LITR 4332 American Minority Literature Model Assignments Final Exam Submissions 2013

Nicole Bippen

Narratives that Merge and Differ

When looking at minority literature, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the African American texts/slave narratives (an adaptable and inclusive term often interpreted as "plot" or "story," and for most readers or audiences a story is good enough).  Narratives, of course, are one of the best ways to study minorities because we are able to see their values, cultures, and interests through their writing.  Of course, Native American narratives often come to mind second, but few people stop to think about the Mexican American texts.  Neither the Native American nor the Mexican American narratives should be ignored or dismissed; they provide an intimate look into the struggles, celebrations, and rich cultures of both races.  They help us to understand minorities who for centuries, have struggled and have struggled even more when it comes to having their voices heard.  Rich with symbols, (objects that often have a deeper meaning such as green meaning go, red meaning stop) these texts bring ancient and forgotten cultures to life. 

“Alternative narratives have been developed by both Mexican Americans and Native Americans and have helped each establish a voice, record of their cultures, and arguments towards the dominant culture. The narratives also describe their religion and creation ideas. Alternative narrating allows Mexican Americans and Native Americans to maintain unionization with their past. Native Americans attribute their culture to nature” (Cana Hauerland, 2007).  In other words, it is through the use of narratives that both of these cultures have found a foothold in a predominantly “white” cannon of literature.  It allows them to connect with their past and give us an intimate peek at their culture.  Through the use of popular text, they are able to garner attention that probably would not come as easily to them unless their skin was white. 

            In both Native American and Mexican American narratives, family, religion, and politics are very important.  They are also concerned with their culture and preserving it.  In Love Medicine, they discuss the love medicine and talk about the spiritual/religious component of it.  “I finally convinced myself that the actual power to the love medicine was not the goose heart itself but the faith in the cure”.  This is an example of faith and the power of belief in one’s spiritual/religious system.  Through the power of faith in this healing remedy, the cure actually works. 

            In Bless Me Ultima, we also see the powerful influence of religion.  “I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, but through her [Ultima] I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things” (15). Native Americans believed in a spiritual connection between themselves and all of nature.  They believed heavily in spirits and were very religious.  We see this in the book through Ultima who is a spiritual guide, much like the Virgin of Guadalupe was for the Mexican Americans.  Both of these cultures, like previously stated, believe heavily in the presence of spirits and the significance of these spirits is evident in all of their religious texts and some of their narratives. 

            However, the Native Americans tended to worship many spirits and deities.  Animal spirits are especially prevalent in Native American culture including but not limited to Coyote.  In Peter Blue Cloud’s Poem “The Cry”, “I have begun creation with a cry…/ I’ll call the cry/ Coyote”.  This is an example of the Native American’s love of animals and looking upon them as creators and important religious spirits.  Many of the creation stories feature Coyote or other animals who create the Earth.  In one of the creation stories, “skywoman fell [and] the birds and animals in the water below saw her and decided that she needed help”.  Through the help of these animals, earth is created.

Mexican American religions, on the other hand, tend to follow more along the lines of Christianity with the emphasis on one God, but a worship of the human saints and the Virgin Mary.  These seem to be the two biggest differences between the Mexican and Native American religious beliefs.  Although both of these cultures recognize the existence of spirits, it is only the Native Americans that worship them.  Mexican Americans will pray to, as previously stated, the saints and Virgin Mary but they recognize only one God and see Him as the sole creator.  The creation stories along with who is responsible for creating the world varies slightly per tribe for the Native Americans.

            When discussing the need to establish a voice in the white culture, you can see examples in “Love Medicine” and “Bless Me Ultima”.  “We were children of the white sun” is stated (27). This is possibly symbolic of how their culture is being affected by the “white man”.  They feel as if they are children of this white culture now, as opposed to their own.  In “Love Medicine”, they complain that Nectar came home knowing white reading and writing”.  Both cultures are struggling with the incorporation of white values into their own cultures.  It is not just an incorporation, but a dominance and replacement of their own traditional values in some cases.

            In conclusion, although Native American and Mexican American texts share similarities in their values of religion, family, and culture, they still remain unique in their identities.  The Native Americans use a lot of symbolism and animals in their religious texts and focus on the importance of overcoming difficulties through not just trial and error, but knowing that just because you lost the battle, does not mean you have lost the war.  Mexican American texts focus on the importance of family and identity while remaining strong to their ties in religion.  By reading these texts and studying them, we are able to identify with minority cultures and not only see how their values differ from ours, but how they are also similar and equally important.