Native Americans Essay Example

Preservation camps. Although they are allowed to continue their traditional way of life, this is limited from their former cultural potential. The story "Nighttime fires" explores this concept. Similarly, "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" depicts the loss and change in culture experienced by Native Americans through the designated reservations reserved specifically for them. Their cultural resources continue to diminish as they are forced to confront mainstream American civilization.

The narrative presents Victor and Thomas as the main characters who had to manage their limited American money and rely on an old truck acquired as a result of Victor's father's death to return home. Blue Winds Dancing depicts loss and cultural change experienced by the author who endures insults and rejection from American society while traveling by catching trains to acquire "civilized" education, as he puts it.

It appears that we do not belong in any specific group, particularly not among the white population.

Every day, the Native American community struggles with confusion about their identity due to ignorance, anger, and remorse. This confusion is present in three different narratives: Blue Winds Dancing, This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, and The Black Elk Speaks. Despite varying perspectives and experiences, characters in all three stories face identity crises as a result of these negative emotions.

In This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, Victor, a Native American character, expresses his resentment and regret towards his father who abandoned him and the Reservation at a young age. Thus, Victor portrays his indifference towards his father's passing. Likewise, The Black Elk Speaks portrays a descriptive but protective conflict between Indians and soldiers, expressing

their anger and regret. This served as an additional motivator for the Indian side, encouraging them to stand up for their beliefs and customs.

Black Elk conveyed in his written work that his identity and ideals were not enough to conquer the dominating American Civilization when he stated, "The nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead." With this quote, he admitted to the defeat and surrender to the past events in his life, which ultimately resulted in the dying of his culture. The Anglo American Society has lived in ignorance for centuries while expecting other societies, like Native Americans, to assimilate to their culture. However, Native Americans continue to face discrimination, segregation, and exclusion despite their attempts at social interaction. Tom White Cloud stated that the more Native Americans try to imitate whites, the more tragic the outcome becomes.

It is expected of us to mimic the behavior of white men, but we only seem to excel in replicating their negative qualities. Despite the challenges faced, Native Americans have maintained their beliefs and traditions, even if only in minimal amounts. The significance of this theme is explored in all three narratives, with particular passion and emphasis evident in Blue Winds Dancing and Black Elk Speaks.

There is a culture clash evident in both stories. In Blue Winds Dancing, the Native American community sells pottery, beads and other cultural art for economic survival, which is disheartening to the author. His words express this feeling, "I feel suddenly angry that my people should have to do such things for a living". Despite this being a demeaning livelihood

to the author and potentially many others in the community, the sales of these arts and their preservation serve to maintain their traditions.

Despite persistent struggles, the Native American way of life endures. Black Elk Speaks vividly depicts the meaningless wars and massacres that brought about the decline of Native American culture, which has greatly diminished over time. Nevertheless, the remarkable perseverance of these communities to keep their customs alive is exemplified by their determination to endure with limited resources.

Previously, Native Americans were forced to comply with territorial segregations which resulted in numerous tribes being relocated to reservations. This has led to these communities being largely cut off from the rest of American society as a means of preserving their culture, albeit not without some degree of damage.