Contemporary Connections: "Trickster" and Native American Artists

Native American Artists Struggle to Find a Niche

The article above gives us an inside look of how Native American artists struggle within their own profession. The article shows us how Native American artists have to fight stereotypes and prove their authenticity, which appears to be a theme in Native American culture. The article also shows us how Natuve American artists face difficulty in regards to being accepted as "real" artists. As you read the article you learn about how the artists also have trouble being taken seriously. As shown in the article, Native American art is always being put in the simple category of arts and crafts, which isn't considered "real art." Another problem Native American artists have to face is the struggle of having tribes that continue to grow smaller; meaning fewer Indians, which ultimately leads to less Native American artists. In efforts to preserve and promote Native American artists and art, the article explores the possibilities of creating
 Native American art museums. However, inevitably there are also a list of struggles that go along with this possible solution.

While reading Trickster in class, it was common knowledge that the illustrators of the book are not Native American. The question was then raised, does this take away from the book being a true piece of Native American literature? Personally, I do not think it does. However, I believe there should have been a greater effort to find Native American artists to illustrate the book. I think that if Native American artists illustrated the book, so many controversial questions would not be raised about the book. It would have added to the whole "authenticity" of the book to the readers. There is this constant struggle of auhenticity in Native American culture (Native American literature Native American art, Native American people, etc...) So why not have the entire book be created by real Indian people that understand their own culture and can give first hand experiences? But even then, would the question of authenticity disappear? I'm not sure it would. I also think that if Indian artists were the illistrators, then there would have been no question of if the characters of each comic were depicted correctly (what clothes they were wearing, what their surroundings were...) In the article, it explains how Native American artists struggle to "find their niche." In my opinion, this book was a perfect opportunity to supply Native American artists with jobs that they would feel comfortable and confident in doing. Illistaring a book like Trickster could have boosted their esteem as artists and it truly could have given them a chance to feel like they truly belong as an artist. 

Contemporary Connections: "House Made of Dawn" and Native American English

YouTube personality Auntie Beachress, who "regularly

employs a particularly unique version of the [rez] accent for

jokes and monologues aimed squarely at Native viewers."

How "Rez Accents" Strengthen Native Identity

The above article describes a study done by Native college students on Native American English, or the "rez accent." This vernacular seems to appear consistently across reservations in the United States and Canada. It is speculated that it originated due to Native children being forced into white boarding schools during the 19th and 20th centuries, and the Relocation Act of 1956. Both caused an unprecedented increase in intertribal contact and communication across the continent, which may have resulted in a standardized Native American "accent." Today, a great many Native Americans do not speak their heritage language, and some, like the study's co-founder, Kalina Newmark, derive a sense of pride from their Native American vernacular. As the article says, "Native identity is being shaped not only by the loss — and revitalization — of heritage languages, but also by the repurposing and remixing of English." There are also those who, unfortunately, have been or are afraid they will be perceived as unintelligent due to their accent. The study's founders stress the importance for non-Natives to understand that Native American English does not reflect intelligence, and for Native Americans to understand that the way they speak is "perfectly fine."

This article reminded me very strongly of Abel in House Made of Dawn. At one point, Newmark poses the question, "how do you reconcile your identity with not being able to speak your indigenous language?" This same conflict appears on page 53, when Abel feels that without his language he is not "whole to himself." Throughout the whole novel, Abel's inability to remember his indigenous language strengthens his status as a constant outsider. It reaffirms his displacement in his own tribe because his father was "a Navajo, they said, or a Sia, or an Isleta, an outsider, anyway," and Abel has no way to combat the idea that he doesn't belong. When Tosamah pointedly starts talking about longhairs and trying to make Abel feel singled out, Abel can have no sense of assurance against what Tosamah is implying, and since fighting doesn't work, Abel is left powerless to defend himself. Ben says that after this incident Abel is "hurt inside somehow, and pretty bad."

Abel's language barrier also separates him from his grandfather. It is most likely part of the reason Abel and Francisco communicate so rarely, and cannot understand each other when they do. During Francisco's sickness, he sometimes speaks in the Kiowa language. Abel "[can] think of nothing to say," thus losing his last chance to connect with his grandfather.

