This blog will pertain to the chapter entitled "Rayona" in the novel A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris. I think that this chapter does a good job of giving insight into the life of Rayona as a 1/2 Black, 1/2 American Indian girl. It was interesting to me that people on the reservation discriminated against and made fun of her for not being of full American Indian ancestry. After discussing the position of certain breeds within the American Indian society this seemed to make a little more sense however. As discussed in class there is a ranking system of different 1/2 American Indian people who are mixed with another ethnicity. The ranking we discussed is as follows:
1. Black Indians and Samoan Indians
2. Mexican Indians
3. White Indians
and somewhere further down the list is Asian Indians.
This ranking system explains why Rayona wasn't as fully accepted on the reservation as her mother and her grandmother were. Rayona is not full blooded Indian and therefore she is seen as inferior within the society on her reservation.
Another interesting aspect of this chapter was the familial ties among Rayona's family and on the reservation as a whole. The separation that Rayona experienced from her dad seemed to embody the idea of matrilineal heritage. The importance of women in the determining of status within an American Indian tribe is greatly dealt with in this novel. Due to the importance of a matriarchal society it was seen that Rayona's status was affected by her mother Christine's position on the reservation. Christine was not highly admired by the people on the reservation; however, having ties with a full blooded American Indian helped Rayona at least a little.
This chapter did a great job describing reservation life and American Indian culture through the perspective of Rayona and I am excited to see the differing viewpoints of her mother Christine and her grandmother Ida.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Look Into Society in "The Almanac of the Dead"
The Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko portrays an accurate description of life on the bottom of society through its telling of stories that embody certain characteristics of poverty, homelessness, drug use, and overall lack of everyday necessities. The characters within this novel all tell their own unique stories that all relate to each other in terms of their positions within society. There are interesting components of this novel which are incorporated in through the telling of both American Indian and other racialized characters' stories. The use of different races in telling the stories of the American Indian way of life is a major way in which Silko compares those on the bottom of society with those in other positions within the same society.
Some of the characters that portray the bottom of society are Seese, Sterling, Calabazas, Root, Lecha, and Zeta. They all have different stories but the majority of these characters' stories deal with drug use. Drug use is an apparent part of life on the bottom of the societal ladder. Seese's story shows her as using cocaine as do the stories of Calabazas and Root. Lecha abuses demerol in order to become high, while other characters are seen transporting and selling drugs over the Mexico border. There are many other indicators of characters embodying aspects of the lower level of society as well.
The American Indian culture and society uses a different ranking process within their society; however, this novel shows that these people are still affected and ranked by the overall ranking system within the American society. Being on the bottom of the societal ladder is something that is widely apparent within American Indian culture and this novel has the ability to show different sides of the experiences involved in this societal positioning.
Some of the characters that portray the bottom of society are Seese, Sterling, Calabazas, Root, Lecha, and Zeta. They all have different stories but the majority of these characters' stories deal with drug use. Drug use is an apparent part of life on the bottom of the societal ladder. Seese's story shows her as using cocaine as do the stories of Calabazas and Root. Lecha abuses demerol in order to become high, while other characters are seen transporting and selling drugs over the Mexico border. There are many other indicators of characters embodying aspects of the lower level of society as well.
The American Indian culture and society uses a different ranking process within their society; however, this novel shows that these people are still affected and ranked by the overall ranking system within the American society. Being on the bottom of the societal ladder is something that is widely apparent within American Indian culture and this novel has the ability to show different sides of the experiences involved in this societal positioning.
Monday, February 8, 2010
"At the heart of fiction is where the truth sleeps"
Smoke Dancing by Eric Gansworth
Post 2
The last section of this novel seems to be where true characters of people arise. We find out the true characters of not only Bud and Mason but also of Fiction (Patricia). The events that occur in this section still portray a clash of cultures: tradition versus new ways of life. This clash is what ultimately leads the reader to seeing the true insights of the characters. Bud goes crazy and his corruption is finally revealed entirely and the people of the tribe work to resign him from the position of chief. Mason is revealed as a scumbag when he tries to force himself on Fiction and then the reader is brought back to seeing him as an okay person when he tries to save Ruby. We see Fiction change from her former self, who created works of fiction and stories/lies, into Patricia who was no longer referred to as Fiction when the tribe members realize that Bud's name should have been Fiction. Bud's corruption being revealed showed the tribe members that he was truly the one that was telling lies and making up stories; however, his stories actually harmed the reservation while Patricia's did not.
