American Rhetoric - Another Great Online Resource

Some of you may remember that I did a presentation on Red Jacket, a great Native American orator and activist. Well, I have been thinking about this for awhile now because I didn’t get to share the end of my presentation with you as a result of time constraints. During my research, I came across an amazing online resource called, American Rhetoric. This website has a collection of speeches ranging from Abe Lincoln to Steve Jobs. Most of the speeches I’ve come across have had both text and audio components available, which is great for comprehension. There are dozens of speeches from Native American figures throughout history, including Red Jacket. This is an excellent resource to check out!

At the end of my presentation, I wanted to share an excerpt from Red Jacket’s speech to white missionaries back in 1805. I have already blogged about this excerpt before (See Red Jacket – He’ll Keep You Awake). But, I absolutely love the part when Red Jacket says, “We do not quarrel about religion.” Right now, it’s hard to imagine a nation that doesn’t argue and fight over religion. Red Jacket’s words still have meaning today which means his message has stood the test of time. It is unfortunate that his message has sometimes fallen on dead ears.

Fellowship of the Blog 2 - The Extended Edition

As I have mentioned before (See Fellowship of the Blog), I am a big fan of the read around activity because we are interacting with each other as a community of learners. Not only are we interacting, but we are seeing different perspectives of the content we have been studying all semester. For me, this read around has given me brand new outlooks on topics I have a tremendous level of interest in.

I have always been captivated by the idea of transcendence. A basic desire we have as humans is to feel like there is something more than our existence here. This doesn’t have to be anything huge. I get this feeling when I listen to great music or watch a film that truly moves me. We are taken someplace else by the things we love. There are other forms of transcendence as well. Prayer, dance, alcohol, and drugs are all vehicles that can take a person beyond the ordinary routines of life. So when I came across Amanda’s post about sweat lodges, I was immediately hooked. I learned that these lodges are used for many ceremonial and spiritual reasons. But, what struck me was the unknown. What happens in a sweat lodge? I don’t know but I definitely want to find out some day.

With transcendence and the unknown on my mind, I stumbled across Michelle’s post regarding dreams. Jackpot! Dreams have always intrigued me because they are such an unbelievable phenomenon. We are sleeping but our subconscious is still at work. Michelle brought up some interesting points about dreams being an outlet for our repressed thoughts and impulses. I found this to be a profound point because dreams are truly the inner workings of our mind venting when it thinks we aren’t aware. Another great thing to come from this post was that it made me think of the song, “In Dreams,” by Roy Orbison.

With Roy Orbison on the brain, I came across Cassy’s blog regarding Joy Harjo, land, and memory. Cassy brought up many great points in her post. But, one that stood out to me was the quote she cited from Joy Harjo’s introduction. It reads, “The poet cannot be separated from place.” This is beautiful statement because I know exactly what Harjo means. In my comment, I talked about how I returned to my high school recently and all of the emotions came back to me as I walked into the building. Even though I have been separated in time from that place, I have not been separated emotionally once I am on that piece of land.

Wampum Belts & Visual Memories

I have been fascinated by Wampum belts ever since they were first exposed to me during class. I just love how symbols and patterns are used to tell a story or display an emotion. It is hard enough to convey these things through words and I find it remarkable that people can create something as meaningful as a Wampum belt.

I did some research because I was very curious as to how these belts are made. I found a section on HowToMakeStuff.com that briefly explains how to obtain the materials and weave them together to form a Wampum belt. I found out that shells are used to create the beads seen on most belts. But, the line that really struck me was that each individual shell represents a single memory. I found this very interesting because we have very different methods of holding on to memories today. This blog is a perfect example. Here I am, writing my thoughts about Wampum belts so that I can remember them later on. If I were so inclined, I could create a belt that would symbolize my discovery and fascination with Wampum belts. A Wampum belt about Wampum belts, so to speak.

Even though we now have more modern ways of preserving memories, one thing hasn’t changed since the Wampum belt. Our forms of memory preservation are still largely based in the visual realm. We remember best when we can see something. We have photos, videos, movie stubs, and Hallmark cards, to name a few. Sure, written memories are still, and always will be, an integral part of our lives. But, the memories that stand out will always be the ones you captured visually.

"Reservation Blues" Book Review

With Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexie is able to wrestle with what it means to be an American Indian and show the consequences that come with the loss of identity and culture. Not only are these issues at the forefront of the novel, but they are a reality for many American Indian reservations across the country. Sometimes it takes a story to open your eyes to the struggles happening outside of your own backyard. For me, Reservation Blues was an eye-opening read.

The story begins with legendary blues player, Robert Johnson, visiting the Spokane Reservation in search of a mystical religious woman named, Big Mom. He gives his guitar to Thomas-Builds-A-Fire who starts an American Indian Catholic rock band with his friends, Victor and Junior. The only problem with Thomas’ idea for a band is that none of these characters have any musical background. Thomas is a fairly religious man who has lived through a childhood of poverty while Victor and Junior are the local Reservation tough guys. This is why Robert Johnson’s guitar acts as the catalyst for the entire story. It is with this initial passing of the guitar that Alexie sets up the theme of identity loss. Just as Johnson sold his soul to the Devil, Thomas and his band mates embark on a journey which leads them down a road of self discovery and assimilation.

I may have a personal bias when reviewing this novel because the love for music runs deep within my blood. Even so, Alexie’s witty writing style is a delight to read. It amazes me that he can write with such humor despite the hardships he puts his characters through in the story. But don’t think for a moment that Alexie does not care about the problems and themes present in his book. He may write with a self-deprecating style of wit, but the themes he presents in Reservation Blues are powerful fictional accounts of real life issues facing American Indians across the country.