Laguna Pueblo Reservation Summary

a) What is the historical context of the Laguna Pueblo reservation?

As we learned in class, the Pueblo Indians is a specific group of Native Americans found in central New Mexico to northeastern Arizona. The Laguna Pueblo Reservation in found between Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico. The conflicts between the Pueblos and the whites began in the sixteenth century, when the Spanish decided to settle within the area of the Pueblos. After the Mexican-American war, the United States took control of the area surrounding the reservation. From there, the United States government implemented a “Reservation system, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and government-run schools for Native Americans.” (Native Americans of Southwest: 1). The use of storytelling is used in traditional Native American culture and is portrayed throughout the novel. The author uses the main character, Tayo, to intertwine the stories told by Native Americans into the life that in portrayed in the novel. Ceremony was created to help spread the word about the importance of preserving the Native American culture, and creating an awareness of the cultural hybridity between the Native American traditions and the whites.
b) How and why is Tayo's story interwoven with the
Tayo for example, is a character used in Laguna Native American traditional stories. As we learned in class, the use of the three sisters: corn, bean, and squash are intertwined within the novel, Ceremony. Tayo’s ability to connect back with his ancestors and learn through their stories told throughout the ages allows him to connect with the spiritual world. After going through the ceremony himself, with the help of Betonie and Ku’oosh, Tayo finally is able to connect back to his community and with the spiritual world he thought he lost forever. Tayo’s journey was trying to be able to find the sense of connectedness between his community and the