Vietnam And Politics Essays - Viet Cong, Operation Starlite

Vietnam And Politics Vietnam was a war of attrition. It was the hardest war the United States has ever fought. We were fighting for a people who did not want us there and for a government that was to corrupt to help it and it's people. Putting that aside, we where and still are the most powerful country in the world. This being said, why where we not able to successfully defeat the Viet Cong and The North Vietnamese Army? To that end there are many reason, one being our war strategy, another being the way the Vietnmese fought the war, and finally the People of the United States did have there hearts in the war. In this paper I will however stick to how owner tactics and how our military leaders failure to properly adapt and create a war plan led to our defeat. I will also go into the Viet Congs strategy as it change led to our failure. What was so terrible about our war strategy? We did of course win almost every engagement of the war. We fought long and hard against an enemy that hardly ever was seen. Our tactics in the beginning of the war where simple, conventional tactics, this meaning you where here, they are there, you just have to get where they are. Operation Starlight was a classic textbook engagement. A large regiment of about 1500 Viet Cong was gathered in and around a small village named Van Tuong in northern South Vietnam. U.S. intelligence has found out from a Viet Cong deserter that the VC regiment was planning an attack on the Marine base Chu Lai. With this knowledge the Marines decided to strike the first blow. The Marines where to attack from three sides forcing the Viet Cong into the South China Sea. The attack was executed by the book and though it was a tough fight the United States devastated the 1st Viet Cong Regiment while sustaing only limited casualties. The VC surviors of the American offensive did learn something from there defeat. The saw the way Americans fought. They noticed when placed in a situation where they where taking incoming fire, they would dig in and call for fire support, either from the air or ground artillery. It was only after the fire support neutralized the target that the infantry would move forward and attack what ever survived the aerial bombardment. The Viet Cong realized that they could not over power the better-equipped Americans, and for the rest of the war they avoided face-to-face confrontations. The VC retreated to the safety of the jungles and rice patties of Southwestern Vietnam where they could execute their own form of guerrilla warfare. The Viet Cong fought in three man teams, called cells. These Cells where highly effective fighting units in remote jungle areas. The VC strategy was simple, break down the American's will to fight. They did this several way's, first by using mines and other booby traps, which did not kill, but maimed. The next was hit and run tactics. The VC had networks of tunnels connecting hooch-to-hooch, village-to-village almost across the entire country. They would pop up and fire at you then disappear in to the massive network of tunnels underneath you. American generals and advisors where ill prepared for this type of warfare and stood by the old belief the person with the biggest gun always wins. The continued with there daily search and destroy tactics above ground, clearing wide areas while the VC lived underneath them lived in relative safety of what was happing above, except for the ocasinal coming up to fire at the Americans above. At the end of a day the American's would be airlifted via helicopters back to base, witch left the VC to roam above ground. Reclaiming the land supposedly cleared early in the day. And so this went on, day after day, night after night. This explanation is a bit overly simplified however the basic Idea holds true, we lost the was from a strategic stand point because our leader failed to adapt and create a viable war plan.

Services Marketing

Services Marketing Australian Telecommunications Company has continued to expand to address the demands of the market. It has remained a key player in the country’s economic growth, having generated close to $37 billion in 2008 and $98 billion revenue in 2009. The industry has over five hundred thousand employees across the country, working in various capacities (IBISWorld, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Services Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It has arguably been considered as a stimulant for employment in almost every sector of Australian economy. It has local and international companies which contribute to this tremendous global recognition. Among these are Optus and Vodafone which are considered as key players in the market. This paper gives a critique of the performance of these companies based on their weaknesses and threats with reference to the entire telecommunications industry in Australia. Vod afone is a UK-owned company and the leading telecommunications company around the world operating in more than twenty five countries including Australia. Vodafone Australia is the third largest Telecommunications Company in Australia, behind the giants Telstra and Optus. The company runs a GSM mobile network which is approximated to cover 92% of Australian market (Vodafone, 2011). It also boasts of a