“When the World As We Knew It Ended,” written in response to 9/11, dramatizes the conflict between Native American identity and American politics. It is important to consider the perspective of an author when analyzing their poetry, because doing so allows for a more complete understanding of their message and point of view. In this case, Joy Harjo’s works are deeply influenced by her personal experiences as a Native American woman; therefore, to overlook her heritage would result in a loss of perspective. The speaker introduces where “we” is: “an occupied island at the farthest edge” (1). With Harjo’s Native heritage in mind, the “occupied island” symbolizes the reservations Native Americans were assigned to in the aftermath of the genocide …show more content…
that had been inflicted upon them decades ago by the federal government. An image such as this suggests that the speaker does not identify with those in power, and this is especially reinforced by the use of the word “island.” The phrase “occupied island” not only alludes to the reservations, but it also suggests that the hands in which power lie are subject to change, since occupation is not permanent. The “farthest edge” figuratively refers to the divide between Native Americans and those who came after them. Already, the speaker has dissociated his or herself from Americans of European descent. The second stanza of this free verse describes the Twin Towers as being located on the “island of commerce,” a contrast to the “occupied island” “we” occupy (3, 1).
One island is characterized by a community and the other by seekers of individualistic economic gain. The speaker further develops the idea of a capitalistic island in the lines “Oil was sucked dry / by two brothers” (4-5). Negative connotations are not only associated with America’s financial dominance (embodied by the Twin Towers), but also with moon exploration. The first moon landing was marked by Neil Armstrong placing an American flag on the moon, claiming it for the United States. This is the same nationalistic mindset Christopher Columbus had when he “discovered” the Americas in 1492. The speaker describes American culture as being overly concerned with inanimate objects that symbolize power, from flags to oil to land. This world of material wealth and power is ultimately “Swallowed / by a fire dragon” and “Eaten whole” (5-7). This metaphorical “fire dragon,” representing the plane, is personified in its ability to …show more content…
swallow. In response to the destruction, the speaker tells the audience “It was coming” (8). This establishes an ominous tone and refers to the war everyone knew was coming very soon at the time. The narrative then shifts back to “we,” who has “been watching since the eve of the missionaries,” alluding to the cultural genocide and forced conversions Native Americans also endured (9). They have been watching in the background as Americans dominated the world. They watch “from the kitchen window over the sink” and make “enough [food] for an army” of Natives (12, 14). Despite the multiple atrocities against their people, Native Americans join the U.S. Armed Forces in higher proportions than any other race, as the speaker alludes to. A war is also foreshadowed by the quantity of food prepared. The speaker tells of seeing it all “through the snags of stars” (19). In Native American culture, stars are used to tell time, navigate, and predict the future. In addition, birds warn of “destroyers in the harbor, parked there since the first takeover” (24). The first takeover the speaker addresses is that of Columbus. This is the second instance in which the attack is foreseen. Based upon his or her language, it is evident that the speaker has a strong connection with nature. He or she is told by the stars and birds, forces of nature, that the attack was happening. After 9/11 occurred, the United States was vulnerable as citizens mourned.
In the meantime, “hunger for war rose up in those who would steal to be president / to be king or emperor” and own “everything / else that moved about the earth, inside the earth / and above it.” (31-4). Many in power wanted to continue the American legacy of dominating and owning the earth. There are direct parallels established between the earth and land, the interior and oil, and above and space, connecting back to the second stanza. The theme of the poem deviates back to nature when the speaker tells about the “winds who gathered intelligence / from each lead and flower” (35-6). A possession of foresight is again demonstrated. Because of the speaker’s strong ties with nature, nature is able to alert the speaker of the attack. Despite having numerous spy agencies, the government was unable to gather knowledge on the
attack. Throughout the poem, “we” starts off many stanzas as if to remind the audience that “we” exists on the outside looking in with a vision that is clairvoyant. A shift is distinguishable in the next stanza when the speaker tells of the world we love ending and addresses the conflict. The speaker, “we,” has now transformed from just the Native American community to all Americans, suggesting a unity between the peoples as the nation comes together to heal. For just a brief moment in time, the attack broke down the boundaries that may have existed. The nation begins to rebuild, nurturing the earth as it is alive with a life inside. The speaker personifies earth, giving it skin and legs and a baby, essentially a pregnant mother. This imagery of pregnancy conceives the idea that all
As this poem characterizes the view of a native woman expressing feelings of passion relating to her culture, it also criticizes society, in particular Christianity, as the speaker is experiencing feelings of discontent with the outcome of residential schools. It does not directly criticize the faith, but through the use of a heavy native dialect and implications to the Christian faith it becomes simple to read the speakers emotions.
