"The Soft-Hearted Sioux" by Zitkala-Sa
It might just be me, but reading this story, I felt really emotional. I think I almost cried, or maybe I was just delirious because I was sleepy. The author really painted a picture in my head and I felt like I was watching a really sad movie. Anyway, here are my thoughts of the story.
The main character in this story was taught to hunt since he was little. Hunting is a part of the Sioux culture. But when he went to missionary school, they taught him that hunting/killing is wrong. Since he lost his hunting skills and didn't hunt anymore, he lost his culture. This is seen when he returns to his home and lost his native tongue. He is also dressed like a white man, with a bible and etc. On his father's death bed, his father says, "My son, your soft heart has unfitted you for everything! (409) My son, your soft heart will let me starve before you bring me meat! yet you will see me die before you bring me food" (410) I thought going out to hunt for meat symbolized finding your culture again. And it took a while before the son hunts and brings meat home for his father, though it was too late. To me, when he hunted and brought the meat home, he gained some part of his culture back. Which signifies the importance of preserving your culture.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Malintzin, Traitor or Victim?
Ines Hernandez Avila "An Open Letter to Chicanas: On the Power and Politics of Origin
Malintzin was an indigenous woman from the Mexican Coast, who played an active role in the Spanish conquest of Mexico , acting as an interpreter, advisor, mistress to Cortes and mother of his children. And according to the text, from the men's historical perspective, "the mother to be ashamed of, the arch-traitress, the one who opened her legs and in giving herself over, gave over the continent to foreign control". The author then talks about how Mexican men are outraged at their mother , woman because they don't see her as a victim, but a sell-out who gave herself. This really ties in nicely with what the author says, "In the Mestizo community we have internalized the Western European, and now White American, oppressor's mentality that turns us against our very selves".
I really feel sympathy and sad about how Malintzin or La Malinche is portrayed. They were victims all along and didn't have a say. The Indigenous community probably thought of her as a traitor also. Even her children is ashamed of her. Who does she have to turn to? And the last quote mentioned above is really significant because the Europeans really turned Indian people against themselves by having Mestizo children and telling them not to identify with their Indian blood.
Near the end of the text, the author talks about within a dance tradition that la Malinche is a path-opener and because of this dance tradition the positive image of la Malinche survives. The author says that she too is a Malinche and that it is a sense of being a path opener, a guide, a voice, a warrior, and an injustice fighter.
I really like the ending of her text because the author stands up for indigenous mothers and also keeps the positive image of Malintzin alive. I like her rhetorical strategy and how she explains what a malintzin is and how they were portrayed in the past, and then she contrasts them in a positive different view.
Malintzin was an indigenous woman from the Mexican Coast, who played an active role in the Spanish conquest of Mexico , acting as an interpreter, advisor, mistress to Cortes and mother of his children. And according to the text, from the men's historical perspective, "the mother to be ashamed of, the arch-traitress, the one who opened her legs and in giving herself over, gave over the continent to foreign control". The author then talks about how Mexican men are outraged at their mother , woman because they don't see her as a victim, but a sell-out who gave herself. This really ties in nicely with what the author says, "In the Mestizo community we have internalized the Western European, and now White American, oppressor's mentality that turns us against our very selves".
I really feel sympathy and sad about how Malintzin or La Malinche is portrayed. They were victims all along and didn't have a say. The Indigenous community probably thought of her as a traitor also. Even her children is ashamed of her. Who does she have to turn to? And the last quote mentioned above is really significant because the Europeans really turned Indian people against themselves by having Mestizo children and telling them not to identify with their Indian blood.
Near the end of the text, the author talks about within a dance tradition that la Malinche is a path-opener and because of this dance tradition the positive image of la Malinche survives. The author says that she too is a Malinche and that it is a sense of being a path opener, a guide, a voice, a warrior, and an injustice fighter.
I really like the ending of her text because the author stands up for indigenous mothers and also keeps the positive image of Malintzin alive. I like her rhetorical strategy and how she explains what a malintzin is and how they were portrayed in the past, and then she contrasts them in a positive different view.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wounded Knee Movie Thoughts
The movie viewed on Thursday was about Wounded Knee. The movie was not as bloody or violent as I thought it would be. I think a part of this is because it is the Wounded Knee in 1973 instead of the one in 1890. I had no idea there were two Wounded Knee incidences. This may be because the Watergate Scandal was also unfolding.
In the 1973, the tribe Oglala, known as the Sioux, inhabitants of the Pine Ridge reservation, stood up to the government with the help of American Indian Movement (AIM) to impeach their tribal chairman Wilson. Wilson was unfair and neglected the people and favored others and himself. The Oglala were tired of it, and the government did not do anything about it so they took over the area in hopes of an agreement. Other Native Americans from all over came to support them also. At the end, they did not win and the impeachment failed. This event was really significant even though they did not come to the agreement they wanted because this started the Indian movement of preserving their culture and identity. Because of this event, today, we have the Native American Department in many or all colleges and etc.
There seem to be history in everything but we're just not aware of it. Because of this movie, I know the history behind the Native American Department. It took sacrifices and lives lost to make a statement. And in this case, the succeeded.
In the 1973, the tribe Oglala, known as the Sioux, inhabitants of the Pine Ridge reservation, stood up to the government with the help of American Indian Movement (AIM) to impeach their tribal chairman Wilson. Wilson was unfair and neglected the people and favored others and himself. The Oglala were tired of it, and the government did not do anything about it so they took over the area in hopes of an agreement. Other Native Americans from all over came to support them also. At the end, they did not win and the impeachment failed. This event was really significant even though they did not come to the agreement they wanted because this started the Indian movement of preserving their culture and identity. Because of this event, today, we have the Native American Department in many or all colleges and etc.
There seem to be history in everything but we're just not aware of it. Because of this movie, I know the history behind the Native American Department. It took sacrifices and lives lost to make a statement. And in this case, the succeeded.
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