Little Crow follows the story of the easternmost Sioux people, but the book mainly ponders the decisions and actions of Chief Little Crow. By blending in an analytical style, Anderson can create a book that challenges social and political beliefs of the time period. Anderson scrutinizes the relationship between native people and the United States government to show how politics shaped many of the social issues for native people. Since he creates a book that combines storytelling and historical understanding, Anderson can truly explain the social and political landscapes of Sioux and United States
As the quiet cycle of life in the forested realm of the Skarure is shattered by the outbreak of war between the British and Colonial forces, the old alliances of the Haudenosaunee Confederation are pulled in divergent directions, pitting brother against brother, even within the clans. Thrust into the middle of this maelstrom, young Joseph Killeen will rely upon the guidance of an unexpected community to decide not only what is right and wrong, but ultimately, who he even
Fools Crow by James Welch offers a unique narrative exploration of the events leading up to the Marias Massacre and the subsequent harsh realities faced by the Blackfoot nation. Throughout the novel, Welch expertly weaves significant events and figures central to the history of the Blackfoot Confederacy into the narrative of the story. He uses both magical realism and historically supported facts to tell the tale of White Man’s Dog, later known as the titular Fools Crow, as he navigates these circumstances as they arise. Taking place in the late 1800’s, a central theme of Fools Crow is the growing tensions between the Blackfoot Lone Eaters and the white settlers.
The death toll for the 14th of December 1763 was six. “Only three men, two women and a young boy, were found at home...” The Governor was clearly not happy with the news of the killing that he made an announcement of the what happened and how he wants the men who is responsible to be brought to justice. The act of the crime was unnecessary and brutal. Fearing for the remain Indians within the territory, the Governor had taken upon himself to protect them. He had hidden them in a work-house, but once again a group of men broke it and killed the Indians in hiding.
The book, in great detail, describes the savagery of guerilla warfare used to fight during these colonial times. Although revolving mainly around Rogers and the raid of the Abenaki, White Devil
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
As the son of a Comanche chief and a white captive by the name of Cynthia Ann Parker, Quanah Parker rose from the status of a Comanche warrior to their tribal leader. Although not much is known about Parker’s personal life and early years, he plays a vital role in William T. Hagan’s book “Quanah Parker, Comanche Chief”. In this book, Hagan identifies the Comanche Chief through his upbringing to his death, describing his transactions with local Indian agents, presidents, high officials in Washington and the cattlemen of the western United States territory. The author presents the Indian chief as a “cultural broker” between the cultures of the white southerners and his tribal members, presenting a blend of beliefs that are heralded as progressive and traditional as he maintained the control and organization of his tribe. During a period of transition for the Comanche people,
The history and peoples of New Mexico relate to the novel by it revealing and including the topics of lynching, early agricultural tribes, and the Spanish flu. In New Mexico history, actions like lynchings, which occurs in the novel, are somewhat common. Robert Torrez, the author of “Hangings and Lynchings in New Mexico”, asserts that the peoples of New Mexico committed multiple lynchings between 1852 and 1920s. As a former New Mexico
Petalesharo’s writing reflected the treatment of Native Americans during the 1800s. Being a Native American himself, Petalesharo was able to give perspective on a point in history typically viewed from a white man’s opinion. The excerpt “Petalesharo” explains how the Native American was able “to prevent young women captured by other tribes from being sacrificed”, making Petalesharo well liked by the Americans (588). Petalesharo gave the “Speech of the Pawnee Chief” infront of Americans to convey the differences between Native Americans and Americans through emotion, logic, and credibility, which showed how the two groups will never be the same, but still can coexist in the world together.
Hilary Weaver argues in her piece of writing; that identifying indigenous identity is complex, complicated, and hard to grasp when internalized oppression and colonization has turned Native Americans to criticize one another. Throughout the text, Weaver focuses on three main points which she calls, the three facets. Self-identification, community identification, and external identification are all important factors that make up Native American identity. The author uses a story she calls, “The Big game” to support her ideologies and arguments about the issue of identity. After reading the article, it’s important to realize that Native American’s must decide their own history and not leave that open for non-natives to write about.
In The Marrow of Tradition, Charles Chesnutt tells the story of social inequity in the Reconstruction period of the late 1800s. He uses a variety of distinct characters, reaching from high-minded white extremists to vindictive blacks. There is an overall theme of racism and how it affected both whites and blacks after the civil war, specifically in the South and the Willimington Massacre. This book being about slavery and the exploitation of black people made this novel interesting. “You are mistaken, sir, in imagining me hostile to the Negro...
Chesnutt choses to give the reader an overview surrounding the setting through the structure of The Sheriff’s Children. Chesnutt begins the story with describing the setting which is Branson County, North Carolina. Branson County, a parable rural southern community in the post-Civil War era. Branson which locates "a sequestered district" in "one of the staidest and most conservative States of the Union." (Walcott, 83).
A Ghostly Spark Introduction (reveal): Native American culture has always been an interest of mine. Since my beginning with the Boy Scouts of America on my path to Eagle Scout, I have come closer to the dense but often forgotten history of the First Nation people of America. Upon joining the Order of the Arrow, the BSA’s honor society centered around Native American virtues and beliefs, I have continued to take it upon myself to learn more about the long forgotten Native history. While I knew about the general struggles the Native Americans faced as “white man” invaded the unharnessed Western frontier, I had not learned about the specific catalyzing incidents that caused such conflict and suffered between these two cultures. While searching through topics like native music and combat, I knew I needed an event that sparked the rift between these two types of people, growing U.S. government and early
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma written by Camilla Townsend introduces the historical period of seventeenth century Native Americans and the journey of their survival. Townsend is known for her multiple books mostly focusing on the lives of indigenous people and their stories. This book, however, goes through the specific life of Pocahontas herself. The author uses not only tragedy but also romance when recapping Pocahontas’ life throughout the years. The book successfully teaches and emphasizes the struggles Pocahontas and her people went through and educates the audience of the real history behind this time period.
In “Last of Mohicans,” there is a clash between races and cultures. Cooper’s work explains the frontier life, and traumatic encounters between them. Three examples are: clash of race between Munro’s daughters, Indians and French, and between the French and British. Munro’s daughters are from different mothers, and he looked at them differently.