the animals and the beauty of the nature and environment around him. The individual who held the feather was supposed to be honest, and the others around him needed to respect and listen to him.
Personally, I feel the feather is a great way to separate the Circle justice program from other legal systems of healing and punishment. By allowing everyone to speak and express their opinion it opens more conversations and collaboration between community members. The feather may also convince shy people to express their viewpoint because they have the feather so others would be respectful and listen.
"Whether it is a rock, a feather, or a talking stick depends upon what object has particular meaning to the community using it. There are some primary guidelines governing its use, which profoundly influence Circle discussions.
• The feather always moves clockwise around the Circle.
• One cannot speak unless holding the feather, except with the permission of the Keeper.
• When passed to someone, the feather imposes no obligation to speak. One can pass the feather without speaking.
When holding the feather, one must:
• speak from the heart, honestly, openly;
• speak with respect for others;
• respect the right of others to speak by not speaking at length; and
• speak to the issues in the Circle" (Part V: Circle hearing).
In conclusion, the feather is more than just a feather from a bird that enables the bird to soar and survive. The use of the feather allows people to collaborate, contribute and feel included. Then the decision from the program is more likely to help the individual as well as the community. The decision is more likely to be fair because everyone gets to express their opinion and give a suggestion for a solution.
Works Cited:
Lilles, Heino. "Yukon Sentencing Circles and Elder Panels." September 2001. Victoria University of Wellington. 3 Jul 2007 http://www.restorativejustice.org/resources/docs/Lilles.
Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear. New York: HarperTrophy, 2001.
"Part V: Circle Hearing." Building Community Partnerships: Community Peacemaking Circles. April 19 2006. Department of Justice Canada. 3 Jul 2007 http://www.justice.gc.ca/en/index.html.
After reading about the attack which Cole encounters in Touching Spirit Bear I became more curious about what exactly a spirit bear was. The Spirit Bear has played a very important role in Cole's life, and I was interested in what this bear was, and about it's nature.
I found that the spirit bear's habitat is in British Columbia. "The spirit bear is
unique subspecies of the North American black bear in which approximately one in every 10 bears is white or cream-coloured." ("About The Spirit Bear")The spirit bear survives on a diet of plants, berries and salmon. In the winter like all other bears, they hibernate in dry areas inside old trees etc. The white spirit bears are protected by a law, which means that if Cole did actually kill the Spirit Bear, Cole would have created more trouble for himself.
At the end of Chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, “We still believe in you and think there’s hope…because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.” If I was a member of the Circle, I would not have made the same decision that Garvey and Edwin had. I do believe that Cole has changed, but by placing Cole into my custody, that would be a great risk and I do not believe that I would risk that much for Cole. When the idea of Circle Justice was presented to Cole he thought that the whole idea was just a huge joke. He laughed about it, but felt that it was his only way not to go to jail, so he went along with the plans. During the Circle meetings, Cole lied to all of the people present, while holding the justice feather, trying to save himself. Once he was on the island, he burned all of his supplies and his cabin, he tried to flee, and tried to kill the Spirit Bear when he was told to respect such an animal. He thought the idea of the at.oow was just a big joke, and seemed to think he could do no wrong and that no one was better than he.
I believe that Circle Justice has not been a complete waste of time, because Cole has shown some change, whether it be lies or not we do not know yet, but something in Cole has changed. However Cole also needs stricter punishment due to the fact that he has jeopardized Peter's life and Peter's condition still continues to worsen. When Peter's lawyer said "It's time for Cole to face real consequences" I feel that that is the truth, and Cole needs to be punished further and needs time to think about what he has done, and overcome his struggle with anger.
Sources Cited:
"Kermode Bear." Wikipedia . 01 July 2007. 3 Jul 2007 http:/
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermode_bear.
"About The Spirit Bear." Valhalla Wilderness Society. 2003. Valhalla Wilderness Society. 3 Jul 2007 http://www.vws.org/project/spiritbear/about_bear/index.html.
In response to Alex;
I semi-agree with what you have said. I do believe that Cole does need further punishment, considering the fact that he has permanently injured a peer beyond complete healing, but Cole has also showed signs of change. He may not ever fully change, but there is some change that has happened, and maybe Cole can continue to change.
I do like how you backed up your reasons with facts from the book. It made me really think about what you said and kinda led me to believe your ideas. Persuasive writing yay!!
In response to Autumn;
WOW!!! I never actually thought about such a small piece of the story like the feather from Circle Justice meetings. You really brought out the characteristic to me. You found some great facts about feathers and the history of their uses, and you also used many quotes from your different sources.
