Kawkw Cannibal Dance: A Conceptual Analysis

People from different cultures don’t understand the world the same due to the way our brain is wired. We are seeking consistency as that is what eases our minds, and understanding that facts don’t have the power to change our views because we as humans hate to be wrong. Our opinions create our belief system which results in not always properly matching up with facts. We hate being in discomfort from being wrong so our brain is wired with cognitive shortcuts in order to avoid such encounters. There is also the idea that if someone has the same views on the world you are more prone to listen to them opposed to if they differ in views.

Symbolic actions are everyday traditions, actions, and the thought process that represent a deeper meaning of a culture that shapes views of the world. These everyday acts carry meaning that is able to be shown in public and give others an idea of a culture. The Kawkwaka’wakw Cannibal Dance is an example of symbolic actions that are publically displayed to show off their practices and deep beliefs within the culture. It is known as a youth's initiation into a Cannibal society and the end result is to control greed and conflict within the individual's
It was a metaphor that my aunts and mother used to describe my grandmother when she lost her husband and it was difficult to understand at a young age what such a metaphor meant. In the Khmer language, there isn’t a specific word for depression, it’s said that people in Cambodia don’t get depressed, but that’s simply not possible. Most metaphors are known to be connected to water because during the rainy season in Cambodia it rains constantly. Which why the saying, the water in my heart has fallen, represents depression to those living in Cambodia. Once the water has fallen all throughout your heart and beings to dry much like a dessert, you feel it’ll never be filled