Globalster satellite which enables it to cover the entire population. Even as the company continues to thrive in an ever-expanding economy and market, it has had its fair share of weaknesses and threats triggered by intertwined factors in the telecommunications market. Vodafone Australia has experienced one of the worst network problems in the Australian market. Towards the end of 2010, the company registered pitiable quality in its calls, data speed, SMS reliability and voicemail services. It was faced with a class action suit for demonstrating incompetence in serving Australian people . To maintain its business reputation, the company responded by blaming customers for using faulty software on their handsets and use of Smartphones (Vodafone, 2011). Although Vodafone CEO offered an apology, the interruption saw several customers terminate their contracts with the company to seek better services.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, expansion of the company has been achieved by direct regulation of its operations. Through mergers and acquisitions, the company has not realized organic growth. As a result, the company has a stable customer base at the expense of proper management of its subsidiaries (Vodafone, 2011). With its operational structure centered in UK, Vodafone Australia has failed to address needs of the market allowing effective competition from smaller companies. Moreover, Vodafone Australia continues to experience severa l threats as permitted by market trends and its ability to effectively serve Australians. Competition from major players and upcoming companies is seen as a major threat for the company. Telstra which is the leading player in the market, previously possessed by the government runs most of the copper network, offering landline, broadband and mobile services (Vodafone, 2011). Immense global penetration of internet companies further threatens Vodafone’s ability to penetrate the market in future. It is important to note that though saturated, the market still offers opportunities in terms of the aging population and changing needs for customers. Through strategic plans like simple phones and friendly pricing plans, the company stands a chance of favorably competing in market (IBISWorld, 2011). On the other hand, Optus is ranked second in Australian telecommunications market and is owned by Singapore Telecommunications Company. Headquartered in Sydney, Optus has retained SingTel s ervices and products like Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile Australia, Uecomm and Alphawest (Optus, 2011). In serving its customers, the company runs its own network infrastructure together with the use of other companies’ services like Telstra Wholesale. It has two channels of service delivery where it directly serves customers in the market and as a wholesale agent for smaller companies.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Services Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company also provides internet services through dial-up and broadband services. It mainly serves the government, business owners and residents of Australia. Like other players in the Australian telecommunications market, the company has weaknesses and continues to experience threats from a wide range of areas. Being owned by Singapore Telecommunications Company which has concentrated its operation in Australia, Optus is exposed to high co mpetition from local players and other bigger players in the market. In addition, Optus is faced with management issues manifested through labor strikes experienced before (Optus, 2011). This affects its reputation in maintaining a competitive advantage and customer base. Lastly, service delivery has not been up to date with customers complaining of low network connection speed and Cable TV services. Even though the company is ranked second in Australian telecommunications industry, it faces stiff competition from Telstra and Vodafone among other key players and upcoming companies. It therefore suffices to mention competition as the company’s major threat. Nevertheless, Optus prides on a number of opportunities in the telecommunications industry. With ever-changing technology, the company has a chance to expand its service and product delivery in order to address the needs of its young customers. It also plans to increase its customer base through TV mobile services by the en d of 2012 by use of FetchTV (Optus, 2011). Additionally, the company seeks to access government license to offer provisional satellite services that will cover Australian Broadband Network. This will win new customers across the country including remote regions which are not well covered by its competitors. In general, a survey of Australian telecommunications market indicates various viewpoints with regard to the performance of companies like Vodafone and Optus. It is evident that the two companies have weaknesses which have continued to affect their performances. Nevertheless, there are countless opportunities to be utilized in maintaining competitive advantage.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References IBISWorld. (2011). Mobile Telecommunications Carriers in Australia: Market Research Report. IBISWorld. Web. Optus. (2011). Media Center. Optus. Web. Vodafone. (2011). Vodafone Company. Vodafone. Web.