When you explained how the feather is used and the rules of the feather, I found that to be really interesting. You really brought such a small piece of the story to become so much more.
Alex:
I liked how you backed up your opinion with many examples from the book. They include "burning the supplies and shelter, attempting to swim away, and violating the sacred spirit bear, Cole obviously didn’t take the program seriously." I felt your opinion is one that needs to be strongly considered because of the amount of facts and examples you used from the book. I also thought it was good that you began your post with the quote. By using the quote it enables readers to get a feel for what you are talking about as well as how Garvey feels about the situation.
Lindsey:
In regards to your Spirit Bear post.. I liked how you worte your paper using I. I felt it gave a personal touch and allowed the reader to become more involved and interested it what you were saying.
"The white spirit bears are protected by a law, which means that if Cole did actually kill the Spirit Bear, Cole would have created more trouble for himself. " I liked this sentence as well. I never looked at that event in that way before and by ending the portion of your paper that way, it left the reader with.."wow, what would have happened?"
"Spoiler Alert"
At the end of Chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, "We still believe in you and think there's hope...because of that; we've stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody." If I were Garvey or Edwin I would have considered doing the same thing. Throughout the book Edwin talks about when he was on the island and through his actions you can see that Edwin had greatly changed. Obviously, meeting the Spirit Bear was the first step in changing both Cole and Edwin. When Cole left the island he found the fur that he pulled from the bear. He threw the fur into the water. He had decided that he was not going to lie anymore. In addition, after Cole was attacked his attitude began to change. "I was mad, when I went to the island, I wasn't thinking straight. I did not realize you were all trying to help me. I thought sending me away was just your way of getting rid of me. I went there just to avoid jail. I know now I was wrong." Cole was honest with the Circle. His mother also noticed a change in Cole. "I know Cole has changed some, since the attack, I've seen a difference in his attitude. For the first time, he's talked openly with me. "
Furthermore, Edwin and Garvey have spoken with Cole many times before the Circle program meeting and must have seen something in Cole that helped make the decision. Later, Edwin tells Cole that when you can't help the person you hurt, you help others who are in similar situations to try to heal your suffering. Edwin and Cole must have had similar experiences.
In conclusion, if I had gone through what Edwin and Garvey had, I would have made the same decision; first of all because there’s more than what the author gives you. For example, the author provides insight into Edwin’s past as well as the interaction between himself and the Spirit Bear. So helping Cole was a way of helping himself heal.
Autumn,
Great support for your decision. You used many quotes, which supported every detail very well. Also, I never really brought Edwin and Cole's experiences together like you did, now I really understand why exactly Edwin is trying to help Cole. He wants to save Cole, just like the someone who saved him years before. Your closing was very powerful when you stated "So helping Cole was a way of helping himself heal." You made some great connections and made the book more understandable to me.
This question of would you allow Cole one more chance is more a question of peoples personalities. For me if I knew everything the Council did when going to give Cole another chance I have to say i probably would have made the same decision. I can also say that because after the failed attack on the Spirit Bear which almost cost Cole his life he seems different. When Cole was near death for a while he could only think about survival nothing about his escape or how he would get even with people all he could think about was surviving. This is the time were Cole changed. While laying in bed being taken care of as he was near dead there was no cocky attitude no smirks and another side of Cole is shown as he tightly clings to the At.oow and then even more surprisingly to another person.
The Council has no real honest reason to even need to consider giving Cole another chance. Something that i think allows this choice to be made is the humbling experience that Cole went through in nearly being killed by the Spirit Bear. So many things changed in those moments.
A friend of mine and I had talked about how when you are given things they have less value to you well that is something important here. Cole pays for his second trip to the island with his own things. This is important because why would you waste what was yours if you were just going to destroy it again.
The Spirit Bear has already shown its importance in a life changing way to Cole. He has humbled Cole and we can only wait to see what more he has to offer this troubled child.
Valhalla Wilderness Society
2003 New Denver. BC
July 4th 2007
http://www.vws.org/about_us/contactus.html
Mikaelsen Ben. Touching Spirit Bear
New York: HarperTrophy, 2001.
After reading to Chapter 16 of Touching Spirit Bear, I became a little confused about the Circle Justice and wanted to research it more. Circle Justice begins when a criminal pleads guilty in court and agrees to accept a sentence imposed by their community. People that attend the meetings can range from teachers, friends, family or just anyone in the community interested in helping the offender. The goals of Circle Justice include making the community safer, satisfying the needs of the victims’ and giving the offender skills to avoid crime. Minnesota was the first state to use the justice of circle sentencing.
