American Indian Stories (selections)

by

Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin)

This American Indian narrative depicted Objective 5b. “Loss and Survival”

(from syllabus):

5b. Native American Indian alternative narrative: "Loss and Survival"

• Dominant / immigrant culture leaves its past behind to gain rights and opportunities--the American Dream.

•  For Indians, the American Dream of immigration is the American Nightmare, creating an undeniable narrative of loss: the native people were once “the Americans” but lost most of their people, land, rights, and opportunities.

• Despite these terrible losses, Native Americans defy the myth of "the vanishing Indian," choosing to "survive," sometimes in faith that the dominant culture will eventually destroy itself, and the forests and buffalo will return.

• The American dominant culture usually writes only half of the Indians' story, romanticizing their loss (e. g., The Last of the Mohicans) and ignoring the Indians who adapt and survive.

Loss

Page 9-10: With a strange tremor in her voice which I could not understand, she answered, "If the paleface does not take away from us the river we drink."

"There is what the paleface has done! Since then your father too has been buried in a hill nearer the rising sun. We were once very happy. But the paleface has stolen our lands and driven us hither. Having defrauded us of our land, the paleface forced us away."

"At last, when we reached this western country, on the first weary night your sister died. And soon your uncle died also, leaving a widow and an orphan daughter, your cousin Warca-Ziwin. Both your sister and uncle might have been happy with us today, had it not been for the heartless paleface."

Survival

(Hair cutting incident pg 54)

“No, I will not submit!” I will struggle first!” I answered.

(Death of ailing friend incident pg 67)

“Within a week I was again actively testing the chains which tightly bound my individuality like a mummy for burial.”

Questions for Objective 5b:

Do you remember other examples of survival?

Objective 6a Literacy as primary code of modern existence and a key or path to empowerment

"Yes, Dawee, my daughter, though she does not understand what it all means, is anxious to go. She will need an education when she is grown, for then there will be fewer real Dakotas, and many more palefaces. This tearing her away, so young, from her mother is necessary, if I would have her an educated woman. The palefaces, who owe us a large debt for stolen lands, have begun to pay a tardy justice in offering some education to our children. But I know my daughter must suffer keenly in this experiment. For her sake, I dread to tell you my reply to the missionaries. Go, tell them that they may take my little daughter, and that the Great Spirit shall not fail to reward them according to their hearts."

The mother knows that even though her daughter will “suffer keenly in this experiment” she will need an education.

Objective 3: minority dilemma--assimilate or resist?

• Does the minority fight or join the dominant culture that exploited it?
• What balance do minorities strike between the economic benefits of assimilation and its personal or cultural sacrifices?
• In general, immigrants assimilate, while minorities remain separate (though connected in many ways).

Questions:

Why do you think she would knowingly send her daughter with people who she hates and distrusts?  Is this part of “ Loss and Survival” or is it a step towards assimilation?