Homes & Shrines
Most Nacirema houses are made of...
Wood and crushed rock
The charms and potions for the Nacirema are provided by...
Medicine Men
What material do the Nacirema put in their mouths during this ritual?
Hog hairs
What do Nacirema youth wear on their heads at Kalb Kor’s?
Cloth covering half their heads, with caps over their ears
According to tradition, who founded the Nacirema?
Notgnihsaw
Poorer families try to imitate the rich in their shrines by...
Adding pottery plaques to their shrine walls
How do medicine men decide what ingredients to use?
They write in a secret language understood only by them
What else is used with the hog hairs?
Magical powders
What is the main purpose of Kalb Kor’s?
Education of the youth
What was one of Notgnihsaw’s great accomplishments?
Throwing wampum across the Pa-To-Mac or chopping down the tree with the Spirit of Truth
Inside the shrine's special chest or box they keep...
Charms and magical potions
Why must clients give gifts to the medicine men?
That's their form of payment for services
Why do the Nacirema believe the mouth rite is important?
It affects social relationships, love, and morality
What is another purpose besides education?
Socialization and team building
What does the Nacirema's fear of the body tell us about their worldview?
They believe the body is naturally weak and must be constantly controlled through ritual
Why might shrines and the number of them be used as a way to show wealth?
Because they symbolize status, power, and access to resources- like wealth shown through possessions
What does the medicine man’s secret language remind you of in our culture?
Prescriptions written by doctors
What modern American habit does the mouth rite resemble?
Brushing teeth with toothpaste
What modern American building does Kalb Kor’s represent?
Schools
What group of people does the Nacirema actually represent?
Americans
What modern American feature of homes does the shrine most resemble, and why?
Bathrooms or medicine cabinets, because they're private health/appearance spaces with stored products
What do the Nacirema beliefs about the body and medicine suggest about how cultures view health?
Health practices are influenced by cultural beliefs, not just science—ritual and meaning matter too
Why does the author describe this practice in such a strange way?
To make us reflect on how our routines might seem unusual or ritualistic to outsiders
Why does the author describe schools in such an odd way?
To show everyday institutions can be described as strange—depending on your perspective of that culture
The story of the Nacirema makes normal American habits sound strange. Why do you think Mrs. Healy and Mr. Wain had you read this story?
To help us see that our own culture can look unusual from the outside and to learn not to judge other cultures too quickly.