Marketing communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing communication - Essay Example The selection of the proper target group and promoting the event is very much important. To satisfy the demanding customers the event management companies are creating new ways to win the customers mind. The Glastonbury Music and Art festival is one of the legendary events in the world. And to design a marketing campaign for this event is a challenging work to do. However, the proper marketing communication mix is discussed in this particular paper to make it the best event in UK. The events like Woodstock music festival, October Fest, many sports events like Football World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Olympics, and art and music festival like Glastonbury Festival of contemporary performing art are globally renowned events and managing these events with suitable marketing communication is a very challenging job Introduction: Marketing is concept that, boost up the sales. It is basically a presale activity. Marketing is something which needs innovation and creativity as the act of marketin g depends on the need and preferences of the consumers. The marketing is the blood of the company, without the proper act of marketing it is very hard to sell a product. Marketing consist of many factors and, it is always changing with the changes in the mind of the customer. There are many theories in marketing management but, most of the times these theories are better to be read in the books for the academic excellences but, in real life the marketing have ever changing dimensions. It should be remembered by each and every marketing person that, marketing is not only about the selling product in a fast manner. It should be remembered that the proper marketing strategy would give a long term effect on the product itself to modify into a brand. Most of the time marketing and sales is taken as the cause and effect, but marketer forget about another asset associated with the marketing and that is brand. This paper will take an attempt to identify the best marketing communication proc esses, advertising tag lines and best ethical practices of the advertising with the proper regulations for the event called The Glastonbury Music and Art festival. The paper will mostly focus on the best marketing campaign which includes media, PR and online promotions. The identification of target audience, conceptualizing the event and post event analysis is very much important for any event management company. The event management industry has given a new look to the global event business. The properly managed international events have a great effect on the economy of the country. The event management business and the core concept of globalizing the events have given a great repute to the cultural festivals. An Evaluation of Marketing Communications: The marketing mix: In this new era of marketing the traditional 4 Ps are not enough anymore. As every product is associated with some kinds of services so the 7 Ps are more relevant. Service marketing required some more specification s as far as the marketing is concern. The traditional four Ps of marketing are very important for the product marketing. However, according to Crane (1993) the additional three Ps are also very important for the service oriented business (Crane: 1993). And they are people, physical evidence and the process. According to Rutherford and O’Fallon (2007) the hospitality industry works with three main parties and they are the owner of the hotel, the management team and the

Business Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Law and Ethics - Essay Example First thing on my mind would be to try to figure out a way to alert some one of importance about the issue at hand without being viewed as an unfriendly suitor. Should I began on the floor pointing fingers the workers or should I take this straight to the top? Using an ethical approach, it would make more sense to first make managerial routes of watching the floor to observe the processes that take place during sanitation and changeover routines in order to gain factual information to bring forward with my concerns. In finding that the employees are not exactly following company protocols the question of what to do next would become an aggravating opponent which in turn could make me jump the gun to make the mistake of blowing the whistle. Being that the company is already having problems with earnings along with a pending poisoning case looming in the air, it would definitely not be a good idea to turn my back on the issue nor would it be a good idea to help the company develop more losses by publicly destroying its reputation applying a tort in blowing the whistle on the situation. Therefore further investigation would be needed. After discussing the issue within the quality department and checking previous records, I would then assess the risk of taking this thing any further. If I tell now will I be praised and heralded a hero to be given an early promotion? Maybe so, but if I decide to keep quiet with the belief that this will probably blow over, will it come back to haunt me in the future because I didn’t do my job? These are individually very difficult questions to answer, but I believe that if I followed the proper steps to analyze each individual area where and how the salmonella may have infected the product, will help in taking the proper steps to eliminate this from happing again. This would serve as a job well done giving me enough satisfaction that would keep me from making the same