The revealing of characters was an important aspect of this section because of all the transformation that occurred not only in this section but throughout the entire novel. I really liked how the novel ended with Two Step's perspective because it showed that he was becoming an important member of the tribe and the next generation. Throughout the novel the reader doesn't get his perspective and the transformations the last section of the novel brings makes it possible for his voice to be heard and him to step up to his position within the tribe.
Post 2
The last section of this novel seems to be where true characters of people arise. We find out the true characters of not only Bud and Mason but also of Fiction (Patricia). The events that occur in this section still portray a clash of cultures: tradition versus new ways of life. This clash is what ultimately leads the reader to seeing the true insights of the characters. Bud goes crazy and his corruption is finally revealed entirely and the people of the tribe work to resign him from the position of chief. Mason is revealed as a scumbag when he tries to force himself on Fiction and then the reader is brought back to seeing him as an okay person when he tries to save Ruby. We see Fiction change from her former self, who created works of fiction and stories/lies, into Patricia who was no longer referred to as Fiction when the tribe members realize that Bud's name should have been Fiction. Bud's corruption being revealed showed the tribe members that he was truly the one that was telling lies and making up stories; however, his stories actually harmed the reservation while Patricia's did not.
The revealing of characters was an important aspect of this section because of all the transformation that occurred not only in this section but throughout the entire novel. I really liked how the novel ended with Two Step's perspective because it showed that he was becoming an important member of the tribe and the next generation. Throughout the novel the reader doesn't get his perspective and the transformations the last section of the novel brings makes it possible for his voice to be heard and him to step up to his position within the tribe.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Smoke Dancing
Professor Weaskus' Blog Post:
http://ces373.blogspot.com/2010/01/6-chair-nightcurbside-phoenix.html
6 Chair Night/Curbside Phoenix
A Six-Chair night contains the following lesson: you can avoid paying for a cord of wood by throwing derelict chairs into the fire. As you recall an aspect of oral tradition is that the listener learn "how-to" do something from the story. Of course there are untold rules at play here, that the chairs are brought to the elder because that is the job of all younger tribal members, to always make sure that elders have everything they need. Big Red is fulfilling his duty to the elders. As you've noticed, Ruby never gives him gas money or pays him for delivering the chairs, he just does it because that's how the culture is set up - stratification by age. And Indian children are taught from birth to take care of the elders.
Curbside Phoenix was the story of Big Red going "junking" at 2am in the city. Through this narrative we learn how to go junking and the history of Big Red's junking exploits. And, wow, he found a Mercury coat rack and brought it back to life - since we are spared metaphors here, we don't have to worry about what the god Mercury means within the context of the narrative or anything like that - it functions to acquaint the reader with poverty and it's inner-workings on the Onandaga Rez. The snow plow also brought to bear the aspect of poverty and how the community plays roles to bring relief to one another. By plowing people's driveways, Big Red saves them from hours of back-breaking work. The people did not pay him for each time he swept out their driveways, but remembered him for the holidays and showered his family with food and gifts. One gift was the refurbished pea coat from which we learned how to rip out the old lining, stuff with down, and sew in another lining to produce a thrift store phoenix:)
My Response:
Ruby says in the beginning of last week's readings, "If you don't protect the roots of your ways...the surface may look fine, but all the connections have rotted, and it is just a matter of time before the whole thing falls in on itself." This statement relates to the concept of tradition within the American Indian culture and lifestyle. As Professor Weaskus discusses in her blog, these two chapters are filled with the idea of respect for elders and overall tradition. This specific tradition is in fact oral tradition and it is necessary for the "roots" and the "connections" to be upheld in order for this tradition to survive. The first chapter "Six Chair Night," also explains the disputes between Tuscaroras and non-Tuscaroras on this particular reservation. This dispute is also a matter of oral tradition which began with a "two-hundred-year-old, short-sighted decision" and has survived through the passing down of the outcomes and lessons learned from this decision through several generations. Fiction discusses this dispute by saying, "But we are fond of tradition, and this circle of bad treatment seems to be as sturdy as the beads that now roll away from me in all directions..." This dispute is thus seen as being upheld not through careful consideration but through tradition which is of the greatest importance.
