Sherman Alexie: The Destruction Of Native American Culture

From the beginning of the construction of a prosperous American nation, Native Americans have endlessly contributed to history of the newfound white settlers by assisting Americans through the worst of times, but also battling against the unfamiliar inhabitants due to land being unjustly confiscated from them. Betrayal and deception have led Native Americans to appear as outsiders to the land which used to be solely theirs and generously believed belonged to everyone equally. Adversity generated by immigrants to their native land has created irrevocable damage. Americans engulfed the culture. Destruction of their deep, intense beliefs has unceasingly occurred, inducing the withering of Native American’s sense of purpose. As a resort, they abuse alcohol because of the perpetual deficits and hardships that seem inescapable to

The cruel treatment of their population has exploited the culture through money, replacing the once unique traditions of their people. Sherman Alexie, the most prominent contemporary Native American author, displays the slow eradication of culture and the ways in which it crumbles, mainly focusing on the exploitation of culture, alcoholism, and the struggle of old ways versus new ones. He demonstrates how their culture can be perceived as irreversibly damaged, empty despite the hope of salvation and how meaningless promises have been made and never fulfilled in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven and Smoke