Everyone in the circle is equal. The only person that can speak is whoever is holding the feather. The meetings are opened with a prayer by the Keeper, and they are also closed with a prayer. A Justice Center research team in Kake, Alaska observed their community’s adoption of Circle Justice for 18 months. The team’s research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
There was one case where six high schoolers in the town of Hastings put a homemade bomb at their vice principal’s door. They pleaded guilty to arson and property damage in court. The expected number of people to attend the circle was 70, and the time estimated for the meeting was more than four hours. A judge that attended the circle would decide the sentence if the circle couldn’t agree on one.
In an article on the front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune in August of 1998, a county attorney named Jennifer Fahey made the statement that “In the criminal justice system, all we can do is punish” (Jennifer Fahey, Mille Lacs County, Minessota, County Attorney). The Justic Circle is “a safe, if not sacred place where people feel comfortable enough to open up and talk about what happened, the emotional impact, ask questions and show concert for the offender and his family” (Mark Umbreit, director of the Center for Restorative Justice and Mediation, University of Minnesota). Mark Umbreit also said that Circle Justice focuses on healing everybody and the process “demands real behavior change” (Mark Umbreit, director of the Center for Restorative Justic and Mediation, University of Minnesota), unlike jail.
Jeremy Boyd was 24 at the time when the article was written. He was an Ojibwe living on the Mille Lacs reservation. He pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals after strangling his sister’s cat because he was mad at her. His sister just wanted an apology from him. Jeremy Boyd was involved in Circle Justice. Jeremy Boyd’s sentence included building and installing 14 geese boxes on Lake Millle Lacs, going to an anger support group and fasting. He took 18 months to complete the sentence that was appointed to him.
Examples of sentences include community service, referral to special programs such as anger management, peer counseling, counseling for the offender and their family, curfew rules and restitution/compensation (I.e. replacing a window that they broke). Jail is a last resort.
As to agreeing with the theme “Justice should heal, not punish”, I haven’t come to a definite decision. I believe that jail hardens a person, and it doesn’t necessarily help them in the future to avoid crime. On the other side, Garvey had been to jail when he was younger and hadn’t he turned into a better person? I guess my overall opinion is justice should heal, not punish, but the person has to want to heal for it to work.
Circle Justice should be applied in mid-Maine, but I don’t think it would work very well. Just looking at people around me that commit crimes, I don’t believe they would want to heal and would think of it as a waste of time. The only way that it could work would be if there were people that really wanted to change. I’m not sure if there are enough people that would want to change around here.
Works Cited:
Adams, Jim. “Circle Sentencing.” Freenet. 18 August 1998. Minneapolis Star Tribune. 5 July 2007
http://freenet.msp.mn.us/~fholson/circles-mn/circ-stb.htm.
Rieger, Lisa. “Circle Peacemaking.” Alaska Justice: Forum. 6 December 2001. University of Alaska Anchorage. 5 July 2007.
http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/forum/17/4winter2001/a_circle.html.
“Sentencing Circle: a General Overview and Guidelines.” Native Law Centre of Canada. Tracy Grohs, Yorkton Tribal Council. 5 July 2007.
http://www.usask.ca/nativelaw/publications/jah/circle.html.
For my post this week, I have decided to look up the diseases that are common to wild mice. After finding this to be a lengthy list, I will look at one in particular. Shortly before his rescue, Cole becomes so weak from lack of food that he eats a live mouse. An excerpt from this piece:
“Cole held his breath. He would have only one chance. Catching this mouse would be better than a dozen worms or a hundred bugs.” (Mikaelsen 102)
This wild mouse could have been a variety of species. Because the book didn’t specify, the particular species is unclear. However, the main types found in Alaska are Meadow Jumping Mice, Deer Mice, and Norway Mice (Pennsylvania Game Commission).
The common viruses found in wild mice are as follows, taken from a site authored by a Yale Professor of Comparative Medicine:
o mouse cytomegalovirus
o mouse thymic virus
o K virus
o polyomavirus
o minute virus of mice
o mouse orphan parvovirus
o ectromelia virus
o lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
o lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus
o mouse hepatitis virus
o pneumonia virus of mice
o Sendai virus
o mouse encephalomyelitis virus
o epizootic diarrhea of infant mice (EDIM) virus
o reovirus 1, 2, 3
o murine leukemia virus
o murine mammary tumor virus
o Mouse Adenovirus
I have decided to research the Sendai virus of wild mice, by random selection from the list.
The Sendai virus is known to be hosted originally by mice and wild rats. The common symptoms showing affliction from this disease could be sneezing, hunched posture, anorexia, respiratory problems such as distress and difficult breathing, prolonged pregnancy, loss of litter, lethargy and also anorexia. These signs are noted to have shown within 48 hours of the actual infection.