I wonder if this novel would have been different if the "rez accent" had played a role in the discussion of language. Perhaps it would have given Abel a better sense of belonging in his community. Of course, it would only have made him more of an "other" to the white people in the factory and the army who call him "chief" and compare him to Hollywood Indians. Perhaps he would even have been less desirable to Angela if she thought he was unintelligent and didn't fit her ideal of the romanticized Indian brave. But perhaps, within the Native community, Abel would have felt more confident in his identity, and more connected to the others within his tribe. Since Abel's feeling of exclusion adds so much to his inner turmoil, this may have given him some element of peace.

Contemporary Connections: "Horned Toad Lady and Coyote" and Cultural Appropriation

Hey You, in the Headdress, Know What it Means?

Native American headdresses have become a popular accessory in America. Often, these headdresses are worn by people attending festivals or by individuals in the media. These individuals view the headdresses as a fashion statement, but to Native Americans they are respected items with significant meaning. This article discusses that meaning and the disrespect a person shows by inappropriately wearing one. The author explains that the headdresses people wear as a fashion statement are modeled after those worn by various Plain nations. These headdresses are respected symbols of Native American culture that individuals, particularly men, must earn the right to wear. When non-natives wear these headdresses they are exploiting Native American culture and disrespecting their sacred objects. 

This article is directly addressing the issue of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation occurs when individuals who belong to a dominant group exploit the culture of less powerful groups. This is often done with little to no understanding of the non-dominant groups culture, history, traditions, etc.. 

The concept of cultural appropriation is clearly depicted in "Horned Toad Lady and Coyote." In this story, Coyote, a dominant species, forces the Horned Toad Lady, a less powerful animal, to teach him her song. The Horned Toad Lady's song is very significant to her and is specifically a pottery-making song. Coyote uses his dominance to force her to teach him this song, simply because he enjoys it. Ultimately, Coyotes want for this song leads him to his death. Just like the girls who wear Native American headdresses at festivals, Coyote is cultural appropriating aspects of another groups identity without respecting or considering their culture.  This story shows us the danger of cultural appropriation. Coyote is killed for his actions. While disrespectful headdress wearing may not lead to death, it is incredibly disrespectful to Native Americans. People who wear them are offending an entire culture and group of people. They are disregarding a sacred symbol and tradition in order to fulfill their own wants and desires. This story teaches us that cultural appropriation has significant consequences, and this is a lesson that many people today would benefit from learning. 

Contemporary Connections: "Trickster" and the Traditions of Native American Storytelling

Below is the link to the article "Storytelling Traditions of Native Americans:"
http://www.teachercertification.org/generalteaching/storytelling-traditions-of-native-americans.html

The article entitled "Storytelling Traditions of Native Americans" provided insight and knowledge about the common motifs of Native American storytelling as well as the inspiration tricksters have in Native American cultures. Storytelling has provided Native American tribes with the ability to pass along their history and traditions to their children and family members. One of the tales in "Trickster" entitled "The Yehasuri: The Little Wild Indians" told by Beckee Garris even illustrated an older woman telling her story to the young children sitting around her. This key component in the illustrations of the tale indicated the importance storytelling continues to have on younger generations of Native American tribes.

First off, the article began by speaking about the symbolism and importance of "trickster" tales. It stated that tricksters often fool others for a purpose, rather than having no justifiable reason for their actions. This relates to "Trickster" because many of the tricksters in the stories fooled someone to accomplish something to improve their life. For example, in the tale "Azban and the Crayfish" told by James and Joseph Bruchac showed Azban the Raccoon as a trickster who played dead to trick the crayfish. Although this is a trickster move, he did so for his own survival so he could have enough food to eat.

