Nilo Fernandes
fernandn@sonoma.edu
Tayo’s Healing in the Ceremony Novel
Sense of self (50 words min.)
The oral tradition serves the important function of maintaining the people, several oral biographies that permeate every aspect of the believing individual's existence. From a Native American's educational experience, the oral tradition provides instruction in the culture and beliefs of the people, transmits a sense of self, kinship, and tribal 6 identity; helps establish a close relationship with nature; unifies tribal history; explains ambiguities and natural phenomena; and teaches maintenance of the ways of the group. In short, the oral tradition provides the Native American with a way of life; a sense of self. In a sense, they
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are told who they are, or they know who they are by the stories that are told about their ancestors and themselves. Community (50 words min.) One of the most common parts of every ceremony is that it is celebrated by a community. The ceremonies are what define a community just as much as the community defines the ceremony. The importance of the community is fundamental to the ethnoautobiography of the laguna people, since many of the rituals performed by them are inclusive of the community as a whole. The sense of self and sense of belonging that is so important to Native American people is taught to them through communal ceremonies and traditions. Place (50 words min.) As important to Silko as the Laguna oral tradition is her feeling of belonging to a specific place, an area of the country, a particular pueblo.
The Southwest and, in particular, Laguna, are vital elements in the ceremony novel and thus worthy of consideration when discussing this novel. That section of the United States designated as the Southwest extends from the eastern border of New Mexico west to California, and from the northern borders of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico south to the Rio Grande and Mexico. Ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848, it is an area of distances and diversity. Within it lie plains, deserts, mesas, forested mountains, and …show more content…
canyons. Nature (50 words min.) A common denominator among civilizations all over the world is their different connections to nature. In ceremony, there are several illustrated stories that emphasize the importance of nature to the livelihoods of the Pueblo people. One of the instances is when Tayo and his uncle Josiah went into the business of herding cattle. The cattle were symbolic of the mechanisms of colonization, in some ways, using creating an analogy to the way that Native Americans may have felt herded by the colonialists. History (50 words min.) The history and background of Laguna, New Mexico, is an important and influential factor in the content that Silko has chosen to illustrate to the readers of Ceremony. The plethora of historical accounts in this book contribute to the ethno autobiography that tell the cultural and ceremonial stories of Native American people. Leslie Silko uses the historical ideas, characters, and events from her rich heritage throughout the novel to illustrate the life of the natives before, during and after colonization and the constant adversary of the people of the Southwest. Factors that helped Tayo heal (1,000 words) Leslie Silko uses Tayo as the main character of the book to help us all heal from the various pains of life that she describes in her novel.The connection between "curing" and "ceremony" is established very early on in the novel and by its title, she suggests that the novel itself is a cure with the quote that: “the only cure I know is a good ceremony.” Tayo’s wounds from alcohol, war and superficial chasing of women are common with so many more people in his same position, but Silko illustrates the wounds of the masses through Tayo, her main character. There are several components that illustrate the journey of healing for Tayo, such as meeting Betonie, his mysterious but healthy relationship with Ts'eh, finding the cattle, and re-connecting with nature, his immersion in Native American tradition and the serene natural landscape which was occupied by his ancestors. By the end of the story, Silko shows that only through respect for the world can humankind achieve completeness and harmony.
Tayo had to learn to find power and strength from the old stories again and realize the importance of retaining them. Tayo had the opportunity to observe other veterans in the same position as him and to see how they were misled by the wrong stories and lack of healthy ceremonies and that they were constantly in pain.