This disease commonly affects the immune and respiratory systems, and is usually brought about by bacteria such as pasteurella, airborne exchanges, or contact from another infected organism. However, it is not guaranteed that these are the ways of passing along the virus. In fact, as one source states, it is a “$64,000 question” as to how rodents pass along this virus.
The Sendai Virus (SV) is most damaging to either very young or very old mice and rats, as their systems are more prone to disease and damages. The common path of the virus is to begin in the nasal area, and then pass to the lungs through the trachea.
Though the word “virus” is certainly less threatening than, say, leukemia or tumor, this virus carries a high mortality rate. This indicates that many mice have died from this highly contagious virus.
There is no actual cure for SV. In fact, all sources that have been checked state that the only way to cure this virus is to prevent it. Much like strep throat of the human variation, the most common treatment is to simply take antibiotics.
Therefore, for all you mice and rat owners, to avoid your rodent from coming into contact with this virus, isolate them from other mice. This is the only way to completely avoid this disease.
This disease applies to Touching Spirit Bear because Cole eats a wild mouse live. However, because he was on the verge of starvation, this was his only means of survival, though it could have been carrying any number of diseases from the list above.
Works Cited:
Mikaesen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear. New York, NY: Harper-Collins,
2001.
Barthold, Stephen W.. "Infectious Diseases of Mice and Rats." Yale University School of Medicine. 5 Jul 2007 (http://www.afip.org/vetpath/POLA/micerat.txt).
Fergus, Chuck. "Mice and Voles." Wildlife Notice 41. Pennsylvania
Game Commision. 5 Jul 2007 (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/
pgc/lib/pgc/wildlife/notes/pdf/mice&voles.pdf).
McArthur, Jan. "Rat and Mouse Corner: Sendai Virus: Not Just
a Mouse Disease"." Rat and Mouse Gazette. 31 DEC
1999. 5 Jul 2007 (http://www.rmca.org/Articles/sendai.htm).
At the conclusion of Chapter 15, it is stated that Edwin and Garvey have made it possible for Cole to return to the island. Personally, had this author been put in the same position, I would have chose the exact same decision. Agreeing with the concept that "Justice should heal, not punish", Cole has had a rough childhood.
When first introduced to the Circle Justice System, Cole states - "My parents - that's a joke,"..."They don't care if I'm dead or alive." (Mikaesen 37).
It is often stated as well that Cole's father beat him, often with a belt. This caused much resent towards his father, and Cole knew nothing other than to hurt in order to gain fear. Cole often confused respect with fear, and he had no real friends because of this concept he held.
This view of Cole's life makes me think that Cole was brought up with violence as a part of his life. I am a firm believer that children are a reflection of their parents and upbringing, and Cole's life has thus far been filled with hatred.
Prison would only label Cole as a criminal. It is clear that he is one, but his case is far more complicated than simply condemning Cole to prison. Cole would need to learn respect and honesty from another source than a large man threatening to kill him in prison. It is in my opinion that prison would only further his hatred.
If given another chance on the island, one last chance, it is in my belief that Cole has already changed enough by this point that he would stay. In fact, shortly before his departure, he even touches the Spirit Bear instead of attempting to kill it.
"Cole's fingers sank into the bushy white hair until he touched solid body. With his fingertips, he felt warmth. He felt the bear's breath and heartbeat. And he felt one more thing. he felt trust. But why? Already he had tried to kill the bear. he had spit at it."
This shows that Cole has somewhat learned that defiance will only get punishment in retribution, as when he stabbed the Spirit Bear, he was nearly killed. As his current physical condition may never truly heal, he may never be able to turn to violence again.
Edwin and Garvey are two very wise elders who have been through many of the same violent feelings that Cole experiences. Their belief in Cole and the Spirit Bear seem to be powerful enough to help Cole through the changes that are necessary to occur.
Garvey often states that if Cole follows their instruction, he could change and control his anger. Therefore, I believe Cole should get one last chance on the island, just as Garvey and Edwin have decided.
Alex- Your post proved a worthy antithesis to mine. Many quotes and much support is offered to show that perhaps one last chance on the island isn't enough - you can only break trust once, and you could spend the rest of your life regaining it. However, I differ from you in thinking that perhaps Cole could change. I still find your post to be very well supported and well written.
Lindsey- I really liked how you backed up your opinion with adding in that Peter's state is completely shaken and he may never recover. Facts such as these are perfect for angering the reader - helping them to be on your side. Very persuasive. I should probably take notes [:
Autumn- Your paper was very informative! I found it very helpful and I like that you took something so seemingly insignificant and added meaning to the feather. It was packed with information I would have never thought about otherwise. Good job [:
Katelyn- I just finished reading your post and was pretty much blown away by the amount of detail you went into. I was also surprised by the actual details you found like the amount of diseases you can contract from a mouse.