Azban plotting his "trick" to eat the crayfish

One key point the article made that sticks out in my mind was a quote that said, "By violating the rules and upsetting the old order, tricksters helped human beings see through their limited ways of thinking. Native Americans needed to use their imagination and their creativity to survive in a world where circumstance changed and the forces of nature could turn suddenly hostile, and the trickster helped show them how to be adaptable and flexible in all situations." Although tricksters often have a negative connotation surrounding them as being trouble-makers, the tricksters portrayed in Native American tales tend to inspire their listeners to become flexible and reliant on themselves. In modern day, there are many examples of various cultures and ethnicities in the United States, including Native Americans, that have adjusted to the modernization and industrialization surrounding them. When European settlers came to the United States and began interfering with Native American lives and traditions, many tribes had to become flexible and reliant on themselves to survive and keep their traditions alive, just like how a trickster would have to be flexible to the changing world around them. Being flexible and adaptable could have its disadvantages however, such as losing some traditions as the generations pass. This idea of flexibility and adaptability was also a motif in "Tracks," where Pauline decided to adapt to the White people who lived by her and become a nun. This is a sign of adapting to the world around her and becoming flexible for her own survival. 

The article "Storytelling Traditions of Native Americans" has many important insights about Native American storytelling and the common motifs. These motifs of flexibility, adaptability, and creativity can still be seen resonating today in Native American culture.

Contemporary Connection #2: Joy Harjo and Celestial Night

Flying on an airplane can either be an annoyance, a stressor, neutral feeling, or an escape. Each person seems to have very specific opinions of flying, and they do not hesitate to let you know if they like it or not. While reading Joy Harjo's poem, Everybody has a Heartache: A Blues, I could not help but to connect this to sitting in an airport terminal taking in the surrounding area. The people waiting to move on with there lives, not taking time to enjoy the things around them. For Example:

"In the United terminal in Chicago at five on a Friday afternoon

The sky is breaking with rain and wind and all the flights

Are delayed forever. We will never get to where we are going

And there’s no way back to where we’ve been."

The only lines that present a little confusion are when it talks about having no way of returning to

where they have been. I chose to relate this to, a person is able to return to where they have been

before, however, they will most likely be on a different plane with a new set of strangers. I picture the

plane flying at night with its passengers and, if they wanted to they could look out the window and see a

spectacle above them:

"Just before dawn, you’re high again beneath a marbled sky."

On the orchestra concert last Saturday evening, the Symphony Orchestra performed Celestial Night by

Richard Danielpour. A YouTube video of the piece is provided for you to listen to. From the composer:

"Celestial Night is a piece about duality (yin and yang; heaven and earth)...the fundamentals of

life....thus, both movements are derived from the same material." In other words, heaven and earth are

derived from the same source just as the two movements of the composition use the same music

material. Danielpour explains the inspiration for the piece coming from stargazing on many evenings in

New Hampshire in 1996. Whenever I listen to this piece I think of the power and mightiness of the

marble night sky, as Harjo would describe.

Danielpour describes his piece as having a constant forward almost heavenward motion as if

preparing to depart from the earth:

"...there was something in the first movement that was continually moving upward in search of

transformation...at the start of the first movement you experience a kind of willfulness, but at the 

conclusion, it becomes apparent that...there has to be an intrusion of grace...this is accomplished by the

second movement."

This directly connects to Harjo's words about a airport terminal and being in a plane under the night's

sky. When a plane takes off, the passengers are, for a brief (sometimes not so brief) amount of time are

removed from the earth as if reaching towards the heavens. Nothing is there to distract them or keep

them tied down there crazy human lives. They are stuck cruising along in a marble abyss. Sadly, it is

easy for passengers to keep the window cover down and block out the beauty outside the aircraft. In

this day in age, we can get so wrapped up in deadlines and due dates, meetings, and commitments. We

do not take the time to listen or look at the things around us. I find that both Daneilpour and Harjo are

trying to tell us to look and listen around us to the natural wonders in life. They are precious and can

help us feel at peace, even when we don't think any peace is possible.     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOUxnRklmcE&list=PL7JtfncqzcrRGPlcWLbMGgiuGoYhJ1hCs

Contemporary Connections: Joy Harjo and Human Disconnect from Nature

All photos in this blog post by Eric L. Hu (Instagram: @ericlhu)

In her poem, “When the World as We Knew It Ended,” Joy Harjo comments on the advancement of technology and how disconnected the human race has become from nature and the Earth. She immediately opens up with a vivid scene of industrialism: “Two towers rose up from the east island of commerce and touched the sky. Men walked on the moon. Oil was sucked dry by two brothers. Then it went down. Swallowed by a fire dragon, by oil and fear. Eaten whole.” She clearly and immediately expresses a disconcerting, troubled perception of the growth of industrialism, following up with the explanation of their culture watching industrialism progress right before their eyes, sometimes in places as close as from the kitchen window. Her people could tell that troubling times were coming in the flight patterns of the birds; they knew the dominance of industrialism was coming, but there was no way to prepare. The end of the world as they knew it had come — no longer was man as respectful and loving towards nature as before, building and expanding man-made structures at any cost to nature deemed necessary. Harjo notes the glimpses of inspiration that motivate her and her people to continue persisting, however: The seeds that still need planting, the babies that still need nurturing, the culture that still needs to be preserved and continue growing. 