Internship Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Internship Report - Essay Example Summary 23 Works Cited 25 H. Appendix 27 1. Organization Chart 27 3. Financial Data 2011 28 A. Introduction The report states about my experiences gained from the internship period at Disney Vacation Club in Orlando, Florida. Furthermore, the paper also intends to specify the department in which my responsibilities had been assigned along with the skills and knowledge that I was able to gain from the internship in order to deal with the challenges while working in a corporate sector. Internship is a process of rendering on-the-job training to new recruits with the intention of grooming their skills and experiences which further helps the intern to act in accordance with the organizational requirements. In relation to this aspect it can be stated that internship has emerged as one of the essential factors for attaining higher career growth among the high school and university students along with the post-graduate adults. Furthermore, internship often acts as a platform for the student s where they can implement their gained knowledge and skills expanding their information with corporate data (Yafang & Gongyong, â€Å"A Study on Hospitality Students’ Satisfaction towards their Internship: a Case from Hang Zhou, China†). The report also intends to elaborate on the work culture of the organization in which I am completing my internship, i.e. Disney Vacation Club. ... It also signifies the developed skills and measures which are often considered by the internee towards improving the organizational performances while satisfying the customers’ demands. B. Descriptive Section 1. Company Profile Disney Vacation Club (DVC) was founded in the year to serve the national as well as international tourists with a place to spend holidays or vacations with families as well as friends. DVC’s operations are operated by its Walt Disney Company (WDC). DVC also provides its vast clientele with resort facilities in various destinations which include Florida, Hawaii and South Carolina. The governance system observed in DVC is principally controlled by the President Mr. Claire Bilby. DVC serves its customers with certain facilities which include travel & tourism related services, food and accommodation amenities along with special entertainment services for children among others. The operations of DVC are guided by its mission statement which states tha t â€Å"Treat customers like you want to be treated and they will become customers forever†. With references to the statement it can be affirmed that the organization intends to consider its customers as highly valuable with the intention to yield greater degree of satisfaction from customer rendering services and assistances as desired by individuals. This particular strategy is also believed to reward greater degree of customer loyalty thereby contributing to the long run sustainability of the organization (Disney Vacation Club, â€Å"Company Profile†). It is worth mentioning in this context that the company intends to frame simple strategies towards enhancing the performances of the entire workforce in order to serve its customers with efficient and effective services

Strategic Management and Information Systems

Strategic Management and Information Systems Now this is the time of modern technology which is the based on Information System it should be use in strategically. Strategic management is a level of managerial activity under setting goals and over Tactics. Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise and is closely related to the field of Organization Studies. In the field of business administration it is useful to talk about strategic align men between the organization and its environment or strategic consistency. According to Arieu (2007), there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context. Strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly [i.e. regularly] to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment. Marketing action plan Placement and execution of required resources are financial, manpower, operational support, time, technology support Operating with a change in methods or with alteration in structure Distributing the specific tasks with responsibility or moulding specific jobs to individuals or teams. The process should be managed by a responsible team. This is to keep direct watch on result, comparison for betterment and best practices, cultivating the effectiveness of processes, calibrating and reducing the variations and setting the process as required. Introducing certain programs involves acquiring the requisition of resources: a necessity for developing the process, training documentation, process testing, and immolation with (and/or conversion from) difficult processes. As and when the strategy implementation processes, there have been so many problems arising such as human relations, the employee-communication. Such a time, marketing strategy is the biggest implementation problem usually involves, with emphasis on the appropriate timing of new products. An organization, with an effective management, should try to implement its plans without signalling this fact to its competitors.[3] In general terms, there are two main approaches, which are opposite but complement each other in some ways, to strategic management: The Industrial Organizational Approach based on economic theory deals with issues like competitive rivalry, resource allocation, economies of scale assumptions rationality, self discipline behaviour, profit maximization The Sociological Approach deals primarily with human interactions Information- and technology-driven strategy Peter Drucker had theorized the rise of the knowledge worker back in the 1950s. He described how fewer workers would be doing physical labour, and more would be applying their minds. In 1984, John Nesbitt theorized that the future would be driven largely by information: companies that managed information well could obtain an advantage, however the profitability of what he calls the information float (information that the company had and others desired) would all but disappear as inexpensive computers made information more accessible. Daniel Bell (1985) examined the sociological consequences of information technology, while Gloria Schuck and Shoshana Zuboff looked at psychological factors. Zuboff, in her five year study of eight pioneering corporations made the important distinction between automating technologies and info mating technologies. She studied the effect that both had on individual workers, managers, and organizational structures. She largely confirmed Peter Druckers predictions three decades earlier, about the importance of flexible decentralized structure, work teams, knowledge sharing, and the central role of the knowledge worker. Zuboff also detected a new basis for managerial authority, based not on position or hierarchy, but on knowledge (also predicted by Drucker) which she called participative management. In 1990, Peter Senge, who had collaborated with Arie de Geus at Dutch Shell, borrowed de Geus notion of the