Alex- After reading you response to this weeks reading i was intrigued at the way you looked at giving Cole another chance. Especially when you said you wouldnt forgive him because of his past screw ups. I mean while yeah no one is going to deny these things can't you and people in the book also see how Cole has changed massivly.
I am really impressed with the imaginative and interesting work you guys have already done this week! For those of you who have not posted yet, please remember that you have three tasks this week: (1) a researched topic like last week,(2) a short response to one of the two questions I posed, and (3) two short responses to your peers.
Autumn-
Before I read your post, I hadn’t thought about why they had used a feather at the Circle Justice meetings. Your details about the feather explained a lot about its symbolism.
Lindsey-
I agree with Autumn about your post. Using “I” really did get me as a reader more interested in your opinion.
Alex-
You used a lot of examples from the book to support your opinion about Cole not taking the Circle Justice program seriously. You really had a lot of support behind your opinion.
In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole Matthews has convinced Circle Justice to send him to a remote island in Alaska. On this island Cole is to stay there and survive all on his own. Time on this island is suppose to change Cole. When Cole arrived he had no intensions of changing. He burnt all of his supplies and tried to swim away but the current was to strong. When Cole saw the spirit Bear he tried to kill it, causing the bear to attack Cole and leave him in deadly condition. Cole was left suffering on the island.
At the end of chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, “We still believe in you and think there’s hope…because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.” If I was a member of the circle I would not have given Cole a second chance on that island. Cole blew his chance and got seriously hurt in the process. Cole had no interest in changing and I still think he is going to mess up again. Cole doesn't take the circle seriously and why now should the circle believe he will. I think Cole will benefit more from jail and at least there he won't be wasting everyone’s time.
Now that the Kermode bear has proved to be a large part of the story I wanted to learn more about the bear. Its scientific name is Ursus americanus kermodei. The Kermode bear was named after a naturalist named Frances Kermode. The Kermode bear lives in the central coast of British Columbia. Kermode bears are remembered for their white, cream colored coats. These bears are protected by law in an effort to protect the population.
"About the Spirit Bear." Valhalla Wilderness Society. 6 July 2007 http://www.savespiritbear.org/project/spiritbear/about_bear/index.html
"Kermode Bear." Wikipedia. 6 July 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermode_bear.
In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole Matthews has convinced Circle Justice to send him to a remote island in Alaska. On this island Cole is to stay there and survive all on his own. Time on this island is suppose to change Cole. When Cole arrived he had no intensions of changing. He burnt all of his supplies and tried to swim away but the current was to strong. When Cole saw the spirit Bear he tried to kill it, causing the bear to attack Cole and leave him in deadly condition. Cole was left suffering on the island.
At the end of chapter 15 of Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey says, “We still believe in you and think there’s hope…because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.” If I was a member of the circle I would not have given Cole a second chance on that island. Cole blew his chance and got seriously hurt in the process. Cole had no interest in changing and I still think he is going to mess up again. Cole doesn't take the circle seriously and why now should the circle believe he will. I think Cole will benefit more from jail and at least there he won't be wasting everyone’s time.
Now that the Kermode bear has proved to be a large part of the story I wanted to learn more about the bear. Its scientific name is Ursus americanus kermodei. The Kermode bear was named after a naturalist named Frances Kermode. The Kermode bear lives in the central coast of British Columbia. Kermode bears are remembered for their white, cream colored coats. These bears are protected by law in an effort to protect the population.
"About the Spirit Bear." Valhalla Wilderness Society. 6 July 2007 http://www.savespiritbear.org/project/spiritbear/about_bear/index.html
"Kermode Bear." Wikipedia. 6 July 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermode_bear.
Autumn: I liked how you commented about the importance of the feather. It made your post different, and interesting to read. You took a small part of the story and turned it into something important. Good Job!
Jeremy: You had a differnt opinion and supported it very well. You made your argument and backed it up with a lot of support. You made a lot of good points that got me to think differently about Cole. Good Job!
When Garvey mentions he is a Tlingit Indian, I decided to do some research and see what a Tlingit Indian is. When I researched the Tlingit culture I found out that the CCTHITA or Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is a Tribal goverment that represents the 24,000 Tlingit and Haida indians that live throughout the world. The CCTHITA is stationed in Juneau, Alaska where the majority of Tlingits and Haidas live.
