Westward Expansion Essay

With the purchase of the Louisiana territory in 1803, came the concept of westward expansion. Americans believed that by migrating West, they would be in a better economic standing, which in turn would lead to an increase in the health of the nation overall. The West was appealing, exiting, and it was theirs for the taking. Though white society viewed westward expansion as progress and the key to the nation’s success, it ultimately resulted in the destruction of Native American culture. Erdrich’s “Dear John Wayne” and Alexie’s “Powwow at the End of the World” illustrate how white society stripped away pieces of Native American culture and identity in the name of progress. Through Erdrich and Alexie’s poems, readers get a feel of how westward

In Erdrich’s poem, the heroic antics of John Wayne against the villainous Native Americans in Western films symbolizes how westward expansion was crafted into entertainment. In Western films, Native Americans were generally seen as the characters who were “barring progress” and had to be stopped to insure that white society remained victorious in their quest to settle the Wild West (Erdrich Line 7). Western films didn’t cause much harm beyond creating some stereotypes that even now surround Native Americans and their culture, but in Alexie’s poem, readers find that the Coulee Dam, a momentous symbol of white progress, lead to the eventual declination of the Spokane tribe. The construction of the Coulee Dam barred the Spokane tribe from thriving within their livelihood. For centuries, the Spokane tribe’s identity was being the tribe that fished salmon, but the Coulee Dam prevented the salmon from being accessible. Not knowing how to do much besides fishing salmon, readers can infer that the Spokane tribe had to Americanize their traditions and culture. Many symbols of white progress in the history of settling the Wild West also symbolize the destruction of identity and the formation of stereotypes in regards to Native