Dallas Lovejoy

2/4/14

English 3

Ms.Fordahl

 

Native Voices

Scott Momaday wrote the story The Way To Rainy Mountain. In this story Scott Momaday describes his voyage to visit his grandma’s grave, along the way he revisits sites of great significance to the kiowa heritage. Northwest of the wichita range in Oklahoma City, the Kiowa Indians gave this place the name Rainy Mountain. The weather was horrible at this place year round, it was also isolated and not near any civilization. Loneliness is a given in the Rainy Mountains due to the fact that there is nobody there if there is someone there they are alone. In July Momaday returned to the Rainy Mountains. Momaday then goes to see his dead grandma in the spring. She only has one living daughter that was with her when she died.

When Momaday’s grandma was a child they were in the last great moment of their history. The kiowas had controlled a large range of land from the smoky hill river  to the red, headwaters of canada, and Arkansas. They were great at war. They surrendered to the U.S. army, at fort sill. They were imprisoned in a corral which is now a museum.  Louise Erdrich was born in Little Falls Minnesota, She was a chippewa indian who had a german american heritage. She used both of witch in her stories.

In Saint Marie there isn’t as much about the land and sacred heritage, and things like that.This story is mostly about the relationship between a girl and nuns. The nuns think that the girl is crazy and influenced by the devil. The nuns abuse the girl and try to beat the devil out of her. I think this story is really messed up. So what did the girl do to get away from all the abuse she went and hid behind an oven. But that didn’t work because when the nuns found her behind the ove the nuns beat her some more.

So I guess what these stories are all about is Native American heritage and the tough times they had in their early years not just right now. I like how the stories contrast with the ways they describe the Native Americans struggle one story is about family and one man’s desire to discover the true meanings of his heritage and where he came from. The other story describes there struggles in a different way and talks about how the Native Americans were forced off their land by the white government which was basically like being abused and beaten and stuff.