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Summary Of Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

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The Transformative Power of Storytelling in “Indian Horse” Stories are an effective way for people to share teachings and experiences in one’s life as they allow individuals to better understand emotional connections and personal experiences. Richard Wagamese’s “Indian Horse” is set against the backdrop of a residential school in Canada. The protagonist Saul Indian Horse struggles with his Indigenous identity when faced with trauma and cultural oppression. Wagamese talks about the important role storytelling plays in overcoming trauma from the past, by illustrating how storytelling is not only a form of entertainment but a fundamental aspect of one’s life which serves as a powerful tool for confronting the trauma of the past which brings individuals into …show more content…

This quote emphasizes how important storytelling is to Saul’s recovery process. In saying that “we need to tell our stories” to receive peace, Wagamese highlights the connection between emotional release and narrative expression. Saul addresses his emotions and memories that have long been suppressed through storytelling, in addition to sharing the horrific details of his past. By doing this, he can overcome his trauma and find self-acceptance. Storytelling is an essential tool in Saul’s journey to regain control over his life. On his sobriety journey, Saul returns to The New Dawn Centre, acknowledging it as a place to talk, learn and share the truth. The quote, “I didn’t want to be haunted”. I’d lived that way for far too long as it was.” (Wagamese 207), shows Saul’s determination to regain control over his life by confronting and ultimately overcoming the ghosts of his past. By stating “I didn’t want to be haunted”, Saul refuses to allow his traumatic past to continue overtaking

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When someone is happy or content with the geographical environment it depends on the memories associated with that environment. For example, Saul saw the “bush” as home since all of his family had been raised there. While St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School was associated with negative memories. These could be the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse Saul experienced at the school. These presentation brings knowledge by connecting it to the text the real after effects of what these Indian Residential Schools have caused.

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The objective of Story is to remind indigenous youth to grow by being given specific information in crucial periods in time of North American Indigenous history, and having the duty of passing on those stories to others when they reach adulthood. Cherie Dimaline employs oral history to relate the storyline to real-life events. “ We suffered there. We almost lost our languages. Many lost their innocence, their laughter, their lives.

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Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese and Sufferance by Thomas King are two novels that tell stories about the Indigenous experience in Canada. Both books deal with similar themes that are developed through the use of key literary elements such as the concept of trauma and its lasting effects on individuals and communities, Identity, Cultural Heritage, Healing, Racism, and Discrimination, both novels approach these themes in different ways. Firstly in both Indian Horse and Sufferance one of the main topics is identity and the theme of struggling with fitting in society. Both books explore the notion of what it means to be Indigenous in a settler colonial society.

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Words can be presented in many ways that can encourage us, or destroy us. Racism and discrimination are prominent themes in the novel Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese. Saul Indian Horse has endured name-calling throughout his entire life, entrenched from his time at residential schools. He was made to suffer, and this suffering lasted throughout his hockey career until he grew tired and turned to alcoholism. Saul encounters racist comments throughout the novel that alter his future in hockey, rooting from the time he was asked to leave his first town team, to the abuse endured by white players, and finally when he retaliated.

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As socialization's effects are inevitable, we are constantly influenced by groups. However, regardless of the groups we are influenced by, the one concept that is absolute is our reliance on the sense of togetherness that seldom dissolves. The concept is explored in the novel Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese and the short story "Borders" by Thomas King, both of which emphasize characters who have been influenced by cultural assimilation. Indian Horse is a journey of Saul Indian Horse, a young Indigenous child who lost their family due to assimilation and was forced to attend a residential school. “Borders” is a journey of a Blackfoot mother who desires to visit her daughter in Salt Lake City, separated from her Blackfoot background; both emphasizing

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Sovereignty, as described by Wilma Mankiller is “to have control over your own lands, and resources, and assets, and to have control over your own vision for the future, and to be able to absolutely determine your own destiny.”. In other words, sovereignty can refer to the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-governance, to make decisions about their own lands and resources, and to maintain their cultural and linguistic identities. This includes the right to self-determination and the ability to control their own destinies without interference from outside forces, including, but not limited to colonial powers. In the book Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, a young boy named Saul Indian Horse is taken from his family and forced to attend

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People encounter many obstacles in their lifetimes, obstacles that are too arduous to overcome by themselves. They must find a way to get through these difficulties, and there is always something, or someone, that helps keep them sane through these hard hours. To Saul Indian Horse, the main character of Richard Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse, that obstacle is St. Jerome’s Residential School and the very element that kept him sane was hockey. In the residential school, Saul is abused both mentally and physically, witnessing the continued deaths of his Indian classmates. Fortunately, Saul was able to keep himself sane through hockey.

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Trauma Through the Eyes of Residential School Survivors Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include "Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)" (Sandhya Pruti). Therefore, trauma occurs from an emotionally disturbing or life-threatening event causing long-lasting unpleasant effects. Similarly, numerous notable works of literature explore post-traumatic stress disorder. In Indian Horse, Richard Wagamese uses Saul's character flashbacks to exemplify the realities of trauma toward developing children. St. Jerome's Residential School destroyed all positive aspects of Saul's life through excessive trauma.

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In Indian Horse, the protagonist, Saul Indian Horse, experiences profound grief throughout his life. As a young Ojibwe boy, he witnesses the traumatic loss of his family and community due to the ravages of colonization and the residential school system in Canada. This loss generates a deep sense of grief that impacts Saul's identity, spirituality, and mental well-being. He grapples with the painful memories and struggles to come to terms with the trauma of his past, leading to self-destructive behaviors as a coping mechanism. Saul's grief is palpable and pervasive, permeating every aspect of his life, as he tries to make sense of his identity

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Through the Medicine Wheel, we are reminded of our lifelong journey that is continuous upon birth and living through youth, adulthood and senior years. In Richard Wagamese’s Indian Horse, the protagonist Saul experiences many obstacles which shape and develop his character. Saul’s life can be divided into more than the four stages of life to better understand his journey. Saul’s Life with His Family The time Saul was able to spend with his family was very short due to the effects of the white men.

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Saul invested his time in sharing circles, listening to others share their experiences, and writing down his memories on paper. According to Saul, “If we want to live at peace with ourselves, we need to tell our stories” (Wagamese, 3). This suggests that sharing stories is crucial for the healing of people who have experienced trauma. By writing his story, Saul was able to let go of some of the shame and guilt he carried, which helped him move toward healing. In addition, the treatment facility offered Saul a peaceful land to rediscover his indigenous roots and reclaim his cultural identity.

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The detrimental and unfair categorization of people by race, gender and more, commonly known as discrimination, affects many in society both mentally and emotionally. Many instances of this act of hatred occurred among Aboriginal and Native Canadians in the 20th century. However, for a little Native Indian boy stepping onto the rink, this is the norm that surrounds him. Saul Indian Horse, in Richard Wagamese’s “Indian Horse”, faces discrimination head on, where his strengths for hockey are limited by the racial discrimination from the surrounding white ethnicity. Consequently, this racism draws him into a mentally unstable state, where he suffers heavy consequences.

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Author Richard Wagamese conveys a message in his novel Indian Horse displaying the idea of sacrifice. Specifically how people must sacrifice belonging for survival. Wagamese uses Saul 's experiences, choices and general story to express this message. Throughout Saul’s life he is forced to make sacrifices for himself and the people around him in order to survive, his isolation is what gets him through. Everyday people see the reproductions of community and how surviving isn 't an easy thing.

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