Tayo had to learn that those who found peace from old traditions will be the ones that survive and those that live carelessly and ignorantly will only find more pain and suffering. Another major factor to Tayo’s healing is that he realized that the old stories are guides to navigating life. He understood that the stories are necessary to living a wiser and healthier
life. Some of Tayo’s wounds came from his belief that he was to blame for all the bad things that had happened during the war when he actually had no control over what happened. Ts’eh was very beneficial to Tayo’s recovery from this. During his time with Ts’eh he finds love, acceptance, encouragement, and strength. He begins to remember the old ways more clearly, reconnecting with the Tayo who existed before the war. He is continually reminded of the old ways and old times from Ts’eh. He begins to appreciate the old traditions and his grandmother's tales. He see’s the meaning in them and begins to incorporate them into his life. When he went to war he lost this vision and the importance of the past. Ts’eh helps him improve his vision towards life and with her guidance and wisdom, Tayo rediscovers himself and realizes that witchery may indeed be overcome. As Tayo learns to accept his place and importance in the world, he also realizes what is not important in the world. He already understands that Ts’eh loves and accepts him. This automatic and unwavering acceptance has been unfamiliar to Tayo. He has felt the disappointment of Auntie throughout his life, and even with his steps towards recovery, Auntie has been waiting for Tayo to return to his former state of disrepair, skeptical of his ability to find a way out of his depression and confusion as well as skeptical of the Indian cures his grandmother believes in and pushes Tayo to explore. This is where Tayo realizes that his nearly lifelong worry regarding aunties disapproval of him and nearly everything around her is of no importance in this world. Tayo finally sees that it just does not matter, to himself, to Ts’eh, nor to the world. Ts’eh offers Tayo the loves and acceptance that does not depend upon his background. She only cares about Tayo and what is inside him. Tayo finds his way back to the old ways, some of which he practiced and respected before the war. She helps him find the old Tayo, but does not revert to what he was before; instead, he becomes renewed, merging the old appreciation with a new understanding, finding Tayo that sees the whole world around him. One who is capable of facing whatever may occur in this world. He now sees the witchery for exactly what it is. Instead he focuses on love that has no boundaries of time or space and his love for Josiah and Rocky is never-ending, as well as the unconditional love of the Ts’eh. Tayo’s search for his uncle Josiah’s cattle is an integral part of his reformation. It requires him to accept help from others and leads to the discovery within himself beliefs rooted in his childhood, beliefs that go beyond questioning and doubting the stories and ways of his people. When he is troubled by the concept of a white man stealing the cattle, he realizes how easily he has grown up accepting the idea that whites never steal and only those with colored skin do. The implantation of this lie may potentially destroy an entire culture from the inside out, eating away trust and loyalty until nothing remains. By realizing the truth, Tayo is able to relinquish his self doubt and focus on the importance of his search and the ceremony, taking a beginning step to the realization that witchery must be opposed with knowledge and hope instead of hatred and violence. While searching for the cattle he finds himself close to the land, a firsthand observer of the attempts of the evil of the world to contain the land and give it an owner. He realizes that the land, regardless of fences, cannot be contained. The land surpasses any boundaries including man and those of time and space. This opens his mind to what has been and who has been truly damaged. He also realizes a new confidence that guides him to retrieving the missing cattle. By retrieving the cattle Tayo is able to defeat one aspect of the witchery. With this reassurance that witchery can be defeated, it becomes clear that witchery can be defeated entirely. In the beginning of the story Tayo found himself torn between the old, ritualistic ways of his people and the modern accepted, and expected ways of the white world he found himself thrown into. The one person who most strongly brings out these feelings of conflict is Emo. Emo shows a love for all things evil and corrupted that the white world represents to Tayo. Emo brags about killing, carousing with white women, and greed for the material possessions of the white world. While Tayo is uncertain of many things about his life and himself, he knows he loathes Emo’s desires and his actions. Tayo does not know who he is earlier in the novel but he knows who he is not. Tayo is not and never will be a man like Emo. These situations were all crucial in Tayo’s understanding and recreation of himself. Through this knowledge and ceremony Tayo has found a new meaning in life and has removed all witchery. By the end of the story Tayo does not only find hope for himself but he finds hope for his whole tribe.
Oral History and Oral Tradition was incredibly important for both tribes. They passed legends and historical stories on through speech, each story holding its own important moral or message. For example,
Brian Turner's "The Hurt Locker" captures his personal and painful experiences during his time spent in war and furthermore, express the tragic events he witnessed. Brian Turner's poem is miraculously able to gather multiple first hand accounts of tragic, gory, and devastating moments inside a war zone and project them on to a piece of paper for all to read. He allows the audience of his work to partially understand what hell he himself and all combat veterans have endured. Although heartbreaking, it is a privilege to be taken inside "The Hurt Locker" of a man who saw too many things that should not ever be witnessed by anybody. Turner's words bring to life what many have buried deep inside them which subsequently is one of the major underlying problems facing combat veterans today. Reading this poem, I could not help but wonder what the long term effects of war are on a human being, if it is worth the pain, and how does a combat veteran function properly in a society that is unfamiliar with their experiences?
People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Laozi. In Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Tayo’s journey is being told. The reader travels in time with Tayo to experience pre and post war living, and to an extent, the role Native Americans play during that era. Through Tayo’s life, we see the importance of storytelling, and how without it, a culture is lost. Silko uses Tayo’s perception as a template to explain how storytelling guides a person mentally, strengthens a person physically, and supports a person emotionally. Without the cultural aspect of tradition and storytelling, there would be no journey because Tayo wouldn’t have known how to take that first step.