The Tlingit people believe that the body is seperated into two main components, flesh and bones. Since after death flesh decays while bones remain Tlingit people believe that bones are very important in order for the spirit to reincarnate properly. If a bone is missing on a dead body the Tlingits believe that they will be reincarnated without that bone. The Tlingit's view on animals is very much like Garvey's "Whatever you do to the animals, you do to yourself" ect. This is probably why Mikaelsen chose to make Garvey a Tlingit Indian.
The Tlingit Nation." Native American People and Tribes. Apr. 2005. 6 July 2007 http://www.snowowl.com
Tlingit." 1 July 2007. 6 July 2007
http://wikipedia.org
Jess: I thought you made a good point about how the Circle of Justice thing would only work for people who want to change. I thought you used a lot of research about the Circle of Justice and it was pretty impressive.
Autumn: I thought you did a good job taking a thing like a feather that doesn't really seem very important, and using a lot of research and symbolism to make everyone see that it is significant.
I do not agree with the theme that "justice should heal not punish." If you commit a crime you should be punished, if someone seriously hurt me or somebody I knew. I would want them punished. If someone commits a crime they should pay for it. Imagine is someone like Ted Bundy was let out of jail so he could be "healed". Justice is about making sure that people who commit crimes pay for, in part so that it will discourage other people from commiting crimes. If the Justice system focuses on healing criminals instead of punishing them it would not be doing its job, also if criminals did not have to worry about harsh retribution there would be nothing to stop them from commiting crimes.
The idea that "justice should heal, not punish" is a nice idea in theory and in a few select cases it might even work, but in the end it would not work.
My researched topic this week is that of water temperature. Back in the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4 Cole was trying to escape the island by swimming to the next islands, stopping at each one to sleep, eat and catch his breath.
Alaskan water, no matter who you are, is significantly cold, the coldest current temperature being found at 46.0 degrees fahrenheit. This being in the middle of summer.
Water Temperature Time until exhaustion or unconsciousness Expected time of survival in the water (Until Unconsciousness)
32° F (0° C) - Under 15 minutes
32.5 – 40° F (0 – 44° C)
Common Temperature Found in Alaska - 15–30 minutes
40 – 50° F (4 – 10° C) - 30–60 minutes
50 – 60° F (10 – 16° C) - 1–2 hours
60 – 70° F (16 – 21° C) - 2–7 hours
70–80° F (21 – 27° C) - 3–12 hours
This table shows the amount of time a normal human is able to spend in a certain temperature of water before they lose consciousness. It never said exactly how long Cole was in the water for, but it seemed to be quite a while. According to this table the average water temperature for Alaska is 32.5-40 degrees fahrenheit, allowing for a maximum time of 30 minutes in the water. Considering Cole was in there too long, his extremities became numb, making it difficult to keep himself above water, and making it very hard to get to shore.
By being in freezing cold water for too long, its suprising that Cole did not get hypothermia. The freezing temperature lowers the bodies temperature, often sending the organs into shock causing cardiac arrest. It makes it hard to breathe, and numbs the body into uselessness.
Normal body temperature is 98.6 degress fahrenheit. The body starts to feel the affects of "cold" at 96.5 degrees. Amnesia tends to set in at about 86 degrees and death can occur around 80 to 79 degrees fahrenheit.
This relates to the book because though Cole was on his swim team, he was exhausted after his fight against the ocean, because it was much colder and harder to swim in. His legs and arms soon became numb, and he had trouble trying not to drown. He collapsed as soon as he got to land, to tired to even cover his shivering body.
Works Cited
"Alaska Coast." National Oceanographic Data Center. 6 July 2007. National Oceanographic Data Center. 6 July 2007 http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/alaska.html.
"Hypothermia." Backcountry Safaris. 2007. Backcountry Safaris. 6 July 2007 http://www.backcountrysafaris.com/info/drysuit.php.
"Justice should heal, not punish"
I do not agree with the Circle Justice's belief of Justice should heal not punish because I feel a lesson is not truly learned if one does not suffer the consquences. I do think justice should heal, but without the punishment the crime would go un avenged, and i do not think that is right.
In certain cases in mid-maine it may be appropriate for some healing to take place. But even if the person submits themselves to the healing process I still think they should have to serve some sort of punishment, so that they do not committ a crime again, in fear of the consequences. Depending on the crime, it should determine the healing process and amount of punishment.
Katelyn:
I believe your post this week was very detailed and I liked how you went into a certain subject that many people probably overlooked. Cole was very lucky not to contract a disease from the mouse, and you really put a lot of thought into your topic this week.
Autumn:
The feather topic was awesome! Good job! I never even thought about why it was a feather. I just figured it was just an object that made people take turns speaking, like it could of been anything. But its really interesting why its a certain feather. Great Job!
