Thursday, 8 June 2006: American Indian Minority vs. the immigrant narrative.

Dominant culture moment: Amy Noblitt

Native American Literature

I.                   Religion-“The Man to Send Rain Clouds” Leslie Marmon Silko

a.     “They saw Father Paul’s car coming toward them… ‘I hope I’ll be seeing you at Mass this week—we missed you last Sunday.’” (IA 206) 

b.     ‘”I said that I had been thinking about something.’ ‘About what?’  ‘About the priest sprinkling holy water for Grandpa.  So he won’t be thirsty.’”(IA 207)-Holy water is used for blessing a soul to go to Heaven but Louise bends the use to keep the soul from being thirsty.

c.      “’I only came to ask you if you would bring your holy water to the graveyard.’…’Why didn’t you tell me he was dead?  I could have brought the Last Rites anyway.’  Leon smiled.  ‘It wasn’t necessary, Father.’  The priest stared down at this scuffed brown loafers and the worn him of his cassock.  ‘For a Christian burial it was necessary.’” (IA 207)-For Leon and his people the Christian burial is not necessary and if they did have one it would have been out of respect for the priest. 

II.                Bureaucracy-“American Horse” Louise Erdrich

a.      Social worker-Vicki Koob-She feels she has the right to judge all of those around her.  Some would say that her heart is in the right place but she holds the rights of the mother in her hands. 

                                                             i.      “Not one thing escaped Vicki Koob’s trained and cataloguing gaze.  She made note of the cupboard that held only commodity flour and coffee.” (IA 216)

                                                          ii.      “’They got papers on your nephew that give them the right to take him.’” (IA 214)

b.    Police-Officer Harmony-He is a trader to his people, because he has formed an alliance with the enemy, the dominant society.

                                                             i.      “He was empty inside, all stale air.” (IA 217)-Albertine’s description of Harmony. 

c.      Police-Officer Brackett-An enforcer for the dominant culture.  He is not the protector of the Native Americans.  He only protects assimilated society. 

III.             Capitalism-“Gussuk” Mei Mei Evans

a.     The government sends in outsiders to the village of Kigiak to nurse them and take care of them. 

b.    Capitalism has taken strong hold over this village and the reader knows that if there were more people in the village a McDonald’s and a Wal-Mart would be there as well.

c.      Product names-Levi, Hamburger Helper, Pepsi Light, Salem cigarettes, Heineken, and Budweiser. 

d.    The products seem like trash compared to the surrounding area.

e.     Dying Salmon > Dying culture of the Eskimos.