The character is emphasising the moral and educational value of stories in human development and understanding by saying that there is always something to learn from stories, even when they are retold repeatedly.
In our day and age where our youth are becoming more aware of the history of the country and the people who inhabit it, the culture of Native Americans has become more accessible and sparks an interest in many people young and old. Recent events, like the Dakota Access Pipeline, grab the attention of people, both protesters and supporters, as the Sioux tribe and their allies refuse to stay quiet and fight to protect their land and their water. Many Native people are unashamed of their heritage, proud of their culture and their ancestors. There is pride in being Native, and their connection with their culture may be just as important today as it was in the 1800’s and before, proving that the boarding school’s ultimate goal of complete Native assimilation to western culture has
Weber, David J., New Spain's Far Frontier: Essays on Spain in the American West, 1540-1821. Pub: by University of New Mexico Press, 1979.
Like the elders of other Native communities, Algonquian elders have traditionally transmitted important cultural information to the younger generations orally. This knowledge, imparted in the form of stories, includes the group's history, information on origins, beliefs and moral lessons. Oral tradition communicates rituals, political tenets, and organizational information. It is a vital element in maintaining the group's unity and sense of identity.
The colonization of civilizations has changed the world’s history forever. From the French, Spaniard, and down to the English, have changed cultures, traditions, religions, and livelihoods of other societies. The Native Americans, for example, were one of the many civilizations that were conquered by the English. The result was their ways of life based on nature changed into the more “civilized” ways of the colonists of the English people. Many Native Americans have lost their old ways and were pulled into the new “civilized” ways. Today only a small amount of Native American nations or tribes exist in remote areas surviving following their traditions. In the book Ceremony, a story of a man named Tayo, did not know himself and the world around him but in the end found out and opened his eyes to the truth. However the Ceremony’s main message is related not only to one man but also to everything and everyone in the world. It is a book with the message that the realization of oneself will open the eyes to see what is truth and false which will consequently turn to freedom.
The story is the most powerful and most compelling form of human expression in Leslie Marmon Silko's novel Ceremony. Stories reside within every part of every thing; they are essentially organic. Stories are embedded with the potential to express the sublime strength of humanity as well as the dark heart and hunger for self destruction. The process of creating and interpreting stories is an ancient, ongoing, arduous, entangled, but ultimately rewarding experience. As Tayo begins to unravel his own troubled story and is led and is led toward this discovery, the reader is also encouraged on a more expansive level to undertake a similar interpretive journey. Each story is inextricably bound to a virtually endless narrative chain. While reaching an epiphanal moment, a moment of complete clarity, l is by no means guaranteed, by presenting Tayo as an example, Silko at least suggests there is fundamental worth in pursuing and creating stories.
The Cherokee people were a unique and strong community. They held the belief that they should never bow to any other creature. They held a high respect for one another. When they spoke, they spoke one at a time paying careful attention to listening to one another. The Cheroke...
In American Indian Stories, University of Nebraska Press Lincoln and London edition, the author, Zitkala-Sa, tries to tell stories that depicted life growing up on a reservation. Her stories showed how Native Americans reacted to the white man’s ways of running the land and changing the life of Indians. “Zitkala-Sa was one of the early Indian writers to record tribal legends and tales from oral tradition” (back cover) is a great way to show that the author’s stories were based upon actual events in her life as a Dakota Sioux Indian. This essay will describe and analyze Native American life as described by Zitkala-Sa’s American Indian Stories, it will relate to Native Americans and their interactions with American societies, it will discuss the major themes of the book and why the author wrote it, it will describe Native American society, its values and its beliefs and how they changed and it will show how Native Americans views other non-Natives.
Colonial educators began many traditions attempting to control Native American education, and these traditions have been passed down and sustained for over five centuries. In chapter two, the authors outline the strengths of Native American education that include “Indigenous theories o...
You’ve heard of Native American Indians right? Well do you really know what it what their lives were like before us Americans took their land? Let’s take a trip to the past and learn about their religion, beliefs, totems and how they live now. First we should start with who they were.
The Cherokee way of life and history of the tribe continues to impact generations of Cherokee today. Without the colorful history that the tribe has underwent, the many people living today would not know the important of living within the culture or speaking the native tongue. Without the knowledge of their ancestor’s hardships, the youth of today would likely disregard the past and only focus on the