Anna:
First of all I liked how you started your post with a summary, leading up to what your point was. That was good. And I liked how you went into depth in researching the bear, even finding its scientific name.
“We still believe in you and think there’s hope… because of that, we’ve stuck our necks out so far, we feel like two giraffes. Last night we convinced the Circle to release you to our custody.”
If I was Garvey, I would have made the same decision. He watched the changes that were made in Cole. Garvey was no fool; he knew that Cole didn't take Circle Justice as seriously as he would have liked. Looking through the eyes of someone who's been there before, I think he made the decision to send him back to the island by knowing that there was change for the better, and that there would be more change. Trauma can affect a person, and it's obvious that Cole's near-death experience made him value life a lot more. I would have made the same choice as Garvey.
Survival is the ultimate goal of any person. Whether they dream to be a doctor, marry the man or woman of their dreams, and live in a fancy house in the suburbs, this means nothing until you reach that point in life. Cole was angry, unhappy, and felt like no one cared about him. All he wanted to do was hurt himself and those around him, and he was just a little too good at it. When life was trickling out of him, he realized it was much more important than being angry, in control, or giving his father what he deserved. Simply living was a need that overpowered all of the other things that once seemed important to him. When wondering about something as small as the baby sparrows killed by the conditions of the land, this changed the book entirely.
"Suddenly, in that moment, Cole made a simple decision. He wanted to live." (Mikaelsen 83)
This led me to wonder something - how long can someone live without adequate food and water?
The average time a person can survive without any water is anywhere from three to four days. taking into consideration weather conditions like extreme sun and whether the person is eating (eating requires much more hydration), it can be even less. If the person must eat anything within this time span, it's highly recommended that they eat sugars and starches because proteins require much more water to digest and will be digested more quickly, leaving the person hungrier, faster. Dehydration will eventually cause skin irritation, hallucinations, swelling and cracking of the tongue, headaches, anxiety attacks, confusion, and blurred vision ("Survival at Sea").
Survival without food, on the other hand, is much less difficult. Often, those with anorexia nervosa go days and sometimes weeks with limited or no food. Depending on size (both fat and muscle mass taken into account), a person can last quite a while without eating before starving to death. Though they can survive, it doesn't mean they are able to function normally. Going without food will cause irritability, low morale, lethargy, physical weakness, confusion and disorientation, poor judgment, a weakened immune system, and inability to maintain body temperature which can lead to hypothermia, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke ("How Long Can You Live Without Food?").
Sources Cited
"Survival at Sea." Survival. CASKE 2000. 7 Jul 2007 http://www.caske2000.org/survival/survivesea.htm#Water.
"How Long Can You Live Without Food?." Survival Topics. 7 Jul 2007 http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-long-can-you-live-without-food/.
"Surviving Without Food." Netdoctor. 7 Jul 2007
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/weightandnutrition/207498.html.
Lindsey: I like that you posted both assigned items (both the research and the opinion based post) together and linked them. That made the reader think like you were thinking, and that's one of the goals of these posts. Nice work!
Caleb: I liked the way you gave insight into why Mikealsen made Garvey a Tlingit Indian. You didn't just "connect it to the book". You connected it to your thinking as well. I always like when I can see what my classmates know and think.
In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole is attacked by a Spirit Bear. A majestic bear that wasn't usually found in the region of Alaska that Cole was staying. This bear seemed to be curious and not threatening to Cole at all, but the Bear almost kills Cole. When Cole was mangled and lying down on the ground, he found the Spirit Bear had returned. Cole's instincts were that the bear came back to "finish him off," but was the bear really there to kill Cole. The first time that Cole came in contact with the bear it seemed that the bear was avoiding him. This is because most bears are just curious and "tend to avoid people" (USDA Forest Service). According to the USDA Forest Service, only a small percentage of people are threatened by a bear because the bears usually know where you are and leave you be. Cole on the other hand decided to approach the Spirit Bear in an aggressive way. When he approached the bear, the bear kept still wondering what Cole was doing, yet when Cole got a certain distance from the bear; the Spirit Bear attacked. The bear was threatened by Cole and fought in self defense. Cole made many mistakes when he started the Circle of Justice.
First of all, Cole attracted the bear. Alaska is known as the "Bear Country" (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), yet bears are not always on the prowl for food. They have only six months to find all the food that they need to store up the fat for winter (USDAFS). According to Alaska's Department of Fish and Game, a "fed bear is a dead bear." Anytime a bear finds an easy way to get food it will developed that habit (ADF&G), which may affect the people. Cole may have attracted the bear by the burning of his supplies. Thus, the Spirit Bear continued to watch what Cole was doing.