learning organization, expanded it, and popularized it. The underlying theory is that a companys ability to gather, analyze, and use information is a necessary requirement for business success in the information age. (See organizational learning.) In order to do this, Senge claimed that an organization would need to be structured such that:[75] People can continuously expand their capacity to learn and be productive, New patterns of thinking are nurtured, Collective aspirations are encouraged, and People are encouraged to see the whole picture together. Senge identified five disciplines of a learning organization. They are: Personal responsibility, self reliance, and mastery We accept that we are the masters of our own destiny. We make decisions and live with the consequences of them. When a problem needs to be fixed, or an opportunity exploited, we take the initiative to learn the required skills to get it done. Mental models We need to explore our personal mental models to understand the subtle effect they have on our behaviour. Shared vision The vision of where we want to be in the future is discussed and communicated to all. It provides guidance and energy for the journey ahead. Team learning We learn together in teams. This involves a shift from a spirit of advocacy to a spirit of enquiry. Systems thinking We look at the whole rather than the parts. This is what Senge calls the Fifth discipline. It is the glue that integrates the other four into a coherent strategy. For an alternative approach to the learning organization, see Garratt, B. (1987). Thomas A. Stewart, for example, uses the term intellectual capital to describe the investment an organization makes in knowledge. It is composed of human capital (the knowledge inside the heads of employees), customer capital (the knowledge inside the heads of customers that decide to buy from you), and structural capital (the knowledge that resides in the company itself). Manuel Castells, describes a network society characterized by: globalization, organizations structured as a network, instability of employment, and a social divide between those with access to information technology and those without. Geoffrey Moore (1991) and R. Frank and P. Cook[85] also detected a shift in the nature of competition. In industries with high technology content, technical standards become established and this gives the dominant firm a near monopoly. The same is true of networked industries in which interoperability requires compatibility between users. An example is word processor documents. Once a product has gained market dominance, other products, even far superior products, cannot compete. Moore showed how firms could attain this enviable position by using E.M. Rogers five stage adoption process and focusing on one group of customers at a time, using each group as a base for marketing to the next group. The most difficult step is making the transition between visionaries and pragmatists (See Crossing the Chasm). If successful a firm can create a bandwagon effect in which the momentum builds and your product becomes a de facto standard. Evans and Wurster describe how industries with a high information component are being transformed.[86] They cite Encartas demolition of the Encyclopedia Britannica (whose sales have plummeted 80% since their peak of $650 million in 1990). Encartas reign was speculated to be short-lived, eclipsed by collaborative encyclopedias like Wikipedia that can operate at very low marginal costs. Encartas service was subsequently turned into an on-line service and dropped at the end of 2009. Evans also mentions the music industry which is desperately looking for a new business model. The upstart information savvy firms, unburdened by cumbersome physical assets, are changing the competitive landscape, redefining market segments, and disintermediating some channels. One manifestation of this is personalized marketing. Information technology allows marketers to treat each individual as its own market, a market of one. Traditional ideas of market segments will no longer be relevant if personalized marketing is successful. The technology sector has provided some strategies directly. For example, from the software development industry agile software development provides a model for shared development processes. Access to information systems have allowed senior managers to take a much more comprehensive view of strategic management than ever before. The most notable of the comprehensive systems is the balanced scorecard approach developed in the early 1990s by Drs. Robert S. Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton (Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. 1992). It measures several factors financial, marketing, production, organizational development, and new product development in order to achieve a balanced perspective. Knowledge-driven strategy Most current approaches to business strategy focus on the mechanics of management e.g., Druckers operational strategies and as such are not true business strategy. In a post-industrial world these operationally focused business strategies hinge on conventional sources of advantage have essentially been eliminated: Scale used to be very important. But now, with access to capital and a global marketplace, scale is achievable by multiple organizations simultaneously. In many cases, it can literally be rented. Process improvement or best practices were once a favored source of advantage, but they were at best temporary, as they could be copied and adapted by competitors. Owning the customer had always been thought of as an important form of competitive advantage. Now, however, customer loyalty is far less important and difficult to maintain as new brands and products emerge all the time. In such a world, differentiation, as elicudated by Michael Porter, Botten and McManus is the only way to maintain economic or market superiority (i.e., comparative advantage) over competitors. A company must OWN the thing that differentiates it from competitors. Without IP ownership and protection, any product, process or scale advantage can be compromised or entirely lost. Competitors can copy them without fear of economic or legal consequences, thereby eliminating the advantage. (For an explanation and elucidation of the post-industrial worldview, see George Ritzer and Daniel Bell.) The