“This is Our World” by Dorothy Allison is an essay that brings her own personal views to art and the impact that it has had on her life. She brings descriptive language to describe how the art can be compared to writing. The author persuades her audience that writing is more than just writing and it can be an eloquent and beautiful piece of art.
As majority of the narrative in this poem is told through the perspective of a deceased Nishnaabeg native, there is a sense of entitlement to the land present which is evident through the passage: “ breathe we are supposed to be on the lake … we are not supposed to be standing on this desecrated mound looking not looking”. Through this poem, Simpson conveys the point of how natives are the true owners of the land and that colonizers are merely intruders and borrowers of the land. There is an underlying idea that instead of turning a blind eye to the abominations colonizers have created, the natives are supposed to be the ones enjoying and utilising the land. The notion of colonizers simply being visitors is furthered in the conclusion of the poem, in which the colonizers are welcomed to the land but are also told “please don’t stay too long” in the same passage. The conclusion of this poem breaks the colonialistic idea of land belonging to the colonizer once colonized by putting in perspective that colonizers are, in essence, just passerbys on land that is not
“California is a story. California is many stories.” But whose story is heard? What stories are forgotten? In the memoir, Bad Indians, Native American writer and poet Deborah A. Miranda constructs meaning about the untold experiences of indigenous people under the colonial period of American history. Her memoir disrupts a “coherent narrative” and takes us on a detour that deviates from the alleged facts presented in our high school history books. Despite her emphasis on the brutalization of the Indigenous people in California during the colonization period, Miranda’s use of the Christian Novena, “Novena to Bad Indians,” illustrates an ‘absurd’ ironic stance amidst cruelty and violence. The elocution of the Novena itself, and the Christian
McNickle, D'Arcy. "A Different World." Native American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Vizenor, Gerald. United States of America: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 1995, 111-119.
In An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s reexamines the American historical record and moves it passed the typical narratives of colonialism, revolution, and American exceptionalism. Dunbar-Ortiz’s analysis will impact the field of Native Studies and even general United States history with its examination and focus on settler colonialism as a genocidal policy. It is, as Dunbar-Ortiz argues, impossible to write American history without the acknowledgment of Indigenous peoples. Dunbar-Ortiz shatters the myth of “free land” and conquered Natives. She instead focuses on “the absence of a colonial framework (7),” which she believes is the reason that most historians overlook Indigenous history. In other words, historians need to view colonization as an ongoing process and not a
The article, “Native Reactions to the invasion of America”, is written by a well-known historian, James Axtell to inform the readers about the tragedy that took place in the Native American history. All through the article, Axtell summarizes the life of the Native Americans after Columbus acquainted America to the world. Axtell launches his essay by pointing out how Christopher Columbus’s image changed in the eyes of the public over the past century. In 1892, Columbus’s work and admirations overshadowed the tears and sorrows of the Native Americans. However, in 1992, Columbus’s undeserved limelight shifted to the Native Americans when the society rediscovered the history’s unheard voices and became much more evident about the horrific tragedy of the Natives Indians.
In her work, “This is Our World,” Dorothy Allison shares her perspective of how she views the world as we know it. She has a very vivid past with searing memories of her childhood. She lives her life – her reality – because of the past, despite how much she wishes it never happened. She finds little restitution in her writings, but she continues with them to “provoke more questions” (Allison 158) and makes the readers “think about what [they] rarely want to think about at all” (158).