Poverty within the second chapter, "Curbside Phoenix," is not only seen through Big Red's junking and snowplowing but also through the contamination of the water. Throughout the novel, it seems as if this poverty is being solved or lessened through Mason Rollins' business exploits and the merging of the reservation with outside forces. Mason's supplying Big Red with a new truck in order to better plow the driveways on the reservation, Mason's offering of clean water for the reservation, his offering of employment to people, and his overall increase in income all show a lessening of poverty (at least for a few). This is interesting in that Mason's business is seen as disrespectful to the old ways and tradition; however, his aspirations seem to be helping the people that accept his business' presence.
http://ces373.blogspot.com/2010/01/6-chair-nightcurbside-phoenix.html
6 Chair Night/Curbside Phoenix
A Six-Chair night contains the following lesson: you can avoid paying for a cord of wood by throwing derelict chairs into the fire. As you recall an aspect of oral tradition is that the listener learn "how-to" do something from the story. Of course there are untold rules at play here, that the chairs are brought to the elder because that is the job of all younger tribal members, to always make sure that elders have everything they need. Big Red is fulfilling his duty to the elders. As you've noticed, Ruby never gives him gas money or pays him for delivering the chairs, he just does it because that's how the culture is set up - stratification by age. And Indian children are taught from birth to take care of the elders.
Curbside Phoenix was the story of Big Red going "junking" at 2am in the city. Through this narrative we learn how to go junking and the history of Big Red's junking exploits. And, wow, he found a Mercury coat rack and brought it back to life - since we are spared metaphors here, we don't have to worry about what the god Mercury means within the context of the narrative or anything like that - it functions to acquaint the reader with poverty and it's inner-workings on the Onandaga Rez. The snow plow also brought to bear the aspect of poverty and how the community plays roles to bring relief to one another. By plowing people's driveways, Big Red saves them from hours of back-breaking work. The people did not pay him for each time he swept out their driveways, but remembered him for the holidays and showered his family with food and gifts. One gift was the refurbished pea coat from which we learned how to rip out the old lining, stuff with down, and sew in another lining to produce a thrift store phoenix:)
My Response:
Ruby says in the beginning of last week's readings, "If you don't protect the roots of your ways...the surface may look fine, but all the connections have rotted, and it is just a matter of time before the whole thing falls in on itself." This statement relates to the concept of tradition within the American Indian culture and lifestyle. As Professor Weaskus discusses in her blog, these two chapters are filled with the idea of respect for elders and overall tradition. This specific tradition is in fact oral tradition and it is necessary for the "roots" and the "connections" to be upheld in order for this tradition to survive. The first chapter "Six Chair Night," also explains the disputes between Tuscaroras and non-Tuscaroras on this particular reservation. This dispute is also a matter of oral tradition which began with a "two-hundred-year-old, short-sighted decision" and has survived through the passing down of the outcomes and lessons learned from this decision through several generations. Fiction discusses this dispute by saying, "But we are fond of tradition, and this circle of bad treatment seems to be as sturdy as the beads that now roll away from me in all directions..." This dispute is thus seen as being upheld not through careful consideration but through tradition which is of the greatest importance.
Poverty within the second chapter, "Curbside Phoenix," is not only seen through Big Red's junking and snowplowing but also through the contamination of the water. Throughout the novel, it seems as if this poverty is being solved or lessened through Mason Rollins' business exploits and the merging of the reservation with outside forces. Mason's supplying Big Red with a new truck in order to better plow the driveways on the reservation, Mason's offering of clean water for the reservation, his offering of employment to people, and his overall increase in income all show a lessening of poverty (at least for a few). This is interesting in that Mason's business is seen as disrespectful to the old ways and tradition; however, his aspirations seem to be helping the people that accept his business' presence.
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