psychology of strategic management Several psychologists have conducted studies to determine the psychological patterns involved in strategic management. Typically senior managers have been asked how they go about making strategic decisions. A 1938 treatise by Chester Barnard, that was based on his own experience as a business executive, sees the process as informal, intuitive, non-routinized, and involving primarily oral, 2-way communications. Bernard says The process is the sensing of the organization as a whole and the total situation relevant to it. It transcends the capacity of merely intellectual methods, and the techniques of discriminating the factors of the situation. The terms pertinent to it are feeling, judgement, sense, proportion, balance, appropriateness. It is a matter of art rather than science. In 1973, Henry Mintzberg found that senior managers typically deal with unpredictable situations so they strategize in ad hoc, flexible, dynamic, and implicit ways. . He says, The job breeds adaptive information-manipulators who prefer the live concrete situation. The manager works in an environment of stimulous-response, and he develops in his work a clear preference for live action.[88] In 1982, John Kotter studied the daily activities of 15 executives and concluded that they spent most of their time developing and working a network of relationships from which they gained general insights and specific details to be used in making strategic decisions. They tended to use mental road maps rather than systematic planning techniques.[89] Daniel Isenbergs 1984 study of senior managers found that their decisions were highly intuitive. Executives often sensed what they were going to do before they could explain why.[90] He claimed in 1986 that one of the reasons for this is the complexity of strategic decisions and the resultant information uncertainty.[91] Shoshana Zuboff (1988) claims that information technology is widening the divide between senior managers (who typically make strategic decisions) and operational level managers (who typically make routine decisions). She claims that prior to the widespread use of computer systems, managers, even at the most senior level, engaged in both strategic decisions and routine administration, but as computers facilitated (She called it deskilled) routine processes, these activities were moved further down the hierarchy, leaving senior management free for strategic decions making. In 1977, Abraham Zaleznik identified a difference between leaders and managers. He describes leadershipleaders as visionaries who inspire. They care about substance. Whereas managers are claimed to care about process, plans, and form.[92] He also claimed in 1989 that the rise of the manager was the main factor that caused the decline of American business in the 1970s and 80s.The main difference between leader and manager is that, leader has followers and manager has subordinates. In capitalistic society leaders make decisions and manager usually follow or execute.[93] Lack of leadership is most damaging at the level of strategic management where it can paralyze an entire organization.[94] According to Corner, Kinichi, and Keats,[95] strategic decision making in organizations occurs at two levels: individual and aggregate. They have developed a model of parallel strategic decision making. The model identifies two parallel processes both of which involve getting attention, encoding information, storage and retrieval of information, strategic choice, strategic outcome, and feedback. The individual and organizational processes are not independent however. They interact at each stage of the process. References David, F Strategic Management, Columbus:Merrill Publishing Company, 1989 Lamb, Robert, Boyden Competitive strategic management, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984 Sweet, Franklyn H. Strategic Planning A Conceptual Study, Bureau of Business Research, The University of Texas, 1964 Chandler, Alfred Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the history of industrial enterprise, Doubleday, New York, 1962.

NAMPEYO - Hopi Potter :: Essays Papers

NAMPEYO - Hopi Potter Nampeyo, the best potter of her time, helped revitalize the original form of Hopi pottery, Sikyatki. She developed her style from the traditional bowls, pots, jars, and water carriers of the Tewa and Walpi people, which were the tribes of her parents. Although, Hopi pottery had survived through many generations, it was beginning to disappear during Nampeyo's youth. Nampeyo was credited for bringing the dying form of Sikyatki pottery back to life. She helped rekindle the interest of Hopi pottery into the lives of the consumer and her contemporaries. At the time of Nampeyo's birth, Hopi pottery was indebted to the styles and designs of the Zuni people. The exact year or date of Nampeyo's birth is unknown, but thought to be between 1856 and 1860. In Hopi custom, the father's mother, grandmother names the baby. So, Nampeyo was originally named Tcu-mana or Snake Girl, but the Tewa people call her Nampeyo, which she is known as today. Nampeyo and Tcu-mana are identical in meaning. She had three brothers leaving her the only girl in her family. One of Nampeyo's brothers, Tom Polocca, would later play an influential role in helping her become discovered as an expert Hopi potter. It is unclear how and from who Nampeyo first learned the art of pottery. Two books on Nampeyo's pottery, Kramer's book Nampeyo and her pottery and Collins' book Nampeyo, Hopi Potter, had different beliefs on who introduced Nampeyo to pottery making. Collins' book says that Nampeyo learned the art of pottery from her grandmother. It goes on to say that when Nampeyo was younger she often went with her father to her grandmother's house where she sat and watched her make pottery until she was old enough to try it on her own. This would not be unlikely because the father still was a big part of his original family and village and visited there often, since he now lives with his wife's family. In Kramer's book, it is said that Nampeyo spent much time with her mother, from whom she learned the art of pottery making. At this time the Tewa people were the best known potters of the Hopi area. During her younger years she was only allowed to watch, but as she grew older her mother be gan letting her make pots on her own.