A Sense of Hope

This week we began reading Ceremony.  This book, written by Leslie Marmon Silko, follows the journey and struggles of Tayo, a half-white, half-Laguna man who is suffering from post traumatic stress after fighting in World War II.  Throughout the book so far, Tayo's post traumatic stress is constantly a major struggle for him.  There are many parts where it seems as if he will never heal, however, there are also many instances where there seems to be a sense of hope.  In the very beginning of the book Tayo is having trouble sleeping due to his post traumatic stress.  "He tossed in the old iron bed, and the coiled spring kept squeaking even after he lay still again, calling up humid dreams of black night and loud voices rolling him over and over like the debris caught in a flood.  Tonight the singing had come first, squeaking out of the iron bed, a man singing in Spanish, the melody of a familiar love song, two words again and again, 'Y volvere'" (Silko 5).  Despite the post traumatic stress that Tayo is suffering in this part of the book, there is a sense of hope in the words "Y volvere" which mean "end returning."  A great sense of hope also occurs when Tayo is passed out on the ground of a train station from his post traumatic stress.  As he lay on the ground people gather around Tayo seeking help and making sure he is okay.  Among these people is a small boy with his mother.  "A child stared back at him, holding a hand but walking twisted around so that he could see Tayo.  The little boy was wearing an Army hat that was too big for him, and when he say Tayo looking he smiled;" (Silko 16).  Out of all of the book so far, this part has stood out the most to me.  This one little boy brought a sense of hope, kindness, and compassion to Tayo.  Also, the family that helped Tayo was Japanese, making this part of the book stand out even more.  It is amazing that despite the past, people will go out of their way to help a stranger.  Overall, although the book is somewhat confusing and hard to follow, I have enjoyed reading it so far.  

Dances With Wolves Reflection #2

As we have continued to watch Dances With Wolves, one thing stuck out to me the most was the language barrier.  In the beginning of the film, the Sioux tribe found Lieutenant John Dunbar to be a threat.  However, as the film progressed on, they became much closer, and in the end, the Sioux even considered John Dunbar one of them.  I found it amazing that they could overcome such a large language barrier and by the end were able to communicate with each other extremely well.  Within this part of the film, John Dunbar is also given the name "Dances with Wolves" by the Sioux.  Throughout the film, it is evident that John Dunbar spends a majority of his time with the Sioux.  When he returns to the soldier fort, there are cobwebs covering many of his belongings.  Also, when he returns to the soldier fort, he writes in his journal that he is lonely without his new friends, the Sioux tribe.  

During the second half of the film, John Dunbar joins the Sioux side in a battle against the Pawnee.  It is after this battle that John Dunbar says that he now knows who he really is, and that is part of the Sioux.  Soon after, he is held hostage and beaten by American soldiers who had taken over his soldier fort.  Once the Sioux realize that he has not returned, they adventure to find him back.  It is after this battle in which Ten Bears tells John Dunbar that is considered part of the Sioux.  It is absolutely amazing that these two completely different people could start off being threats to one another, to becoming part of one another.  

  

Native Study

Cherokee

The Cherokee tribe is originally from the Great Lakes region of the United States, but eventually settled closer to the east coast.  The tribe came from Iroquoian descent.  In 1928, gold was discovered on their land and they were forced to leave.  From this they began a journey in which many lives were lost that is known as the "Trail of Tears."  Today, Cherokee take great pride in their heritage.      

Carrie Busyhead-  She was a Trail of Tears survivor and became a prominent Indian Territory educator.  

Charles Hicks- He was the Vice Chief on the Trail of Tears and Principal Chief briefly in 1927.  He was one of the most influential leaders in the Nation at one point in time.  

Kanagagota-  He was Major Chief of the Cherokee.  He was known as "Old Hope of Chote" to the British.  

Sioux

The Sioux came to the United States from Asia.  The name "Sioux" was given to them by the Chippewa and means "little snake."  The Sioux tribe stand out because of their long, black, and straight hair.  They were a nomadic tribe meaning they moved around a lot, typically following the path of the buffalo.  Today, there are around 30,000 Sioux living in South Dakota and many more living in Nebraska, Montana, and Canada.     

Chief Red Cloud-   He was a great leader of the Sioux tribe and was known for his wisdom and bravery.  He led is people in what is known as "Red Cloud's War."  

Sitting Bull-  He was a medicine man and chief of the Sioux.  He is most famous for his major victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  Today, he is one of the most famous Native Americans ever.  

Crazy Horse-  He was one of the main battle leaders and chiefs during the Sioux attacks during the Battle of Little Bighorn.  He was also one of the main antagonists of the U.S. Army during Sioux war of 1876-1877.

  

Dances With Wolves Reflection #1

Recently, we have been studying Dances With Wolves. This film takes place in 1863 and shows the relationship between native people and an American soldier during the Civil War.  Despite the fact that the film is a Hollywood representation of the situation, there is a great amount of accuracy.  The main focus of the film is the growing relationship between the Sioux tribe and Lieutenant John Dunbar.  As John Dunbar adventures across the frontier, he encounters many different challenges as well as triumphs.  Dances With Wolves explores these from the view of John Dunbar.

Among the Sioux and John Dunbar lies a huge language barrier.  At first, the Sioux are terrified of the white soldier.  However, they come to realized that John Dunbar has no intent to hurt anyone and decide to attempt to communicate with him.  Despite the inability of communication, both the Sioux and John Dunbar put in a tremendous amount of effort to communicate with one another.  With things such as actions, John Dunbar is able to communicate the word "buffalo" to the Sioux.  Later, he is able to let them know of a herd of buffalo near by.  

Throughout this movie, I have found it amazing that despite the humongous language barrier, they are still able to communicate with one another.  The Sioux tribe even picked up on a wave in which John Dunbar had showed them.  Also, I really enjoyed the part of Dances With Wolves where John Dunbar offers the Sioux food and coffee, as well as when the Sioux give John Dunbar a gift.  Another one of my favorite parts so far has been when John Dunbar approaches the Sioux  to tell them about a herd of buffalo.  The relationship that has been developing throughout the film has been very wonderful to watch.