English Department
Native Americans
Analytical Essay
Jhon Smith
841-03-9669
INGL 3326 LJ1
Dr. Vallejo
Native Americans Analytic Essay
Among the many cultures around the world, the Native American community is one of the many minorities who have gone through horrid times and still struggle to preserve their traditions. Their submission to the mainstream Anglo-Americans has led to a lot of issues. These are presented in Blue Winds Dancing by Tom White Cloud, This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman J. Alexie, and Black Elk Speaks by Black Elk for comparison. Of all the different narratives, pieces, and poems read about native Americans. These three drew particular attention. The similarities between them share the same issues that many native Americans have gone through since decades. As a minority, there are many issues they have suffered from. As simple as demeaning offenses to even death, both to have their culture live. These three narratives mentioned above bring out particular themes that link them together: exploitation of cultures; confusion with identity; and keeping faith in their beliefs and cultures against all odds.
In the three narratives, the exploitation of cultures is presented in one form or another. Loss and changes in culture are shown in their own ways, but still share the same basic concept of oppression for the Native American culture. In The Black Elk Speaks, in the struggle for the battle of Little Big Horn (1876), many lives were lost due to a fight that started out because of difference of skin, culture, ways and beliefs. The clash of military customs versus native culture put the tribes involved in the fight up to a great disadvantage of losses. Quoting Black Elk on The Black Elk Speaks: "A people's dream died there". As a result to this the tribes had to adjust their way of life in order to survive and retain their customs. Eventually, as also history itself