Part A Directions: In the space below, develop a paragraph that argues, based on background knowledge, that rhetoric (the art of persuasion) either was or was not a part of Indigenous Peoples culture. In your argument, you must utilize the following tools: restatement, allusion, anaphora & parallelism.
Indigenous cultures, spanning countless diverse tribes and civilizations, not only valued but mastered the nuanced art of rhetoric—the lifeblood of communication and persuasion—long before Eurocentric principles took dominion over what constitutes effective discourse. From the revered oratory skills exhibited by leaders and elders that echoed through time, like those of Chief Seattle whose speeches still resonate with poignant restatements of nature's sanctity, we see a clear allusion to their rhetorical tradition. Consider anaphora in the powerful repetition within the Iroquois's Great Law of Peace: "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation...in every deliberation, we must be mindful of the wellbeing...in every deliberation, the harmony and balance of all." This refrain is not merely stylistic but a purposeful emphasis on community and foresight, an indelible mark of persuasive speech. Moreover, parallelism thrived in the oral traditions that patterned the narratives of life, seasons, and battle—incessantly teaching and persuading younger generations through a cadence which professed "We stand with the Earth, we breathe with the Earth, we are the Earth,"—a rhythmic testament to the interconnectedness of life. Such linguistic tools—restatement, allusion, anaphora, and parallelism—were integral, not mere ornaments but the very conduits for the transmission of values, wisdom, and agreements within and beyond their communities. Evidently, the foundational structures of rhetoric, though different in expression from the Greco-Roman tradition, were inherently part of Indigenous Peoples' cultures, shaped by a deep understanding of humanity's threads in the tapestry of existence.