“Quantie’s weak body shuddered from a blast of cold wind. Still, the proud wife of the Cherokee chief John Ross wrapped a woolen blanket around her shoulders and grabbed the reins.” Leading the final group of Cherokee Indians from their home lands, Chief John Ross thought of an old story that was told by the chiefs before him, of a place where the earth and sky met in the west, this was the place where death awaits. He could not help but fear that this place of death was where his beloved people were being taken after years of persecution and injustice at the hands of white Americans, the proud Indian people were being forced to vacate their lands, leaving behind their homes, businesses and almost everything they owned while traveling to an unknown place and an uncertain future. The Cherokee Indians suffered terrible indignities, sickness and death while being removed to the Indian territories west of the Mississippi, even though they maintained their culture and traditions, rebuilt their numbers and improved their living conditions by developing their own government, economy and social structure, they were never able to return to their previous greatness or escape the injustices of the American people.
The systematic racism and discrimination in America has long lasting effects that began back when Europeans first stepped foot on American soil is still visible today but only not written into the law. This racism has lead to very specific consequences on the Native people in today’s modern world, and while the racism is maybe not as obvious it is still very present. These modern Native peoples fight against the feeling of community as a Native person, and feeling entirely alone and not a part of it. The poem “The Reservation” by Susan Cloud and “The Real Indian Leans Against” by Chrystos examine the different effects and different settings of how their cultures survived but also how so much was lost for them within their own identity.
Louise Erdrich’s short story “American horse” is a literary piece written by an author whose works emphasize the American experience for a multitude of different people from a plethora of various ethnic backgrounds. While Erdrich utilizes a full arsenal of literary elements to better convey this particular story to the reader, perhaps the two most prominent are theme and point of view. At first glance this story seems to portray the struggle of a mother who has her son ripped from her arms by government authorities; however, if the reader simply steps back to analyze the larger picture, the theme becomes clear. It is important to understand the backgrounds of both the protagonist and antagonists when analyzing theme of this short story. Albetrine, who is the short story’s protagonist, is a Native American woman who characterizes her son Buddy as “the best thing that has ever happened to me”. The antagonist, are westerners who work on behalf of the United States Government. Given this dynamic, the stage is set for a clash between the two forces. The struggle between these two can be viewed as a microcosm for what has occurred throughout history between Native Americans and Caucasians. With all this in mind, the reader can see that the theme of this piece is the battle of Native Americans to maintain their culture and way of life as their homeland is invaded by Caucasians. In addition to the theme, Erdrich’s usage of the third person limited point of view helps the reader understand the short story from several different perspectives while allowing the story to maintain the ambiguity and mysteriousness that was felt by many Natives Americans as they endured similar struggles. These two literary elements help set an underlying atmos...
Joy Harjo is an American poet, musician, and teacher. She was born My 9th ,1951 in Tulsa Oklahoma to Wynema Baker and Allen Foster. Her name was not Joy Harjo yet though, it was Joy Foster. Joy’s father and subsequently her, are decedents of a long line of tribal leaders including a famous Native American chief that fought in the Red Stick War. At the young age of 19, Joy made a decision that changed her life, she changed her last name to Harjo and enrolled as a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Harjo is her grandmothers last name, and she credits her great aunt, Lois Harjo with teaching her more about her Native American heritage and blood line. After working many odd jobs and having her two children, Dill Dayne and Rainy Dawn, Harjo
On the surface the poem seems to be a meditation on past events and actions, a contemplative reflection about what has gone on before. Research into the poem informs us that the poem is written with a sense of irony
Native American literature from the Southeastern United States is deeply rooted in the oral traditions of the various tribes that have historically called that region home. While the tribes most integrally associated with the Southeastern U.S. in the American popular mind--the FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole)--were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) from their ancestral territories in the American South, descendents of those tribes have created compelling literary works that have kept alive their tribal identities and histories by incorporating traditional themes and narrative elements. While reflecting profound awareness of the value of the Native American past, these literary works have also revealed knowing perspectives on the meaning of the modern world in the lives of contemporary Native Americans.
Native American children were physically and sexually abused at a school they were forced to attend after being stripped from their homes in America’s attempt to eliminate Native peoples culture. Many children were caught running away, and many children never understood what home really meant. Poet Louise Erdich is part Native American and wrote the poem “Indian Boarding School: The Runaways” to uncover the issues of self-identity and home by letting a student who suffered in these schools speak. The poem follows Native American kids that were forced to attend Indian boarding schools in the 19th and 20th centuries. By using imagery, allusion, and symbolism in “Indian Boarding School: The Runaways”, Louise Erdrich displays how repulsive Indian