Secondly, Cole didn't give the bear enough space. Bear's also have "personal space" (USDAFS) and should not be impeded. When Cole approached the Spirit Bear he was in the bears "personal space" and the bear was allowing him to do so. When Cole hesitated to approach anymore, the bear felt threatened and fought back until the threat was eliminated. What Cole should have done when he hesitated was to slowly back-up diagonally. This would have given Cole a greater chance of escaping . If the Spirit Bear started to come after him he should have stopped and held his ground. (USDAFS). Instead, Cole lunged at the bear and was almost killed.
Thirdly, Cole should not have fought the bear unless it was absolutely necessary. When a bear attacks a person, it is not for food. Usually the bear attacks to defend it's food, cub, or itself. So if the threat leaves on its own, then the bear will not attack. When Cole saw that the Spirit Bear was about to attack, he could have dropped on the ground and played dead. If the bear continued to attack, then he should have fought. Instead, Cole attacked and then gave up when it was too late. The one thing that should not be done when being attacked by a bear or threatened by a bear is to run. When a bear sees something starting to run it empowers the bear because it shows the bear that he or she is more dominate than you (USDAFS).
Finally, silence is the bad way to travel. When it comes to bears, they do not like surprises. When you are hiking or walking in the forest you should be loud, not quiet. You should sing, talk loudly, or even tie a bell on yourself. This allows the animals around the area to acknowledge that you are there, giving the animals time to move away from you (USDAFS). In Cole's situation, he didn't have time to be loud or anything like that, for the bear already knew where he was. Cole could have used noise to ward the bear away from his camp.
In summary, Cole should have not attracted the bear there by mean of food, attack the bear in rage, fight when he was attacked, and he should have been louder. If Cole had done these few things, he wouldn't have been attacked. On the contrary, if Cole had not been attacked would he have changed at all?
"Bear Facts: the Essentials of Traveling in Bear Country." United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 15 June 2001. USDAFS. 8 July 2007 http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/forest_facts/safety/bearfacts.htm
"Living in Harmony with Bears:." ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation. 2007. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 8 July 2007 http://www.birding.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bears.harmony
Cole has done a lot in the past and he even burnt all of his supplies including the hut in which they were stored. The thing that seems to stick out in my mind is how he has appeared to change. He started Circle of Justice with an idea of escape. Back then he could, but now he is unable to because of his "bum" arm and back leg. on page 127 of Touching Spirit Bear, Edwin comes into the Circle of Justice late. When he was asked to speak, Edwin asked for the assistance of Cole. Edwin and Cole walked in a strait line, until Edwin gave him a small shove. Next time around Edwin pushed Cole right over. "You caught me off guard!" Cole said as he calmly got off the ground. Edwin said that before Cole would have got up swinging. This time he hadn't. That seems like an improvement to me. Going further back, when Cole was in the helicopter, Cole was asked if he was lying about the Spirit Bear. He was going to show Edwin and Garvey the hair but dropped the bag, in which contained his pants, and said "I don't need to prove anything. I'm telling the truth." Then in the Circle he was asked by Edwin if he had seen the Spirit Bear, he said yes. Peter's lawyer then turned to the Circle while holding the feather and said "That should be all the proof you need." I think that it was proof enough to show that sending him back will allow him time to sooth his anger because "anger is never forgotten."
Alex- I don't agree... I believe that Cole will find who he really is because of one important thing that he said about how his father was beaten by his father... and now Cole is now being hit by his father, but he will never do that to his own children... this show to me that he has some compassion and can be change.
Autumn- Very well researched. Also, I like how you relied on .CA which has a stronger name than .com because it is state regulated and is very reliable.
Melanson- umm... wow... I can't believe that a mouse could carry so many diseases. That kinda sickens me... deffinately cause he ate it.. yuck!
Lindsey- Nice job. The only thing that you need to do is add the (---) inside when you get that info from there.
Jess- You need transitions... that will help the flow of your paper.
Anna- you need to break your paper up into paragraphs with transitions. Also, you need the (---) inside the body of your paper.
Caleb- I agree in part. I think if the bad deed is something small then there can be healing, but when it come to murder and rape the criminal should be punished.
Erin- I like your paper. I'm interested in how long you can stay in the water until you get hypothermia. It seems wierd though that you can get hypothermia in temperature that are less than 98.6 degress F.
Angela- I like your idea of seeing how long someone can live without food and water. My uncle always jokes about how skinny I am compared to him. He says that he's getting ready for the next famine, and he says he will bet on who will last the longest...
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