Louise Erdrich

         Karen Louise Erdrich was born June 7, 1954. She has written novels, poetry, and children's books. Erdrich’s mother was an Ojibwa and her father was a German-American. Erdrich’s work  contains Native American themes. She was married to Michael Dorris, who was an author. They were married from 1981 to 1997, which was when Dorris committed suicide. They had six children. Three of their children were adopted.

         Some of Erdrich’s works are Love Medicine, Tracks, The Beet Queen, The Bingo Palace, Tales of Burning Love, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, The Master Butchers Singing Club, Four Souls, The Blue Jay's Dance, and The Antelope Wife. Love Medicine won the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Antelope Wife won the 1999 World Fantasy Award. She has also written two books of poetry: Baptism of Desire and Jacklight. The Painted Drum is her most recent book. Erdrich and Dorris co-wrote The Crown of Columbus. Her short story "Fleur" won the 1987 O. Henry Award. "Fleur" was published in Esquire Magazine in August 1986.

Objectives

Objective 1

To define the “minority concept” as a power relationship modeled primarily by some ethnic groups’ historical relation to the dominant American culture.

1 a. Involuntary participation--the American Nightmare

Unlike the dominant immigrant culture, ethnic minorities did not choose to come to America or join its dominant culture. Thus the original “social contract” of Native Americans and African Americans contrasts with that of European Americans, Asian Americans, and most Latin Americans, with the consequences of “choice” or “no choice” echoing down the generations, particularly in terms of assimilation or separation.

1 b. “Voiceless and choiceless”; “Voice = Choice”

Contrast the dominant culture’s self-determination of choice through self-expression or voice, as in “The Declaration of Independence.”

Objective 4

To register the minority dilemma of assimilation or resistance--ie, do you fight or join the culture that oppressed you? What balance do minorities strike between economic benefits and personal or cultural sacrifices? In general, immigrants assimilate, while minorities (esp. African Americans) remain distinct.

4 a. To identify the “new American” who crosses, combines, or confuses ethnic or gender identities (e.g., Tiger Woods, Halle Berry, Lenny Kravitx, Mariah Carey, K.D. Lang, Dennis Rodman, RuPaul, David Bowie)

Interpretation

Indian Boarding School: The Runaways is about a group of Indian students who dream about their homes. They eventually sneak onto a train to get back home. During the trip, they’re found and the sheriff takes them back to school. As punishment, they have “scrub the sidewalks”.

Questions

1. How much do the students know about running away? For example, they “know the sheriff’s waiting at midrun to take us back.” If the students learn this from their fellow students, how could the students discuss this information without the school staff finding?

2. “All runaways wore dresses, long green ones, the color you would think shame was.” What do people usually associate with the color green? Could that association have anything to do with the meaning of color of the dresses? How would the school staff interpreter the color of the dresses, if at all?