Take into thought modern American society as a whole: We, along with so many parts of the rest of the world, have made significant technological advancements in such a short period of time, regardless of whether you view it in comparison to the beginning of industrialization, the Medieval era, or even the very beginning of the Earth's existence. Technology is used to build and expand cities, assist us in our daily lives, communicate with others across the world, discover and travel extraterrestrial locations, and so much more. But to what degree have we as a collective society allowed technology and industrialization to desensitize our lives? The millenial generation, and even baby boomers,  have experienced a phenomenon that has never truly been realized in previous generations -- That is, the impact that modern technology can have on an individual right from the very moment they come out of the womb. Of course, technology has affected us even before childbirth in the circumstances of hospital equipment monitoring a fetus' growth and so forth, but I am specifically referring to the technology we personally use ourselves. So many of our parents watched us grow up with computers and TVs, often placing blame on them for "melting our brains" because they grew up playing outside with their friends, riding bikes, and so forth. Us millennials might disagree with the negative connotation our elders associate with computers and TVs, yet we ourselves are confounded when we see five-year-olds casually walking around with iPhones and iPads, their eyes glued to the screens. When they're old enough to understand the larger concept, what will today's five-year-olds think of the generation that follows them? Is technology really improving our lives as much as we think, or are we headed through a swift, debilitating downward spiral?

This is a piece like a fine wine; it'll only get stronger and better as it ages.

House Made of Dawn as a Bildungsroman

Bildungsroman - a special kind of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood.

I decided to take a look at our culture, our youth, and other books I have read after reading House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday. His book is like a lot of books that I have read in that it is absolutely a bildungsroman. Our main character Abel, isn't quite a child; however, must come of age during the novel and find out who he truly is. Abel does so while battling psychological demons and alcoholism, and who he was, a native american, was not an ideal identity during the book's time period. Historically we have seen books like Jane Eyre, show a young child completely transforming through education, art and religion. After the recent controversial election of Donald Trump, our youth finds themselves in a difficult situation somewhat similar to what our protagonist Abel went through. The article I have  cited at the bottom of the page tells some stories of people who's coming of age will be negatively effected by the Trump presidency. First, the story of an out of the closet 15 year old, Maddie. Who is in a school where many of her peers live in conservative families that voted for Trump. Post election bullying has already tormented Maddie and has questioned her decision on coming out of the closet. She has considered going "back into the closet" however that could be possible. The second story is about a young 18 year old Mexican-American male who voted for Trump while his entire family did not. Although it was his decision, he has faced serious backlash within his own family for his own beliefs on immigration reform. The third story tells the story of a Muslim-American girl who dreams of one day being president. It is hard to imagine achieving such a goal after the continued spread of hatred towards Muslims that surround the Trump administration. 

Although House Made of Dawn is set 60 years in the past, the struggles of people to find their own identity haven't changed. The struggle for someone to come of age, when that coming of age goes against the national norm were tough back then, which Momaday illustrates, and are just as tough today. I lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the past two years. This county was extremely rural and religious -- Catholic, Christian and a heavy Mennonite presence. The mentality during the election campaign could only be summarized as a mob mentality. If you were not a Trump supporter, you did not mention your beliefs for fear of being scrutinized and possibly physically attacked. Luckily, I never switched official residences and came back to Chautauqua county to cast my vote. I knew Pennsylvania was going to swing red just from my countless trips across the state over the past two years. If I was afraid just to mention my political beliefs, imagine how our youth must feel now if they go against what Trump decides is normal and acceptable? Everyone has the right to find themselves, to be who they are, and to do so without fear. 

Our current youth having to have their own bildgunsroman in Trump's America